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U.S.
Nearly 30,000 cases of the coronavirus have been identified in the U.S., a figure that continues to grow rapidly as more and more individuals finally receive access to testing, and thousands continue to leave their homes despite nationwide calls for social distancing.
As of this afternoon, 390 patients with the virus have died, and now 80 million Americans are under virtual lockdown, as dictated by state orders in California, New York, Illinois, Connecticut, and New Jersey, urging nonessential workers to stay home in an effort to prevent the spread and reduce stress on the healthcare system.
With regards to the economy, there’s little doubt in the minds of economists that the nation is heading into a recession due to the pandemic, with businesses shutting down and Americans shut inside, unable to consume. However, the depth of destruction and time it will take to bounce back are both unclear. One thing’s for certain, if we all stay home and decrease the risk of the virus spreading by substantially minimizing interactions, life can get back to normal, people will no longer be unemployed, businesses will start back up and we’ll see a gradual increase in the market. Otherwise, the result might be staggering… and especially devastating. Stay home!
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China
China’s on the mend, with the number of people tested positive for corona having reached a net-zero earlier last week, and only jumping slightly to 46 in the past couple of days as international students and those stuck abroad are making it back home. For the past two months, the city of Wuhan, China has been under strict lockdown (think: no public transportation, all businesses shut down, curfew’s employed, no leaving the house, etc.). But now, as domestic cases are decreasing, the country is trying to restart its economy by loosening restrictions and slowly returning life back to normal. This is the effect of unanimous social distancing: PROGRESS.
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Italy
Italy has it the worst right now, by far, as over 53,000 people have been infected with more than 4,800 dead, and the rate of increase keeps growing. Hundreds, every day now, fall in critical condition despite hospitals lacking the necessary materials to keep everyone alive – in the simplest of terms, the sheer number of extremely sick people overwhelming hospitals means doctors are being forced to choose who will live and who will die. Just last Saturday, 793 individuals were killed by the virus.
As of right now, the nation’s death rate is 9%, officially surpassing China as the country with the highest death toll.
The tragedy of Italy, as heartbreaking as it is, should be the greatest warning sign to Europe and the U.S., wherein the virus is speedily arriving at an equal force. If Italy’s experience shows us anything, it’s that extreme action must be taken early – affected areas should be isolated, widespread movement should be limited, and the nation’s broader population must stay home. All of this needs to happen as quickly as possible because governments in Europe and America are now in danger of following the same path, repeating the same mistakes, and unraveling to the same deadly fate.
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