Every year there is a season wild fire, then come the Australian bush-fire that burned almost half the continent. If it wasn't separated by mass of water, the whole world would probably have burned down.
Every year there is a season of influenza that spreads across our population. Then come this year, the COVID-19, one in a hundred year kind of virus that have the potency to wipe out 20% of the population.
Looking at these two phenomenons have of many common patterns and characteristics. From the conditions that facilitate the spreads, to the responses, the outcomes and the affect of such disasters on its subject.
Given the ripped condition of high heat, drought, over logging, irrigation and human impact, forest are less resistant to fire. Fire are more frequent and severe. California has the worst fire season in the recent years. Then come the Australian bushfire that engulfed over 29 million acres and killed over 1 billion animals.
For Covid-19, it has found its fertile ground of such large over populated cities. With a well connected world, large aging population, ignorants along with fake news all have contributed to the formation and rapid spreading of this virus. Other outbreak has happened in previous years, SAR, Zika, Ebola, etc... but none has evolved to be so effective to exploit the current human population.
The effects of an over populated urban cities with much crowded environment resembles of an overgrown and dry forest prone to fire. The well traveled and connected world is like having high wind condition to carry the spread far and wide in its initial period. Wind can't be stopped as people can't all be locked in. There is no rain yet in sight until a miracle vaccine is discovered and mass produced.
The response to each calamity has some interesting common characters. Begin with containment and locking down certain area with trenches. First responders are always on the front line, risking their lives to fight these fierce battles. When containment failed, the government start dumping fire retardant from the sky as the federal reserved just dump cash with unlimited quantitative easing. Soon the Congress will pass its stimulus bill to dump cash on every business and family.
Once this is all over, the forest will renew, the old and weak are all burned out leaving behind fertile ground. It is a cruel and uneven destruction to society. The poor, the old, the small businesses will be hurt the most. While the big business and heirs of the rich will benefits greatly after this ordeal.
Stay safe and hunker down. Let the fire pass, so we can come out of it stronger.
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