We're in a very unusual time. COVID-19, a new form of coronavirus first announced in Wuhan, China in December, has been wreaking havoc around the world. While not as lethal as some previous strains of the flu, such as the H1N1 virus in 2008, the ease with which COVID-19 can spread is forcing us to take major measures to try and limit its spread. Reactions have been exceptionally strong; bans on large gatherings are leading to stores and bars closing, events being cancelled or postponed, and many restaurants converting to carryout-only for the time being. Air travel has dropped off, in part because of bans on many international flights; the encouragement to self-quarantine led to runs on toilet paper and other essentials at stores. The economic impact is already significant, as stock markets around the world have been crashing in anticipation of the hit many who work in service industries will take.
Whether or not the measures being taken and the resulting consequences is proper, it's important to have perspective and know what's going on. We will have an economic impact for a while; and yet if this tapers off soon we could see an unbelievable expansion and growth in recovery. But this isn't like recovering from a major disaster that damages infrastructure... we have power, water, Internet, the radio, essential services like garbage pickup and mail, stores have what we need... we'll be okay. This is just really weird for many of us.
To go along with having perspective, it's also important to know how COVID-19 cases are progressing. A number of high-profile people have the virus, including Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson, Idris Elba, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife, a few NBA players, and more. But how many do we know actually have it in the U.S. and around the world? How many have died vs. how many have recovered? This map from Johns Hopkins University, done in conjunction with WHO (the World Health Organization) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), is perhaps the best tracker of COVID-19's impact by numbers on people, updated in real-time.
GET THE LATEST COVID-19 TRACKING MAP HERE.
Stay safe!