What lies under Corona: A layman's perspective

It has been a while that the pandemic issue was discussed from the perspective of a common man. An average IQ layman (or woman) to whom it does not matter whether a vaccine has been found to fight Corona or not or to a person who is unsure whether his current employer will be so next morning. Whether, the wages for the past work be paid? Or whether addressing the illness of his significant / important dependent is priority or remaining locked - in for the fear of contracting a disease no one knows anything about. It is time to look at things from a realistic angle which has several aspects to it. There are shadow zones and illuminated corners, depending upon the aspect of view. There are conspiracy theories and collusion theories in abundance all with equally convincing arguments. There are no solutions or if they are there, there’s a lack of intent towards implementation.

Let’s take the “Protagoras Paradox” doing the rounds on whats-app suggesting that it has not been resolved in 2000 years in a ‘to be or not to be’ situation when superimposed over the Corona fight by governments and imposition / lifting of extended lock-downs. One of the aspects that message talks about and I disagree with is the “ruthless lockdown by Chinese”. My take is that they had the necessary wherewithal (whether by way of an antivirus or vaccine developed well in advance) which they used strategically to immunise their people in advance. This along with a projection of deaths in Wuhan was part of a predetermined marketing plan. May be (speculation) that the fatalities shown are the Uighur Muslim population of whom there’s anyway no record so no one knows how many died and one can keep guessing till kingdom come. Plus, that is the remotest of China’s priority in their scheme of things.

Amidst common discussions of less consequences is the talk that the Wuhan P4 lab was developed using help (technical & financial) extended by the US and France is another issue for deliberation. The National Institute of Health (NIH) part funded the effort in both Obama and Trump times is also a matter of discussion which gives credence to the belief that the powers that be were complicit in designing something that has gone out of control. But is the common man bothered? No! However, his livelihood is affected which raises concern. The US election process begins end 2020, German elections later in 2021, French elections due in 2022 have stakes pitched high for the incumbents. Any revelation of a negative kind can have adverse implications. That’s where the common man matters. These are democracies , therefore, when the large-scale deaths got reported and the general sentiment was that enough is not being done despite being from the developed world, and ‘look at India’ chorus gaining currency, restrictions got imposed. Data available in public domain (India particularly) suggests that the restrictions were /are for the common man or particular classes of people. Ex PMs, CMs (both poor farmers) and the rich and some privileged classes can / have been skirting laws. Now that ‘enough is enough’ sentiment has started gaining currency, the governments world wide are looking at relaxing restrictions, exit strategies, partial lift-ups, economy & face saving formulae because the people so desire and these people will either vote them to or out of power. So the politics of Corona has nothing to do with the disease of Corona.

The Chinese Communist Party in 1921 set a dream of projecting its ideology as the ultimate form of governance worldwide and the restoring the Chinese way of life, growth and thought. 2021 is the time when they should be showcasing their might to the people of China and to the world. Having amassed the most gold and greenbacks, massive investments abroad, buying out and developing on superior technology either by overt or covert means, they are miles ahead of the rest in terms of ML, AI, %G, manufacturing & infrastructure.They have very diligently replaced the world’s brands by home grown low cost ‘similars’ and won’t let the advantage slip away. The ramping up of military and aggressive takeovers / woo overs of smaller players is another step in this direction. There’s a talk about over a million phone connections going dead and by interpolation that many customers having succumbed to Corona disease is just a statistic they would choose to ignore and while the world counts its dead and fights its disease, the Chinese are re-shaping the alignments in South China Sea to the agony of other stake holders. Does all this bother the common citizen or the layman of the world? It doesn’t. Does it matter to the Chinese people? They were as voiceless earlier as they are today, so it doesn’t. So whether Corona was created in a Chinese lab or elsewhere, what the ordinary folk is bothered about is his job and his family and the means to keep it going. Deaths, whether by corona or by other means is just an expression.

Now! Why there’s a hue and cry about the disease mostly in the west which is showing rapid spread and alarming rise in numbers? Why a 35,000 gross figure in India is rather insignificant yet India holds a place in the fight against the disease. This needs to be understood from the monetary aspect of the post pandemic influences. US with a population of about 300 odd Mn, the entire western Europe under 200 Mn and the fatalities therein given the quality of available health care make a significant percentage. The psychological impact carries a larger perception of threat as compared to India where per capita health care effort is considerably low. The top ten pharmaceutical companies (barring Sinopharm of China) of the world are based out of UK,US,Switzerland and France. The cost of medicare in these countries is quite high . By the time a vaccine is developed, a considerable population, more so in the developing world would have developed herd immunity and may not require it. However, mandatory pre or neonatal immunisations under the diktats of WHO would lead to an economic windfall. Finally, there’s a video which is also doing the rounds in whats-app that the Corona vaccine will come from India. Putting the two and two together, given the cost advantage that India offers, and businesses moving out of China for several reasons, it makes huge business sense to fund research, develop and produce a product of such potential in India.

Looking back at the arguments extended above, I do not see a very large role that the common man has to play either in the spread or in the control of the virus (Except that allegedly, Pakistan has been requested by China to make available their citizens for trial of the vaccine. Looks like they’ve eaten all the rats and the Gunniea pigs) Vested business interests have played the pivotal role. The impact of the spread and control efforts of course have been largely economic and shattering of the economies globally which hasn’t dented the pockets of the rich and the mighty. Common sufferance has been restricted to the common man. It of course has, to a certain extent helped governments in executing their other political agendas as well.

The author is an academic and an independent commentator on Geo-Political and Contemporary issues.