So, what happens next?

With Europe in its current fragile economic state, America’s death toll rising to over 90,000 this week and the political push on the public to re-open shops and businesses, we are all a little bemused. Should we be asking questions? 

Thankfully following on from Italy’s curb in death tolls and the rates of contagion dropping, we can start to imagine life going back to normal once again. The abandoned streets of my town Varese have soon returned to normality, refilled with people and families enjoying the hot summer days. However, the mentality of people has not evolved as much as I would have hoped for. Can we really sit here and pine for our weeknight happy hour to return or pray that our flights to Ibiza this summer will in fact go ahead. It was only a matter of a month ago when we were watching military trucks making their way through the streets of Bergamo full of Italy’s deceased. Fast forward to tonight, I’m watching groups of families without masks or gloves queueing for an Italian gelato. The contrast is so vast that I’m finding myself alienated. Did we really just witness a global pandemic?

With South Africa set to witness a rise in cases, Italy’s market being won over by mafia ties and the British being so utterly confused about whether they are permitted to return to life as before or not, I can say that the world’s economy does feel like it’s hanging by a thread. COVID-19 is a danger to people of all ages and race but in the aftermath of this silent war that surrounds us, we look to those who are suffering the least and gaining the most. These economic sanctions seem like a modern alternative to the obsolete methods of warfare that were prominent in the 20th century, now we must face something far more elusive. 

If this virus and how it has spread is not only the most puzzling situation we are trying to get our heads around, there is also the paradox that is the conspiracy theory between the US and China. Let’s turn our heads to the war on 5G, Huawei which is backed by the Chinese government is pioneering its way through the western world with impossible to beat low cost contracts. That being said, with 5G taking over that also means new towers and infrastructure, the US government has tried to ban Huawei’s technology within its states. Would a virus that causes America’s stock market to crash to the lowest point in history be of any advantage? 

Maybe so. However we are left with these conspiracy theories circulating the media turning our heads left, then right. Activists say it’s a cry from mother nature protesting against the rapid and unnecessary evolution of man kind. If this is political agenda, then it’s the biggest boycott seen in history for the Chinese market. Stocks, markets, corporations withheld from selling, supplying goods on a global scale encouraging separatists movements within China. Where does this leave the European market and does this pandemic set up numerous countries around the world for recession?

Not if you are German, what are they doing differently? Germany which has experienced over 170,000 confirmed cases and over 8000 deceased, they’re certainly pioneering the way in “how to tackle a pandemic”. Their approach started when they developed testing equipment in mid-January and posted the formula online in Berlin. The earlier the diagnosis the quicker they can respond to the patients needs. In most other countries it seems like testing and protective equipment is limited for the public and healthcare workers combined. The introduction of contact tracing apps are coming to light in the market from Australia, with millions of people downloading the apps; the idea is to identify people that could have been vulnerable or exposed to the virus and will guide them to self-isolate from others.

Is this the future, tracing human footprints, illnesses and identity? This was years in the making and the pandemic has highlighted the technology we need to use to stay safe and healthy. Stay posted for emerging app reviews…