The City of Oran next to the Mediterranean Sea in Algeria is a setting of the famous fiction outbreak of the bubonic plague. The book was published in the 1940s, and its plots resemble the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The plague is a bacterial zoonosis disease affecting rodents, and it is caused by Yersinia pestis, mainly transmitted among animals through fleas. Humans are infected when they have fleabites from affected animals, which can be fatal.
The French Nobel Prize winner and book author, Albert Camus, anticipated that a pestilence, untreatable condition requiring quarantine measures could hit the world. People would be forced to isolate at homes, while the frontline workers would be willing to sacrifice their lives for humanity. The first reaction of Oran communities is a period of denial, followed by dread, horror, and ultimately resignation. A similar experience is witnessed in the period of COVID-19 that ravages the world. The town residents in Oran were in disbelief of the new occurrence.
Oran Plague’s Comparison with Corona Virus
In the initial stage, Oran’s healthcare system responded better than the Chinese authority did by hiding the pandemic in Wuhan until it became apparent. Likened to economic woes during World War II, COVID-19 has been labeled as a black swan event (Nicola et al. 185). The pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), which has a detrimental impact on the world’s healthcare system.
Moreover, it ripples havoc on each aspect of human life, curtailing trade and movements. The doctors in Oran initially reported the condition was not a plague. In contrast, the city officials acknowledged it was a type of outbreak but downplayed it with a half-measure response. After reports of flu-like pneumonia were reported in Wuhan, China, governments worldwide acknowledged the presence of the Coronavirus epidemic; however, the measures were not robust.
Human Experience During Coronavirus Pandemic
The pandemic has become a global calamity evolving at unprecedented scale and speed. It has developed into a worldwide imperative for governments and organizations to take instantaneous measures (Accenture 2). COVID-19 has affected businesses, communities, and organizations worldwide, inadvertently impacting the global economy. Lockdowns and uncoordinated government responses lead to disruptions of the supply chain, while continued restrictions have significantly affected goods manufacturing in factories. Additionally, the capital markets have suffered tremendously as investors are shy to invest or do not have the resources to support. Furthermore, the tourism industry is hit hardest by flight restrictions, affecting the service sectors such as hospitality, aviation, and travel (Nicola et al. 193). The need to respond will not end when the virus’s immediate menace eventually recedes, but it is a continuous fight.
Political reactions to coronavirus
The pandemic has affected politics both at the domestic and international level by impacting several nations’ political and governing systems. Authorities tell everyone to self-isolate, meaning no socialization, which was life’s norm and experience (Accenture 25). The COVID-19 pandemic has caused suspensions of legislative events, deaths, and isolation of numerous politicians and elections rescheduling in fear of spreading the virus. The situation affects the smooth running of governments.
Work Cited
Accenture. “COVID-19:5 new human truths that experiences need to address”. Accenture. 2020. Web.
Nicola, Maria et al. “The Socio-Economic Implications of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19): A Review”. International Journal of Surgery, vol.78, 2020, pp. 185_193. Elsevier BV. Web.