As the year draws to a close, let's see what the Year of the Virus taught us. 

The first thing we found was that Trump is even more illiterate than he appeared. He dismissed the pandemic as not worth worrying about, saying that it was just like the flu. He refused to wear masks in public, so it was poetic justice that he also caught it. Of course, if he hadn't been a VIP, he would have found it difficult to survive. He had the best doctors and medical care, so he recovered. But he still thinks that he cannot get it again, or transmit it to others, so he too is not getting himself vaccinated.

Two other world leaders (UK's Boris Johnson and Brazilian president Bolsonaro) had the same flippant attitude and both fell victim to it. In fact, Bolsonaro is still at it, claiming that the vaccine could turn people into crocodiles or make women grow beards and mustaches.

In Pakistan, I'm surprised that Imran Khan didn't get Covid 19, although some of his closest aides did. Asad Umar and the Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar have isolated themselves after testing positive. Some have died, including a lady senator and other senior citizens. Many doctors have also succumbed. But there is widespread skepticism about the numbers of cases and deaths in Pakistan, as this government is well-known for spreading misinformation. 

Some close relatives of mine did get infected and recovered, but a few others died without confirmation that it was Covid which killed them. One woman died after three weeks in hospital, she was only 54 and belonged to the Tableeghi Jamaat.

Now that a new, vicious strain of the virus has been discovered in the UK, it seems very unlikely that the vaccine will offer adequate protection. Maybe the virus is nature's way to save the world from global warming caused by humans. 

0 comments