"Collateral Damage"

[Coronavirus - XVII]

How many people will die from this Covid virus? That is a lot different than the question, How many people will die due to this pandemic? A lot of experts are measuring the former. They give us interactive maps, pie charts, real-time tickers, info graphs, spreadsheets, and every other conceivable way to communicate the tests, cases, deaths, and survival rates from the virus.

But what about the deathly consequences of our response, the way we’ve communicated, and the shifts in the economy? Any projections of those numbers? Will we even measure them?

How many suicides will we witness due to the despair of lost farms, closed businesses, and crumbling markets?

How many overdoses will occur due to isolation and a lack of social support for those that suffer with addiction?

What about the deaths that will result from people quietly suffering and unable to penetrate swollen emergency rooms and packed hospitals?

Consider the global closure of borders. How many refugees will die because cross-border migration has come to a standstill?

What about the increase in domestic violence, hate crimes, gang violence, and aggravated assaults that spike in times of uncertainty and societal panic?

By effectively pressing “Pause” on the economy—and virtually every social gathering—we have also welcomed a significant increase in deaths due to increased violence, neglect, and ignorance. The consequences of our response to the Coronavirus are not all positive. Not by a long shot. Will we measure the “collateral damage”?