It would be unreasonable to use the number of cases of infections as a determinative factor in ranking countries by their success in limiting the spread of the Coronavirus. For example, the US population is the third highest population at 331,883,986
and have 104,256 confirmed cases
of the virus. When you simplify the figures of total cases per 1 Million people, total confirmed cases equate to 315 per 1 Million people.
• Italy – 1,431 (Total Population (TP): 60,461,826)
• Spain – 1,406 (TP: 46,754,778)
• Germany – 637 (TP: 83,783,942)
• France – 505 (TP: 65,273,511
• Netherlands – 502 (TP: 17,134,872)
• Ireland – 430 (TP: 4,937,786)
• Iran – 422 (TP: 83,992,949)
• Portugal – 419 (TP: 10,196,709)
• Israel – 400 (TP: 8,655,535)
• Denmark – 353 (TP: 5,792,202)
• USA – 315 (TP: 331,002,651)
• UK – 214 (TP: 67,886,011)
• Australia – 143 (TP: 25,499,884)
• Canada – 126 (TP: 37,742,154)
• Turkey – 68 (TP: 84,339,067)
• China – 57 (TP: 1,439,323,776)
When interpreting the above statistics for the purposes of grading the efficiency in limiting the spread of the virus, it is important to consider that countries with higher populations present more opportunities to the virus to find a home in a person. Nevertheless, these statistics show that European countries are have not been successful as other countries in limiting the spread of the virus.
Ironically, the country where the virus formed, China, at this point have the greatest success in halting the spread of the virus despite having the second largest population in the world. Fancy a conspiracy theory anyone?
Here in Australia, the total number of cases are steadily rising, although not at an alarming rate in comparison of other countries that does not suggest that Australia is immune from being a victim of a rapid increase, these lockdown strategies are successful and further lockdown strategies should be welcomed to avoid possible travesties as seen in Italy and Spain.
It is not a news article without the mention of Donald Trump right? Donald Trump continues to handle the Coronavirus situation in America rather well, inspiring really. No I’m serious. Trump has gone on to say that “a lot of good things are happening, The mortality rate in my opinion is way way down and that takes a lot of fear out you know it's one thing to have it and another thing to die”. He is right, people are afraid of dying from the Coronavirus that is possible once contracting the virus.
Mainstream media is quick to mention the high spike in American cases but in Trumps defence, the virus will have the highest chance of successfully spreading in places with high density population. California, a US state has a population that is higher than of Australia by 10 Million people. Nevertheless, I applaud Mr Trump for giving people a glimmer of hope for the return of normal life by promising to release guidelines (next month) to help Americans get back to work as soon as possible.
With the third highest population in the world, a rise in the spread rate is imminent in the US. Trump is under the most pressure in the world yet he hides the pressure to not give reason for concern. Instead, offers hope for a rejuvenated economy in the near future. Ultimately, Trump doesn’t want he’s people to live in fear, we all have experienced fear and know how crippling it can be, Trump doesn’t want wish that upon his people.
The president only wants positivity in these times of uncertainty and distress. Positivity is proving to help according to the statistics.
- AT