Avoiding worst case scenario will take patience, solidarity

Brace yourself.

Public Health agencies across North America are releasing projections of death unseen in the developed world for 75 years.

And while estimates are staggering, they should provide a new base level for us to rebuild our resolve.

Alberta’s own best-case analysis of the Coronavirus impact, described Wednesday, states 800,000 people in the province could become ill by the end of summer, and 3,100 will die.

And that depends on an unprecedented, pan-societal effort halt the spread, to stay home and give health workers the time and resources to save as many lives as possible.

Ontario officials now expect between 3,000 to 15,000 deaths, but say without ongoing action and physical distancing measures the figure could reach as high as 100,000.

We are facing a world defining moment, and in the isolation that defines our individual duty, we will face dark moments of doubt and sorrow on a scale beyond anything seen since the Second World War.

The United States Surgeon General described the Coronavirus response on Monday as a modern

“Pearl Harbour Moment.” Officials in that country now predict as many as 250,000 deaths, about 100 times more than the lives lost in the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

That single country will likely see more deaths than the total number from 14 countries hardest hit by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami.

Reports are already grim from places like Italy and Spain, the United Kingdom, and the list seemingly goes on and on. The Southern Hemisphere is preparing for flu season as their winter approaches.

Typically, public emergencies are a call to physical action, to build a berm or put out a forest fire, but today’s call is patience, for solidarity, and action of another sort.

Emergencies also progress from adrenaline, to worry, then doubt, then anger.

And there are weeks and months ahead unable see tangible results from our active duty to stay home as the death toll will surely climb.

Avoiding the worst case scenario, by definition, also requires us to consider what has not happened, something of which we will never have tangible proof. We will never truly know if we did too much or too little. Even the “best case” scenarios involve monumental numbers.

Over time we will have to learn how to reconcile that in our minds. Like other generations, such as those who fought, died and sacrificed to win the Second World War, we will have to learn to take pride in our actions while also holding sorrow in our hearts.

Collin Gallant is a reporter with the News. He can be reached at cgallant@medicinehatnews.com