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effective quarantine measures. Quarantine and
lockdown are essential for stopping the spread
of epidemics. But when countries distrust one
another and each country feels that it is on its
own, governments hesitate to take such drastic
measures. If you discover 100 coronavirus cases in
your country, would you immediately lock down
entire cities and regions? To a large extent, that
depends on what you expect from other countries.
Locking down your own cities could lead to
economic collapse. If you think other countries will
then come to your aid, you will be more likely to
adopt this drastic measure sooner.
Perhaps the most important thing people
should realize about such epidemics is that the
spread of an epidemic in any country endangers
the entire human species. In the 1970s, human-
ity managed to completely eradicate the smallpox
virus because all people in all nations were vacci-
nated against smallpox. If even one country failed
to vaccinate its population, it could have endan-
gered the whole of humankind, because as long
as the smallpox virus existed and evolved some-
where, it could always spread again everywhere.
In the fight against viruses, humanity needs to
closely guard borders. But not the borders between
countries. Rather, it needs to guard the border
between the human world and the virus-sphere.
Planet Earth is teeming with countless viruses,
and new viruses are constantly evolving because
of genetic mutations. The borderline separatingthis virus-sphere from the human world passes
inside the body of each and every human being.
If a dangerous virus manages to penetrate this
border anywhere on earth, it puts the whole human
species in danger.
Over the past century, humanity has fortified
this border like never before. Modern health care
systems have been built to serve as a wall on that
border, and nurses, doctors and scientists are the
guards who patrol it and repel intruders. However,
long sections of this border have been left woefully
exposed. There are hundreds of millions of people
around the world who lack even basic health care
services. This endangers all of us. We are used
to thinking about health in national terms, but
providing better health care for Iranians and
Chinese helps protect Israelis and Americans
too from epidemics. This simple truth should be
obvious to everyone.Today, humaniTy faces an acute crisis not
only because of the coronavirus, but also because
of the lack of trust between humans. To defeat
an epidemic, people need to trust scientific
experts, citizens need to trust public authorities,
and countries need to trust one another. Over
the past few years, irresponsible politicians have
deliberately undermined trust in science, in public
authorities and in international cooperation. As a
result, we are now facing this crisis bereft of global
leaders who can inspire, organize and finance a
coordinated global response.
During the 2014 Ebola epidemic, the U.S. served
as that kind of leader. The U.S. fulfilled a simi-
lar role also during the 2008 financial crisis, when
it rallied behind enough countries to prevent a
global economic meltdown. But in recent years the
U.S. has resigned its role as global leader. The cur-
rent U.S. Administration has cut support for inter-
national organizations and has made it very clear
to the world that the U.S. no longer has any real
friends, only interests.
The void left by the U.S. has not been filled by
anyone else. Xenophobia, isolationism and distrust
now characterize most of the international system.
Without trust and global solidarity, we will not be
able to stop the coronavirus epidemic.
If this epidemic results in greater disunity
and mistrust among humans, it will be the virus’
greatest victory. When humans squabble, viruses
double. In contrast, if the epidemic results in
closer global cooperation, it will be a victory not
only against the corona virus, but against all future
pathogens.Harari is a historian, philosopher and the best-
selling author of Sapiens, Homo Deus and
UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/GETTY IMAGES 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
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The St. Louis
Red Cross
Motor Corps,
on duty during
the Spanish flu
pandemic in 1918