MARCH 14 2020 LISTENER 17
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an authority on emerging diseases, “is the
virus”.
With increasing numbers of elderly in the
world’s population, medical experts warn
that pandemics may become more lethal.
Although overseas experience shows that
Covid-19 has a higher mortality rate than
the flu, the reaction – including panic-buy-
ing in supermarkets, a sell-off in financial
markets, banning travellers coming from
some areas and people “self-isolating” when
there is no official advice for them to do
so – is disproportionate to the current risk.
But the nature of the virus could change,
and anyway, risk is not something that
people are good at assessing, Wilson says.
“Anything that is a novel threat, like Covid-
19 ... is more potent.”
Once a case of the coronavirus disease
was confirmed in New Zealand, the risk of
community transmission became possible.
“This means anyone could have it, and
that in itself is psychologically disturbing,”
Wilson says.
“We’re pretty hopeless at working out the
risks of bad things happening to us. It has
been pointed out that the mortality rate
of the ‘common’ flu is about one in 100,
and it is possible that Covid-19 isn’t much
higher, but how much higher is ‘not much
higher’?
“The risk is that people
get laid off, those
companies can’t pay
their bills and the whole
thing feeds on itself.”
- Share markets are taking a hammering. 2&3.
Traders at the New York Stock Exchange during
a massive sell-off. 4. An airline passenger from
Italy has her temperature checked in Hungary. - Empty toilet paper shelves in an Auckland
supermarket. 6. Medical staff arrive with a
patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. 7.
Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi, who
has since tested positive for Covid-19. 8. Chinese
whistle-blower Dr Li Wenliang, who was
investigated for “spreading rumours” and later
died of Covid-19. 9. Outside a Washington long-
term care facility linked to several confirmed
coronavirus cases. 10. A Chinese girl wears a
plastic bottle and a mask for protection.
4 5
8 910