In 2015, Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, gave a TED talk (Technology, Entertainment and Design, an annual event where some of the world's most important thinkers and entrepreneurs give inspiring talks) in Vancouver (Canada) in which he explained that the great threat to humanity was "a pandemic caused by a highly infectious virus that would spread rapidly around the world."
At that time, the world was under the threat of the Ebola epidemic. Gates predicted that what is happening with COVID-19 was something foreseeable for which we were not prepared.
Today, the world is trying to fight to stop the coronavirus pandemic, a virus that is a mystery in its form of contagion but is relentless in its execution and spread.
A few days ago, I wrote a post on my networks in which I commented that I missed the coordination of world leaders in the measures to be applied in the countries. Each country is applying its rules independently without establishing homogeneous policies for all.
The sociologist Bauman comes to mind, who a few years ago stated that "political leaders only have local solutions to global problems?". Well, yes, how is it possible that with what is happening our leaders are not able to organize and implement common policies at a global level? In addition, of course, to seek cooperation between all where each other can help us, for example, controlling the manufacture and worldwide distribution of medical materials.
The coronavirus has burst into our lives in a fulminant way and has also come to change our way of seeing things. What is the difference with other situations that we have experienced? Well, it is an issue that reaches all people. It doesn't matter the country, the community, the city, the town or the neighborhood because it affects us all.
To a greater or lesser extent, it is a situation that we are all experiencing at the same time and this is precisely the difference. Until now, the situations that happened occurred in isolation in the countries; for example, a natural catastrophe, a war conflict? Worrying issues that you live from the unease of distance and, even if you had the misfortune of it happening in your country, we always think that we have had to live it in a solitary way. The COVID-19 pandemic is gradually reaching all countries without any kind of contemplation.
Extreme situations make the greatness of society emerge. We see solidarity these days in every corner and it is exciting to observe the involvement of society. From the daily support to health workers, security forces, etc., to the people who try to contribute their grain of sand by preparing medical material or giving up their facilities. Whatever it takes to contribute to the crisis. I always affirm that individualities are ephemeral and what remains is the unity of collectivity.
COVID-19 has arrived to transform our entire system. Now it is time to join efforts, there will be time to analyze in depth the successes and errors. What is beyond doubt is that everything that is happening has to make us reflect in every way to improve and be prepared in the future.