I was 10 years old when the Asian flu of 1957 devastated the country for worse than seems likely than shall the coronavirus... and yet I don't recall it at all. Meanwhile, even by the most pessimistic of estimates the coronavirus is only a C list pandemic. And yet the whole world is in panic about its "potential" consequences. And this is not just another symptom of TDS because it is everyone on the planet. Why? The internet!!!!! The rumors spread instantaneously and get amplified on line. To a degree this is good, because we are reacting to a threat. But on the other hand, we may be overcompensating and doing more harm than good. After all, damage to the economy is also a health threat. And what's odd is that we do not apply this paranoia to other more serious threats. For example, we could save tens of thousands of lives each year by lowering speed limits on the highways and/or bringing back prohibition. And yet we don't even consider either option. How heartless!
Link: https://www.city-journal.org/1957-asian-flu-pandemic