Captain for corona?

Byline: Fahd Husain

ARE we ready for coronavirus?

Inevitability carries its own burden. Today there are six known and officially identified patients of coronavirus. There will be more, of that there can be no doubt. But how many more? And how quickly? We have, it seems, returned to an age when there are more questions than answers.

This is scary.

And yet, for once, there is less of a scare in Pakistan than the rest of the world. For now at least, we seem to be patting ourselves on the back for a job well done in containing the spread of coronavirus. The logic peddled by the government - wrapped of course inside a boast - is that despite sharing borders with China and Iran, we still only have six patients. So that's good. Right?

Perhaps. On the face of it our society is putting up a brave face. Sure, there is a run on masks and hand sanitisers, and yes an odd wedding here and there is being cancelled, but overall, collectively, we are still swaying to the beat of normalcy. There is a reason. The government is not preparing us for what could possibly lie ahead, and it is not communicating how it plans to deal with the crisis if it amplifies in the coming weeks and months. Some may call this bravado, others may term it denial while yet some others may describe it as realistic fatalism, but the fact remains that the government's response is not matching the magnitude of the expected challenge.

The prime minister must provide leadership when it is needed most. It is needed most now.

Consider the following: global infections are over 100,000. In the US, the death toll from coronavirus has reached 12, South Korea reported 518 fresh cases just on Friday, Netherlands reported its first fatality while a senior Iranian diplomat died after being infected, with the death toll in Iran now 124. Stock markets are getting a battering and the aviation industry faces one of its worst crisis in recent history. The global GDP is predicted to take a hit and growth will start slowing down. In Japan, the prime minister is getting a drubbing by public opinion for not being proactive on coronavirus while American president Donald Trump is accused of mishandling the issue by giving inaccurate statements and assessments. Governments are allocating whopping budgets for efforts to manage the crisis and bracing for tougher days ahead.

And here?

Meetings and more meetings followed by consultations leading to deliberations that ultimately shape up into some activity that...