The Threat is REAL - AN ALARMING SPIKE

Vahe H. Apelian

This is an update of the article I posted on June 4, 2020, citing the Covid-19 confirmed cases in Worcester County, MA where I reside and in Armenia. The past 11 days Armenia has registered an ALARMING SPIKE in its Covid-19 confirmed cases, while Worcester County MA is reported to be on a downward trend along with the State of Massachusetts.

I remain mindful of the posting that recently Raffi Doudaklian posted on his page. It pertains to a simmering perception in Armenia regarding the Covid-19 pandemics. The posting has appeared on PM Pachinyans’s page claiming that the  Covid-19 is a hoax and is being used by the PM Pachinyan’s government as a political pretext. The posting read: “In Armenia there is no Corona pandemics. It is a fake, media-fabricated pandemics, whose main aim is to spread inordinate fear among people and through fear, the intent is to break down the spirit of the people and to disarm its collective psychology. As to what purpose  is he doing that? Contemplate about it yourself. Surely it’s  not for good nor in favor of the Armenians.”  One hundred and ninety-nine readers had responded to the posting, by clicking of what is now familiar buttons to us, as “like”, “anger”, and “haha”.

It is inevitable that response to this pandemic will be politicized. But reasonable people of all political persuasions would be expected to shed light on the reality of the pandemics that transcends politics.  Surely the PM had uncalled for bravado at the very onset of the pandemics. However, his government soon resorted  responding and addressing the matter appropriately. The onus is now on the citizens of Armenia.

I live in Boylston, MA.  It is one of the smaller towns in the Worcester county. Boylston is some seven miles from the City of  Worcester, which is the epicenter of the Armenian American community (“Worcester is America” by Dr. Hagop Martin Deranian). The first Armenian churches were built in Worcester. Khrimian Hayrig established the Armenian Apostolic Church in this city.  The following is the official statistics of the Covid-19 ravage in the Worcester County, MA. 

The population of Worcester County is 822,280 persons. It has 11,975 confirmed cases, (11,465 on June 4).  The number of deaths is 870, (804 on June 4).  The percent of the Worcester County, MA infected with the virus has risen to 1.45% (1.39% on June 4). But the  overall Covid-19 infection in Worcester County, MA is on a downward trend.

 During the same time frame, the confirmed cases in Armenia has reached 17,064 (11,221 on June 4) and the number of deaths has climbed to 285 (176 on June 4). It is obvious that within that time frame ARMENIA HAS REGISTERED AN ALARMING SPIKE in the number of confirmed cases while, as noted,  the Covid-19 infection in the Worcester County, MA is reported to be on a downward trend. So is the trend in the state of Massachusetts.

I am not in position to speculate on causes for the spiking of the infection in Armenia. However, I can attest the following. Whenever my wife and I, together or by ourselves, venture out for shopping, we wear gloves and mask. We have yet to encounter a single shopper without mask in the stores we shop. All the shoppers are also very conscious of social distancing and stores have made accommodation to facilitate social distancing. Having stated that, I can state the following. It is an exercise in futility to politicize the Covid-19 infection. The infection has not been a political issue in the State of Massachusetts, I know of. That surely is not the case in Armenia.

Does the Covid-19 present a serious threat to a country, be it sparsely populated Armenia?

 It sure does.

For all those interested I invite them to read or watch Jared Diamond’s documentaries on Youtube. Jared Mason Diamond (born September 10, 1937) is an American geographer, historian, anthropologist who is best known for his popular science book, titled: “Guns, Germs, and Steel” (1997).In his book he makes a compelling case that not only guns and steel brought down and decimated civilizations, germs did as well. Age old civilizations in North America, in South America, in Hawaii were decimated no less by germs for which the “conquistadors” had immunity but the natives did not. The latter's only revenge was introducing syphilis to the powers to be of the day, to which the natives had immunity but the conquerors did not.

Covid-19 appears to spare no one. There are no “conquistadors” in the world who appear to be immune to it, be Americans, Armenians, Arabs, Chinese or Indians or any other countrymen.

Yes, Covid-19 is a serious threat and may lead to social collapse. It behooves us to remain cognizant of that reality and support the ongoing efforts to contain it.

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