herbgrower I think we agree more than we disagree: I just read an article in the NYTimes about how dealing with the reality of this situation is much healthier than being in denial. Which is why I would never assure anyone they weren't going to get the virus--not if they were practicing risk-taking behavior like going around lots of people without a mask.
I never said I'm just waiting for covid19; I said I'm practicing safety. Yes, there's been information about these viruses for quite some time, and their connection to destruction of natural habitats. South Korea's experience with SARS and another virus prepared people for this situation, and the masks came right out. Practice does make perfect.
As for third world countries, right here in the US, the death rate from the virus is far higher for blacks and latinos, in other words, for those with least economic access to everything that protects the middle class--the luxury of social distancing, for one. That's being written about.
What I'm pessimistic about is not knowledge and experience gained from this pandemic: it's the reality of the destruction of the environment getting right back into full swing after this has passed. The sky will be filled with planes again, the roads over-flowing with trucks and cars, the factories churning out toxic smoke again. I've seen a couple of reports about rate of death being higher for those exposed to polluted air where they live. All of this is the inevitable result of human destruction of the environment, i.e., climate change.
I would have hope if we went back to regional economies, but it's going to take a far wider devastation in order for that to happen.