I came to Canada during the Hong Kong flu pandemic. I didn’t notice the pandemic because it was hardly commented on and life went on as normal.
Like everyone else my age, I was taught not to cough, spit or sneeze on people. I knew washing your hands was a good idea. I had a drawer full of handkerchiefs so I didn’t have to be contortionist to sneeze into my arm. I didn’t like people invading my personal space so for me a kind of social distancing is my norm. In 1969, life went on as usual and the economy wasn’t shut down ruining the lives of millions.
The 1969 Hong Kong flu pandemic killed more than a million people. Tuberculosis which is entirely preventable kills just as many each and every year. The second place, entirely preventable killer, Malaria kills 400,000 annually. I’ll pay attention to Covid-19 when it kills a million annually.