Human Writes: The People vs The Virus

An electronic billboard with a sign of the times, #DUDUKRUMAH and #StayAtHome, beside an eerily deserted Jalan Parlimen, Kuala Lumpur, with the KL Tower in the background. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

We live in strange times. Overnight, our world has changed unbelievably. “Normal life” has vanished.

In the first week of April, more than a third of the world’s population has gone under some form of restricted movement or lockdown. Borders closed, schools shut, airlines stopped flying and workplaces went virtual using videoconferencing tools such as Zoom and Teams. Cities that never sleep were lulled; top tourist destinations like Rome became ghost towns. The pandemic also created pandemonium in grocery stores.