The world is under siege, not by a superpower bristling with nuclear armaments, but by a microscopic enemy that is spreading fear, panic and death across the globe. It knows no borders, race or colour, and attacks anyone, from the most powerful to the ordinary person in the street. Humanity is feeling threatened and helpless.
Entire nations are in lockdown; shopping malls are empty, turning bustling cities like Venice and Rome into ghost towns; world economies are reeling and stock markets have plummeted, wiping out trillions in investments; the oil price has plunged to pre-2016 levels; factories have ground to a halt, shops , businesses, schools and universities have closed; airlines are in a tailspin with thousands of flights cancelled; and trade and tourism are suffering the worst, with bars, restaurants and hotels empty.
Sport, too, has been badly disrupted. Matches have been postponed or played behind closed doors to empty stadia. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is at risk and the first race of the F1 2020 calendar in Melbourne has been cancelled.
Social media is abuzz with all sorts of theories, fake news and rumours, from the ridiculous to the bizarre.
But how could such a tiny virus wreak such havoc across the globe?
As powerful as humans are, we seem so vulnerable.
All the armies in the world cannot overpower such a small enemy.
