Member-only story
South Korea needs to lock down before it’s too late
South Korea will face two consequences: lockdown or business as usual
Covid-19 hit the world unexpectedly, and as countries are beginning to adapt to the virus and bolster mitigation efforts, it’s becoming more clear which nations are winning the war against the coronavirus. Italy, which once lead the world in cases, appears to have gotten through the worst phase of the fight with new cases diminishing weekly. Social distancing appears to have played a big role in the country’s success flattening the curve. The key element, however, is speed. Italy responded to the virus immediately, shutting down sectors of the economy within a few weeks and implementing a stay-at-home order for all but life-sustaining scenarios. In the United States, the number of cases is still rising rapidly in areas that responded more slowly to the spread of the virus. In the suburbs of New York City, where the virus first began spreading rapidly in the United States, the curve is flattened. This is because distancing efforts were applied quickly and consistently. The countries that have fared particularly well have been able to test citizens widely, separate the infected, and track their whereabouts to determine who else may have been exposed.
