We are living in unprecedented times. The 2019 novel coronavirus has spread around the world leaving social destruction and economic devastation in its wake. The coronavirus is a daily topic. It is the thing on everybody’s lips everywhere. It has been generations since one single subject has been so dominant and has affected the people of nations worldwide. As some people have put it, we are facing the greatest threat to global health and safety since World War II. That statement itself is a great wake-up call.

The different scenarios playing out around the world, including Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, are so surreal that I feel like I am living in some sort of TV series or movie. Although my family and I are relatively safe, and we live in a sort of ‘protected’ gated community, once you go on the outside the signs of things not being fully normal can be seen just by driving around for a couple of minutes: Traffic has reduced, there are fewer pedestrians, and some businesses are either closed or have limited closing hours, etc.

Then, of course, when it’s curfew time, all bets are off! Full lockdown!

I steer the conversation back to the surreal nature of things; a state of being that I constantly express to family and friends. Just as how it is said that as the world evolves and advances “science-fiction becomes science fact”, are we living in a time as a result of the novel coronavirus when literary fiction is becoming fact?

Why do I ask this? As the pandemic takes centre stage I cannot help but see this coronavirus outbreak as something from a novel. More so, a novel adapted for a TV series or movie.

And what most specifically always comes to mind is zombie fiction and the underlying/standard themes of the zombie apocalypse. I like zombie fiction and have watched too many to remember them all, but what stands out in my mind as I type are World War Z, Pride + Prejudice + Zombies, and the Van Helsing Netflix series, which is an interesting vampire spin on the zombie apocalypse, as far as I see it.

So let me expound on the underlying/standard themes, which are, for the most part, consistent with a zombie apocalypse. It always starts off with an infection. There is always a “patient zero” somewhere, whether this person can be identified or not. This person clearly causes the initial spread of the virus. At first, we’re not quite sure what it is until it starts to spread a little more, and it’s then identified as a deadly virus.

As it starts to break out into pockets and infect groups of people the health services in the country of origin issue warnings for the public to safeguard themselves. As these unaware individuals make contact and travel, the virus starts to quickly spread within national borders and is exported. World governments and health services start to issue emergency edicts, borders start to shut down and be tightly monitored, and the military/security forces are mobilised and there is restricted movement for citizens.

Panic leads to the stockpiling of food, different types of goods and medicines. There are rushes on stores and demand significantly overwhelms supply at any given time. Fear leads to discrimination and alienation as people try to stay “clean”. People start to die. People start to die even more! As things become more overwhelming basic public services come under extreme pressure and begin to fail. Due to decimation by infection, the Government starts to fail.

Financial systems fail. Money as we know it becomes obsolete. The paper that the money is printed on is more valuable than the money itself. The world reverts to original systems of exchange such as gold and/or barter. Currency comes in diverse forms, and that which has the most value is that which is needed for survival. Therefore, above all things, the highest forms of currency become food and medicine.

We see the advent of the “undead”. The undead begins to ravage and are on the hunt for and have a constant craving for human flesh. By this time the ordinary citizen have been arming themselves with whatever weapons are available and bullets become a very valuable commodity. Citizens have not only armed themselves to fight and stave off the undead, but to secure themselves against looters and robbers of scarce/very valuable commodities.

Law and order cease to exist. Whatever is left of the Government goes into hiding and exists in small units across a country. Scientists, doctors, and medical professionals by now are all tirelessly working on and looking for the cure. In some versions, there are corporations that have government-type power and set their own rules and laws. These corporations usually still have significant resources (all things considered) and are also working on a cure so they can profit and/or control the population. Everyone tries to find the “safe zone” or zones where people can start life fresh or begin a “new Eden”.

I could have got into much more details but I have just stuck to some of the main things to create enough of a picture to get the imagination going.

Now I ask you, does any of this sound familiar? Excluding (for now) the undead and the flesh-eating, how close to home does a lot of this sound to what’s happening with the current coronavirus pandemic? How plausible are some of these scenarios that haven’t fully played out yet?

It sounds too familiar, too close to home, and too plausible!

You all better take this coronavirus business seriously, always hope for the best. Be armed with faith, but be prepared for anything!

Nicholas McDavid is mobiliser, creative services provider and solutions finder at Ideas Hub. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or nicholas.mcdavid@gmail.com.