Original article
Daniel von Wachter,
Professor Dr Dr, International Academy for Philosophy in the Principality of Liechtenstein, Liechtenstein
Address: Fürst-Franz-Josef-Str. 19, FL-9493 Mauren, Fürstentum Liechtenstein
E-mail: dvwachter@ABC.li (replace „ABC“ by „iap“)
Article ID: 010910203
Published online: 1 June 2020
HANDLE: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12656/thebeacon.3.010910203
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55269/thebeacon.3.010910203
Quoting (Chicago style): Von Wachter, Daniel. 2020. “Eine philosophische Untersuchung des Neuen Coronavirus.” Beacon J Stud Ideol Ment Dimens 3, 010910203. https://doi.org/10.55269/thebeacon.3.010910203
Language: German
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The New Coronavirus (NCoV, SARS-CoV-2) causes in people with average health no or light symptoms. The serious symptoms that occur in some people who are infected with NCoV, are only partially caused by NCoV or not caused by it at all. It can be understood even by a non-specialist. If one collects some information and considers it carefully, this is in what he or she should rationally believe. The effect of NCoV cannot be known by estimating the case fatality rate, but only by considering the cases in which healthy persons are infected by NCoV. Key words: COVID-19, NCoV, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus crisis, inadequate response
COVID-19 spread across the world is a challenge to every dimension of human life and societal development. Coronavirus crisis has striken the entire human beings population. However, this crisis is mental, organisational and related to media, not in the least epidemiological.
In addition to the question how dangerous the new coronavirus (NCoV) is, the epistemological question arises as to how strongly a layperson should believe in the effects and the dangerousness of the NCoV. Can a layperson find out the truth in a matter like the coronavirus debate? In this article, I argue that even a layperson, if he/she collects some information and thinks about it properly, should rationally comprehend that, on average, the new coronavirus causes no or mild symptoms in healthy people. I cover the following points in the paper: 1) counteracting against conspiracy theory; 2) the thesis expressed in simple language; 3) the role of mortality rate; 4) partial causes of disease and fatalities; 5) how can we built a causal chain in COVID-19 cases?; 6) what does the NCoV really cause?; 7) how can we miss effects of reasons other than the NCoV; 8) the effects of the new coronavirus.
Balanced evaluating the novel coronavirus situation in different countries enables one to conclude that NCoV course is mainly asymptomatic or mild symptomatic. It symptoms resemble flu symptoms to a great extent. The severe symptoms that occur in some people infected with NCoV, are only partially or not at all caused by NCoV. The numbers of “corona deaths” presented by World health Organisation and the Robert Koch Institute, which actually include all those who died with the NCoV-PCR positive test, and the speculations about “death rates” are highly misleading and even deceptive. The death rate derived from them does not in any way support the alleged dangerousness of the NCoV.
Media panic sustained peoples’ fears related to the novel coronavirus. These fears were one of the main reason of the situation when evel democratic political systems were able to transform to totalitarian regimes. Playing with human fears and anxiety, kindling them further and further by means of incomplete official reports and media instruments, governments and authorities around the planet simultaneously and synchronously introduced state of heightened alarm. This state gives a possibility to further deprive citizens and business of their constitutional and democratic rights. This situation cannot be silently tolerate, if we do not want the whole world to transform to the Orwell’s 1984 society. A lawful counteracting COVID-19 panic and torrents of low-quality information on the new virus, must be accompanied by a rational and weighed approach.
© 2020 Daniel von Wachter. Licensee The Beacon: Journal for Studying Ideologies and Mental Dimensions.
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