Ignorance, the Hidden Epidemic Habits, Addiction and COVID 19

Abstract

Humanity suffers from epidemics dating back at least 428 BC, where Thucydides describes for the first time and in detail a plague that struck Athens. For multiple reasons, infectious epidemics have raged since Greek times, generating more concern and more attention than other noninfectious but far more deadly epidemics. Perhaps the suddenness of its onset, the fear of the invisible germ, added to the apocalyptic tone shown by the media and the confusion of governments when managing infectious epidemics, contribute to this effect. The COVID 19 epidemic is an excellent sample. However, statistics show that contrary to popular beliefs, the number of deaths does not place COVID 19 in the number one fatality position. Even more paradoxical is that the same citizens who are distressed by the epidemic infection of the moment, completely ignore the non-infectious epidemics they suffer, that are much more lethal [1] and that we have suffered for decades.