Beaten all ends up: Humanity dumbfounded against coronavirus

It seems that the entire world has come to a standstill with uncertainty and fear ruling the roost. Even a light sneeze is enough to cause panic among people, who have never seen such times before ever, and it does seem as if we have come to the end of time. If not the end of time then certainly an end to the system and the ways and means by which we have hitherto lived.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has brought about seismic changes in every human interaction possible. Whether it is in the personal space or the private space, one has to be vigilant all the time. This was not the case even during the worst of wars. Even frontline soldiers engaged in combat and surrounded by death all around them all the time found a moment or two of relief. At least they were not worried about catching a contagion from their comrades on the battlefield.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what is happening now. People cannot even play with their children or share the intimacies of family and love life as they find themselves enveloped in constant fear of contracting the dreaded coronavirus and then the horror of transmitting the contagion to their loved ones, as in many cases the virus shows no symptoms, and a reasonably healthy-looking person could turn out to be a carrier of the virus, infecting the elderly and the infirm.
It is of course not the case that we are not trying. Humanity with the entire material arsenal and knowledge at its disposal is trying to wade through this pandemic with minimal damage. However, it seems that the mysterious virus is having the upper hand for now. With over 50,000 deaths and over a million affected worldwide, it seems that humanity is a long way from emerging victorious out of this dark tunnel.
The pandemic, nevertheless, has showed us the fallacies of our systems as well. One can't help but see the irony that the people worst hit by the coronavirus are among the most powerful and influential in the world, boasting of the best of equipments, systems and knowledge, but ending up dumbfounded against an elusive enemy.
The problem is far worse for the poor countries where despite not being the hardest hit by the virus, continuous lockdowns and industry closure have left millions on the brink of absolute poverty - with stomachs to feed, people are far more concerned with finding food to survive than with catching the virus as death is inevitable either way.
Unlike other pandemics that have hit civilizations in the past, what seems unique about the current situation is the sheer trajectory of the virus's spread. It is a pandemic that leaves no room where one could find a refuge. Even confinement at home does not guarantee protection. The virus doesn't discriminate among classes or races of people. It just hits you, revealing the vulnerability of man in its truest sense.
Until now, the best of scientists and researchers have failed to find a cure. In fact they have not been able to develop ways to stop the spread of the virus, which is viable as the lockdown and social distancing strategies implemented by governments around the world are doing much harm to the economy, but they have not stopped the spread of this disease, which is continuously devouring lives and causing unprecedented economic upheaval.
Science at the best of estimates can find a vaccine against this pandemic in 12 to 18 months' time.
Humanity now looks towards divine intervention to get it out of this predicament.
(The writer is a Senior Sub-Editor at BR Digital and a concerned human being)