I don’t see why you would make that statement. There have always been plagues and pandemics. People’s reaction to it may have a correlation with the times we are living in.

It is more a statement of who is leading the country New Zealand only had 27 deaths ! https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/new-zealand/

USA with trump failure, almost 690,000 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Symbol in what way?

Well, if you mean it’s pointing out who’s an idiot more than any other health disaster we’ve had, then yes.

No I don’t. To put it crudely, shit happens. But I don’t believe that Covid is a symbol of our times, any more than the Great Depression was a symbol of the thirties, or the Cold War was a symbol of the 50’s to 60’s era. There are always more things going on, at any point in time. You could as well say that climate change is a symbol of our times, or conspiratorial mind sets. Pick a card, any card. Around and ‘round we go, neither voodoo, hoodoo, nor Hindu.

Sure. Because of globalization, climate crises and anti-science rhetoric, COVID-19 marks a transition into a lengthy series of global pandemics. Life may not be “back to normal” in our lifetimes. Plus, the socioeconomic, educational, developmental, etc. impacts of COVID-19 will be felt for a very long time, perhaps decades.

I would say symptomatic. The pandemic and our response have been on their way for years. Pandemics always happen but ignorance, fear, greed, and distrust are the root of what really ails us. There are a ton of things that made the pandemic harder than it needed to be but mankind has showered in ignorance, fear, greed, and distrust for centuries. It’s what we do.