How can an occasional virus, with a mortality lower than the common flu, that affects the world population every year, can stop the biggest world economies, devalue currencies, ruin international business and celebrations, cancel world conferences and, still, reduce by 25% the pollution?

The answer can be summed up in two words - media coverage.

We live in a global era, full of endless soap operas made from irrelevant cases, which go viral worldwide at the speed of a click. And that justifies the hysteria that leads a Juventus-Inter game to be held behind closed doors; the mythical Venice Carnival to be canceled; empties streets of mega-populated Chinese cities or builds hospitals with hundreds of beds in just a week and a half.

Even in Portugal (until today with only one confirmed case - and of a Portuguese who wasn't even in Portugal) hysteria with the corona virus is felt - a word that will surely win the word gold medal of the year 2020.

Empty Chinese stores and restaurants, citizens moving away from Asians on the street and employees of the shops on the luxurious Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon without the usual floods of Asian customers who are responsible for buying 60% of the jewelry sold.

Were it not for the irresponsible and unsafe media coverage that we have, none of this would happen. The media coverage that makes all the news or any social media devote themselves mostly to debating the corona virus, while hiding a rosary behind their backs, eagerly praying to God for cases of corona virus in Portugal to feed a disgusting soap opera. Even so-called influencers or celebrities no longer dispense a mask on their social networks. It gives immediately extra views and likes.

Not only am I sure that there have been pseudo-famous traveling purposefully in recent weeks with the sole purpose of feeding social networks with fears of infections, as I strongly believe that many people responsible for the media were willing to go abroad and get people infected to bring to Portugal, were it not for the danger of themselves catching the corona virus (aka for them - money-making machine). At the same time as street businesses fall, newspaper sales and tv news views increase.

And what if there was not so much media coverage driven by a desire to make money? Could there be a further spread of the virus? Eventually, yes. But I believe that the concern to guarantee the generalized and correct information about the danger of the disease, without following sensationalist paths, would help to overcome this problem better.