Coronavirus is a pandemic.

Via the New York Times:

“Ensuring all of this means facing the hard facts of this unfolding pandemic — and that requires thorough, transparent disclosures to the public. Past experiences, with the anthrax-laced letters in 2001 and the 2014 Ebola outbreak, suggest that people react more rationally and show greater resilience to a full-blown crisis if they are prepared intellectually and emotionally for it.

“And yet even those officials and experts who have candidly predicted a pandemic are not saying enough about what to expect and how to prepare. Basic information is still lacking, or isn’t getting through: According to a recent survey, 65 percent of people in Hong Kong had enough surgical masks for a month or more — this, even though such masks will do little to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“Singapore, which is experiencing an outbreak despite a world-class medical and public health system — 89 cases as of Sunday — is the model to emulate. It is preparing its citizenry for a greater crisis still by providing it with explicit instructions and specific advisories about, for instance, attending large gatherings or sharing residential areas with people under home quarantine.

“And what should each of us do, beyond staying informed and washing our hands frequently? Keep calm and rational. It might be worth stocking some reserve of critical medications, for example — but not too much, because hoarding could create shortages.

We, as individuals, can also try to plan for basic contingencies. Companies can cross-train key staff members so that one person’s absence won’t derail the business. Family members and friends should be watchful of one another’s health and welfare, and stand prepared to care for the moderately ill if hospitals become overtaxed.

“ ‘Pandemic” isn’t just a technical public health term. It also is — or should be — a rallying cry.”