Other experts predict that with existing shutdowns in place, and a budgetary

measure for the pandemic to reach nearly $146 billion, Canada may see its GDP
decline by 12 percent this year, four times the previous record (Flanagan, 2020).

Flanagan, R. (2020, April 30). What will it take for Canada's economy to recover
from COVID-19's big blow? Coronavirus.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/what-will-it-take-for-canada-s-economy-
to-recover-from-covid-19-s-big-blow-1.4919308

Often times when a devastating event like this occurs, the best thing to do is
compare it to previous, similar situations and see if we can learn something from
them. Following in this fashion, many people seem to be comparing the events that
have unfolded thus far to be very similar to the AIDS epidemic that occurred in the
1980’s and 1990’s. While it may be easy to relate the two, like both having
originated from a virus and having caused major repercussions to social and
economic sectors, there are also a surprising number of differences. For instance,
the origins of the epidemics diverge greatly. While coronavirus may have some
factor of race involved with it, as discussed earlier, it can be said that the AIDS
epidemic, in America at least, was founded on minority repression. When it was
first discovered, many were quick to label it as the ‘gay plague’, and due to a
less progressive society and government at the time, it was considered as such
(Renfro, 2020). The epidemic was actually first addressed by the administration for
the first time after 13,000 Americans had died from it and another 100,000 had
contracted it (Renfro, 2020). This is in stark contrast to the coronavirus, which
did not stem from minority roots, but also was readily monitored by health
organizations around the world until it was finally declared a pandemic on March
11, 2020. While some judge the WHO for not making a statement earlier, it is to be
noted that this had little to with minorities.