[rmah]

Or the Great War, famines in Europe and 1918 flu pandemic? Which was followed by the roaring 20's. As to what % of the population will watched a loved one die and then retrench psychologically for an extended period of time? IMO, a very very small percentage. History has seen people suffer much much MUCH worse loss and then bounce back with a vengeance shortly afterwards.

People and societies are not as fragile as many people seem to imagine today. People and societies are, in fact, quite resilient. They can withstand the horrors of war, plague, famine and more. And then bounce back rapidly within a few years. I'm not trying to minimize the sorrow or severity of those that suffer from this pandemic. But relative to past mass trauma, there is little to suggest it's a major turning point in global culture.