Reflecting on the possible impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the future of humanity, Israeli historian, philosopher and best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari called it “perhaps the biggest crisis of our generation” and “the worst epidemic in at least 100 years,” and said “the decisions people and governments take in the next few weeks will probably shape the world for years to come.”

That is not an exaggeration. It is hard to overstate the danger and reach of this virus. It is sudden, vicious, unexpected and without precedent. World leaders have been challenged by the extent to which a biological health emergency can bring down the world. It has turned everything upside down in a matter of weeks. Governments and industries were caught by surprise and the shipping industry was not an exception.