The coronavirus pandemic did not immediately appear connected to the treaty signed a century earlier. At first it looked like a purely biological crisis. Hospitals overflowed. Economies stalled. Governments issued emergency restrictions. But beneath these visible events a deeper transformation was occurring. The pandemic reorganized human behavior on a massive scale for for the first time in modern history, entire populations were required to isolate themselves from one another simultaneously. Physical proximity—the foundation of social life—became dangerous. People learned to interact through screens, messages, and mediated communication. Language replaced presence. Meaning replaced touch.
The consequences were profound.