Stark contrasts

China, with a population of 1,427,647,786 has reported 80,967 cases of Wuhan flu since the virus was identified just over 3 1/2 months ago. Italy, with a population of only 60,317,546 has experienced 47,021 cases in only 1 3/4 months. That is 1 per 17632 vs 1 per 1282.77 or 13.74 times the density of infections. Now, it would not surprise me to learn that China is lying through their teeth, but Italy also has more deaths than China due to this bug, 3241 to 4032, and again, can we trust the data from China.
Another case to study is Iran. Iran has 1,433 deaths not attributable to Jihad since the first case was reported on 19 February. This with a population of 83,183,741*.
Both nations maintained air travel with China long after President Trump suspended  it between America and the repressive state. Those decisions fostered the spread of the epidemic into Europe and the Middle East.
Spain has also reported a high number of deaths, 1,093 and their first case came on the same day as Italy's, 31 January.
We are being told that for most people, this will be a very mild illness. So why the huge number of deaths in places like Italy, Iran and Spain while South Korea, South Africa, and the UK have had a fairly mellow run in their countries?
Are the deaths mostly among the elderly? What about numbers for the yearly flu outbreaks? Is it possible that the flu had already wiped out most of the vulnerable in those countries? Or is there something else in play here?
Part of the concern with this virus is mutate-ability. Are these countries being hit by variants of the bug? Is England plagued by a lack of desire to be sociable? Their food is quite boring as is their humor.
Are other factors in play such as genetics? Since viruses attack the cells by inserting DNA matter, is it possible that our heritage plays a bigger factor in our ability to fight this virus?
I do NOT have an answer.
This plague started with bats. It is ravaging humanity because markets in China offer wild game alongside other food and it is out in the open air. This food is not packaged. It is likely not refrigerated. It has not had a Chinese Department of Agriculture inspection conducted on it. Yet we put our families at risk to get cheaper sneakers and electronics. Oh well, it's not like they sold us children's toys adorned with lead paint.


* number subject to change at a drone strike's notice.