THE RYDAN PANDEMIC

In June of 2030, the world was once again struck by a pandemic, this one called Rydan and this one very different from all others before it.

Rydan is a deadly and unimaginably devastating virus, which has taken the lives of millions of people over the course of several years and is still as of this writing taking to their graves countless more.

Originating in India, the virus has earned the nickname “Satan’s Virus” or “Satan’s Contagion” due to the widespread devastation it has brought upon humanity.

The Rydan virus, named after the unique mutation it carries, has proven itself to be the deadliest virus in recorded human history.

It has (as of this writing), claimed the lives of over 600 million people globally, continues to cause five million deaths annually, and has surpassed any previous pandemic in its scale of destruction.

What has made Rydan particularly horrifying is not only the sheer number of casualties it has claimed but as well, the excruciatingly agonizing suffering it inflicts upon its victims, unlike anything witnessed in prior viral outbreaks or pandemics.

The anguish before death is particularly severe for individuals with diabetes or pre-diabetes, as their compromised immune systems make them more vulnerable to the virus’s devastating effects.

The Rydan virus poses a significant challenge to scientists as it has thus far, resisted all attempts at eradication, leaving governments with no choice but to focus on controlling its impact and minimizing casualties.

To this end, the United States government has implemented several measures in order to curtail its spread.

One of their key initiatives being the introduction of mandatory Digital Health Tags (DHTs) and Health Screenings.

These tags have to be carried and made available for inspection by police in public places such as parks, concerts, public buildings, stores and anywhere else the public normally congregates.

And folks have become quite “inventive” at concealing or disguising their Health Tags, by placing them on shoes, backpacks, and even tattooing them on their bodies.

To assess an individual’s vulnerability to infection, mandatory health exams are conducted every 60 days, resulting in a Point Assessment ranging from 1 to 10, based solely on a person’s susceptibility of being infected with the virus, with a person’s point assessment being entered into their DHT.

A Point-Assessment-factor of 10 allows unrestricted movement and international travel, while a lower assessment imposes various restrictions.

As well, screeners are stationed at public venues to scan Health Tags and grant or deny entry based on the assigned Point Assessment for that particular venue.

For instance, individuals with a Point-Assessment below 5 are barred from entering pharmacies.

Children under the age of 10 are typically considered “10-Pointers” and are allowed free access anywhere.

People over 75 years of age and those with compromised immune systems, including diabetics, are classified as “1-Pointers” and are never allowed to leave their residences.

To cater to their needs, self-contained cities within cities have been established for these “1-Pointers”, providing essential facilities like shopping malls and hospitals. And to ensure their safety, strict measures are enforced for anyone visiting these “1-Pointer Cities”.

However, this Point & health scoring system still faces challenges, partially due to hackers selling “DHT-Point-Fixes”.

In an effort to slow the spread of the virus, in 2032 world leaders had mutually agreed to eliminate paper and coin currencies.

But even though Rydan is now somewhat under control, paper and coin currencies have not returned into circulation, with digital, virtual, and plastic card currencies becoming the norm.

Due to the unprecedented worldwide impact this pandemic has had on humanity as a whole, the Rydan Pandemic as did the Covid pandemic, has once again greatly affected the way the world’s people work, play and interact with each other, but in a much, much more radical and permanent way than Covid had, bringing about fundamental and profound changes in how humans interact.

The next episodes will delve a bit into a few of the significant and permanent transformations our world has undergone as a result of this catastrophic event.

EXCERPTED FROM THE SERIES "FUTURE NEWS"

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