ARE the four horsemen of the Apocalypse upon us?
I have heard such talk in recent times.
The frightening Wuhan coronavirus, the devouring east African locust swarms and the devastating Aussie bushfires are mentioned. Some even cite certain leaders of free and not-so-free nations.
Who can know when the God of the infinite universe will blow the final whistle?
What do you think?
I think that many people are uncertain now. Pessimism and fear, being close cousins of uncertainty, are growing in their hearts.
I speak to some people to find out what's on their minds.
M. RAVIN, RACE DIRECTOR FOR GT WORLD CHALLENGE ASIA, LAMBORGHINI SUPER TROFEO ASIA AND FORMULA 3
"I am very worried. As a race director, I travel frequently around the globe. It scares me to know that the countries I travel to pose a risk. But I just cannot ignore my professional responsibility.
"I have also asked my family to stay away from public areas. If they have to go, they should use face masks and keep away from anyone who is coughing or sneezing."
NOORSHAM MD SALEH, FORMER JOURNALIST
"This virus is spreading so fast. It's alarming. My family is avoiding public places like shopping malls.
"I think things are going to get worse before they get better.
"It's entirely possible that many infected people from China were out of the country on tour before it became a full-blown epidemic. That means more communities in many countries may already have the infection without even knowing it yet."
WONG SHU YI, BUSINESSWOMAN
"I am not extremely worried as I'm not in the affected area. But yes, my family and I are now more attentive to matters of personal hygiene.
"It's affected my business travel plans, though. But I am confident this virus will be overcome. So many countries and people are taking numerous measures.
"The thing is, my friends and I hardly talk about it. It's more like a subtopic when it comes to travel."
None of those quoted above think the world as we know it is coming to an end.
They are cautiously optimistic the miserable episode will pass. And we will learn from it.
For them, and for me, the horsemen are a long way off. They will come for sure, but not today.