How is the Coronavirus like a Grain of Rice?

Long ago there was a wealthy raja with many fields of rice tended by the peasants in his province.  The raja decreed that each year the peasants bring their rice to him, leaving only enough for themselves to just get by.  He promised to store the rice so if there should ever be a famine, there would be enough rice for everyone.

One year the famine came, but the raja refused to distribute the rice.  That year the peasants went hungry and the next year it was the same.  On the third year the raja decided to have a feast for himself and he ordered his servants to bring his favorite elephant loaded with two baskets of rice from the royal storehouse.  

As the elephant paraded up the street to the palace, a little girl saw that a trickle of rice was falling from a small hole in one of the baskets.  Quickly, she rushed out and ran alongside the elephant and caught the rice in her skirt.  

She returned the rice to the raja.  Impressed, he offered her a reward.  "Ask for anything," he told the girl.

"If you wish," she said, "you may give me one grain of rice."

"Only one?" the raja said.  "Surely you deserve more."

The girl nodded.  "Then give me the grain of rice today and each day after this, for thirty days, give me double the rice you gave me the day before."

The raja agreed.  That day he gave her one grain of rice.  On day he gave her two grains and  the next day, four.

On the ninth day she was given 256 grains so she had 511 grains altogether.  On the sixteenth day she received a bag with 32,768 grains.  Now she had enough for two large bags.  On the twentieth day she was given one million, forty-eight thousand, five hundred and seventy-six grains of rice.  On the final day, the thirtieth, the remaining contents of the raja's storehouse--five hundred thirty-six million, eight hundred seventy thousand, nine hundred and twelve grains of rice were given to her, making a total of over one billion grains of rice.  She distributed the rice to the peasants and left just enough for the raja to eat.  And from then on when the harvest came, the raja took just enough for himself and left the rest for the peasants.

So how is the virus like the rice?  Experts say that one person with the virus can infect two others, they can each infect two more, and so on.  And eventually over a billion people could be infected.

The moral of the story:  practice social distancing, wash your hands, cover your cough.  And if by chance you think you have the virus, be sure to self-quarantine to save those around you.

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