Precisely. Both of these concepts (network effects and exponential growth) are very difficult to intuit, but this geographic area is certainly enriched for folks whose careers are built around a deep understanding of one or both.
If I had to answer, "why is this one so much worse than all the other epidemics that came before?" in only two words, they would be "network effects."
There are dozens more reasons directly related to biological attributes of the virus itself, but I see far less recognition of the role of our unprecedentedly globalized world.
