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Pandemics are currently playing a large role throughout the entire world because of COVID 19. We are being forced out of school, social areas, and many people have lost their jobs. Pandemics have broken out before, but why might COVID 19 be different or the same compared to others? This page will focus on 3 key economic factors that play large roles in the accessibility of pandemics. They are Development, Transportation, and Politics.
Development
Development
One of the biggest reasons why we are seeing the rapid spread of COVID-19, more than we have seen from pandemics in the past, is because of the massive development of areas around the world. Most people think that with more development comes better medical technology and accessibility to the proper care. Although this may be somewhat true for some people, there have also been massive spikes in homelessness, lack of healthcare coverage, and unhealthy living conditions all over the globe. In cities like New York City or Beijing, the social class divide is becoming transparent. This gap affects everything, but when it comes to pandemics, it mainly chooses who receives supplies, treatments, health care, and proper sanitation tools.
Notice, on the maps below, how some of the major countries who have experienced massive spread of COVID-19 also seem to be some of the most developed nations in the world.
Notice, on the maps below, how some of the major countries who have experienced massive spread of COVID-19 also seem to be some of the most developed nations in the world.
In many pandemic cases it has proven effective to issue stay at home orders and close down public places. However, what do the almost 600,000 people do who don't have homes or places to stay? Unfortunately, they have no other options other than to stay on the streets and hope that the police don't arrest them for being outside. Some areas during COVID-19 have decided to place their large homeless populations in high schools and other community buildings that aren't being used. However, the issue of social distancing cannot be met in these situations. The close proximity of people, lack of proper sanitation due to money or accessibility, and/or the lack of healthcare pose very big risks for lower income citizens.
Transportation
Transportation
Along with development, the world has made huge technological strides and the biggest one has to do with transportation. Major cities have focused a lot of time and planning into their public transportation systems such as subways, busses, trains, and airports. However, these can be major breeding grounds for the infectious spread of a virus.
Cities started this movement of public transport mostly because of the amount of people who didn't have ways to get to work or to defuse the amount of heavy traffic on highways. However, as people have begun to notice our changing environment, they have found that public/community transportation helps pollute less and is more environmentally friendly.
It's common sense that if someone were to wipe their nose and then shake someones hand, then that person would be transferring their germs to the other. However, lots of people don't realize how powerful a simple cough or sneeze can be to others around them. Because many forms of transportation are focused on getting people and objects across non-walkable areas or distances, oceans, highways, countries, many of them use recycled air. Recycled air allows people to share air and, unfortunately, germs come with it.
Politics
Politics
Governments play a large role in the decline of pandemic spread and in providing proper support for local communities, hospitals, and citizens. Typically, a more developed country has a powerful government that has the ability to fund pandemic relief and the knowledge to keep their economies afloat. Unfortunately, with the lack of strength and power of governments and economies, comes serious backlash for containing and lessening the ability to weaken the spread of a virus.
Many people look to Russia as a powerhouse country because of their wealth and government. However, Russia is also one of the main areas that has experienced the negative effects of corrupt ruling. Russia chose to switch forms of government when it transitioned from the Soviet Union. Originally, many doctors were untrained and well underpaid because of the lack of governmental funding. However, it has been discovered that their new socialist government wasn't helpful in these aspects either. With their socialist ways, political individuals have been pocketing economic fund money and replacing it by cutting healthcare benefits.
Another key role that governments are in charge of is policy enacting. Whether it be stay at home, social distancing, etc. it has been proven that time is of the utmost importance when a pandemic breaks out. The government has to have the ability to work as efficiently as possible and stay one step ahead of the virus at all times. However, this can be difficult for areas where governments are for profit and money driven because some of the best solutions involve shutting down economies. It can also be difficult for areas who don't have a lot of political strength and power to control their citizens. For example, Afghanistan struggles with having opposing forces and groups that are against the actual government.
Sources:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1iAUs_5FUi-ckZkbmJPMnYyc28/edithttps://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-report/https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/coronavirus/article241354821.htmlhttps://yaleglobalhealthreview.com/2016/12/21/russia-the-sickness-of-a-nation/https://www.britannica.com/place/Afghanistan/Struggle-for-democracyPage updated
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