Blog Post #3

Although they have similar measures, some countries were better able to handle Coronavirus than others, and how did that happen?

Almost all aspects of global economics and society have been affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has attracted international attention. Furthermore, the pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of numerous states. Moreover, it is important to highlight that the past experiences with pandemics in some countries have helped governments take more strict measures (1). Italy, for example, tried being restrictive, but the population ignored it. Governments are distrusted by Italians. It was too late by the time the army was called in (2). Most of the infection’s ravages seem to have occurred in rich countries with sophisticated healthcare systems. The mortality rates in poorer countries-especially those in South Asia and large parts of sub-Saharan Africa-seem peculiarly low. In an ideal world, we might also take into account how frequently individuals contact one another. Urban environments with densely populated, highly social contexts, such as wet markets, and subways, tend to have a high rate; rural environments tend to have a low rate. With this in mind, crowded spaces facilitate the spread of viruses. Some researches are also being managed to determine whether acquired differences in human immunology are relevant. The response of some governments to the crisis has been better than others (3). COVID-19, a novel Coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China, has caused an outbreak of illness globally that is of significant concern. To illustrate, while the Government of Canada is working to contain the spread of COVID-19, it is also developing coordinated plans to prepare for possible broader dissemination of the virus and mitigate the impacts of a potential pandemic. To ensure Canadians’ health and safety, the government of Canada is committing more than 1 billion dollars to public health measures. Throughout COVID-19, the Government of Canada has engaged in extensive messages, outreach activities, and public education to inform Canadians of what is happening, help them make informed decisions, and enable them to take action to protect themselves and their community. Everyone needs to know what is going on since Canadians have access to daily news, updated daily (4).

1. Learning from Experience: Why Nations May Have Responded Differently to COVID-19. November 05, 2020. By Alexander Monge Naranjo , Qiuhan Sun. https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2020/november/learning-experience-why-nations-responded-differently-covid19.
2. What countries did right and wrong in responding to the pandemic? June 22, 2020. By Roberto Rocha. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/covid-19-coronavirus-pandemic-countries-response-1.5617898.
3. Why does the Pandemic Seem to Be Hitting Some Countries Harder Than Others? March 1, 2021. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/01/why-does-the-pandemic-seem-to-be-hitting-some-countries-harder-than-others.
4. The government of Canada takes action on COVID-19. 2020-06-11. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/canadas-reponse/government-canada-takes-action-covid-19.html.

-Daniela Z.