There are different concerns with respect to the pandemic which has emerged from Wuhan in December 2019, known as COVID-19. While today we are seeing concerns over how this will impact the supply chain, given the fact that over the course of last twenty years; China has been due to enormous industrialization programs and it has not only retails centers and interests globally but there are thousands of works in vessels and airlines, going during this time of pandemic to China to provide us with reasonably cheap goods that we have been experiencing during the last decade. As an example, some of the countries namely UK have warned that they cannot go back to “Business as usual” with China after this pandemic is over and hard questions must be answered about how this could not have been warned or prevented earlier.
Politics, WHO and the blame game
There are several realities on international and national level regarding this global crisis:
First there is politics which is the biggest stakeholder of all the blame and opportunity depending on the response and how much the media is looking forward to support their leaders or slam their over their behavior.
Of course early travel bans to certain countries was not only due to the given the percussion of contagion but also as a certain sign of disapproval and political exchange which many have been towards the efficiency of World Health Organization up the fact that there has been an attempt and debate over halt of the US share of contribution to WHO which has been characterized by its Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as a move for politicizing this outbreak.
Then of course there has been different attempts for the show of “solidarity” not only to the healthcare workers of each individual country but to the people of those countries who have been badly impacted by the virus.
Solidarity and Nationalism
While as many say that in each crisis there is a possible chance for innovation and an opportunity for better improvement of our infrastructure especially in health and research domain and masks are one of the major symbols that I have expressed an opinion before.
But one the most important questions with respect to this outbreak is regarding Globalization. Would we be having the liberty that most of the developed countries enjoyed so far? Would there be new restrictions on Schengen area ? Can the airlines be up and running soon? and most importantly is there a cure or access to vaccination within the coming months?
Having different doubts and questions about these, while it is almost two months since some major European cities and countries are in full lock down, we should ask if on the opposite site has the Corona-virus helped us be more global? Over the last few weeks, many of the meetings that we were supposed to attend, even to some extend start-up pitches and conferences has taken place on-line and in virtual forms. Many of these are in different countries and could only be possible through physical attendance to these events that would have required hours of transportation and energy which is now saved on the back of our screens in our living rooms with our children on their computers doing their homework on-line. Although we can all say some industries or aspect of our lives are of course never irreplaceable such as tourism or food? But did not we just see how quickly there were thousands of new events and virtual tours to the most impressive museums of world? Or instead of going to restaurants we are just more comfortable more than ever to use delivery services from the same places that we needed a parking space to go and have a lunch.
The point is that although we know how tragic COVID-19 has taken thousands of lives and pressed the health system to be drained to its last resorts and disrupted our business and vacation trips and family get together but it may have been that last nudge for us,to envision almost everything that we need, every part of our society virtually and undergo a full digital reconstruction of what we know.
The truth is that although it may be putting a lot of pressure on the economy at this point, but we can surely expect many advantages emerging from these unknown waters.
Written by Yashar Naghdi
20.4.2020
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