Globalization has enabled fast mobility of people and goods around the globe. One of the often mentioned drawbacks of globalization has been diminishing of native cultures and social values. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the world experienced a rapid spread of the infection growing into a global level pandemic with in just few weeks. What do we learn from this? Can we say that this is one of the limitations of globalization? What should be designed and practiced differently in the post-covid-19 world? Any ideas and views?
The Black Death and the Spanish flu were terrible, and they occurred long before commercial aircraft travel materialized or industries spread around the world.
Globalisation is part of development strategies, not the pathway for disease spread. Every country have their quarantine measure at the entry of your country. All the economic activities must be focal points to recover the possess due to lockdown of many countries. Globalisation has provided path for betterment of economy. I think this word of globalisation should be only understand in economic point of view.
Globalisation has clearly accelerated the spread of SARS-CoV-2. This has spread much faster than any previous contagion in history. I believe the total number of cases of COVID-19 is significantly higher than that being reported. There are many confounding factors (both political and diagnostic) that make the initial number of deaths reported as being due to COVID-19 extremely difficult to interpret.
The effect of globalisation is evidenced by the impact of social distancing on the spread of the disease. social distancing was applied at different times with different doses. Those countries that responded early with an aggressive policy and had compliance from the general public have relatively few cases of Covid-19.
This was forwarded to me via social media. I would love to credit the author but I do not know who it is. It encapsulates the current understanding of Covid-19 so well that I thought everyone would enjoy reading it…
For those of you who are still confused, these are the rules for covid 19:
1. Basically, you can't leave the house for any reason, but if you have to, then you can.
2. Masks are useless, but maybe you have to wear one, it can save you, it is useless, but maybe it is mandatory as well.
3. Stores are closed, except those that are open.
4. You should not go to hospitals unless you have to go there. Same applies to doctors, you should only go there in case of emergency, provided you are not too sick.
5. This virus is deadly but still not too scary, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster.
6. Gloves won't help, but they can still help.
7. Everyone needs to stay HOME, but it's important to GO OUT.
8. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarket, but there are many things missing when you go there in the evening, but not in the morning. Sometimes.
9. The virus has no effect on children except those it affects.
10. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…
11. You will have many symptoms when you are sick, but you can also get sick without symptoms, have symptoms without being sick, or be contagious without having symptoms. Oh, my God.
12. In order not to get sick, you have to eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand because it's better not to go out, well, but no…
13. It's better to get some fresh air, but you get looked at very wrong when you get some fresh air, and most importantly, you don't go to parks or walk. But don’t sit down, except that you can do that now if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant (but not too old).
14. You can't go to retirement homes, but you have to take care of the elderly and bring them food and medication.
15. If you are sick, you can't go out, but you can go to the pharmacy.
16. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house, which may have been prepared by people who didn't wear masks or gloves. But you have to have your groceries decontaminated outside for 3 hours. Pizza too?
17. Every disturbing article or disturbing interview starts with " I don't want to trigger panic, but…"
18. You can't see your older mother or grandmother, but you can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver.
19. You can walk around with a friend but not with your family if they don't live under the same roof.
20. You are safe if you maintain the appropriate social distance, but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at the safe social distance.
21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours, no, four, no, six, no, we didn't say hours, maybe days? But it takes a damp environment. Oh no, not necessarily.
22. The virus stays in the air - well no, or yes, maybe, especially in a closed room, in one hour a sick person can infect ten, so if it falls, all our children were already infected at school before it was closed. But remember, if you stay at the recommended social distance, however in certain circumstances you should maintain a greater distance, which, studies show, the virus can travel further, maybe.
23. We count the number of deaths but we don't know how many people are infected as we have only tested so far those who were "almost dead" to find out if that's what they will die of…
24. We have no treatment, except that there may be one that apparently is not dangerous unless you take too much (which is the case with all medications). Orange man bad.
25. We should stay locked up until the virus disappears, but it will only disappear if we achieve collective immunity, so when it circulates… but wait...we must no longer be locked up for that?
True, globalization, largely facilitated by air, sea and land mobility has collapsed the world into a single 'state'. COVID-19 was first announced in China, and it could have been contained there, had it not been the ease with which people travel with around the globe. Spreading from one corner of the world like fire during drought, COVID-19 has now engulfed the whole globe, in most cases undetected, in just a few days.
With some countries adopting lockdown measures, for instance the case of Uganda, where international passenger flights cannot land at the country's International Airport, and stringent measures have been adopted at all land borders with the country's neighbours, COVID-19 figures in the country have drastically reduced. To date, the country has recorded 55 positive cases of COVID-19. The strands of the COVID-19 viruses in Uganda have been profiled and isolated by the country's able scientists and linked to the countries of their origin. Two cases of truck drivers from neighbouring countries have successfully been tested, isolated and the patients repatriated to their countries for treatment. By midday today, 28 out of the 55 patients had been discharged, leaving only 27 still undergoing treatment.
I am convinced that with the country's strongest measures of keeping the virus outside the borders, Uganda will be in position to protect her citizens from the COVID-19 virus.
The dangers of globalization, are however, not contained by such measures-there must be international trade, and other forms of interactions between countries. Very soon, countries adopting the Uganda lockdown model will re-open their international borders to foreigners and the cyclic nature of business will resume as before the outbreak of COVID-19.
The possibility of such countries being re-infested with COVID-19, from international sources, therefore remain high. Globalization can not be wished away, its advantages are many, but he dangers are more disastrous as has been demonstrated by the example of COVID-19.
I dont agree that Globalisation can be blamed for spread of Covid 19,because Globalisation has united all the countries economically,politically,socially and even from cultural perspective. Without being a part of Global village no country can think of Development.Yes problem lies where country like China didnot disclose the matter initially(,Nov 17-Hubei province) and trade continued with USA,SPAIN,ITALY and many other countries.Role of WHO has also been under scanner.OPENNESS in foreign affairs taking responsibility of saving mankind would have been be the prime concern of the country where it was reported first. Today Countries united under Globalisation are taking responsibilities of our children and family members studying and working abroad.Now we are emotionally dependent on other countries for the wellbeing of our family members.Moreover few positive cases are reported without having any history of foreign travel(under investigation)
Thank you for sharing great point Archana Sawshilya . Globalization would not take all the blames, but most definitely contributed to the rapid spread. Yes, we cannot avoid or escape globalization, but a more strict precausionary measures should be deviced for the future to minimize the risks of pandemics of this sort. I agree 100 with your point about China and WHO, not acting responsibly.
Thank you for the opportunity. True, globalization has contributed to the spread of Covid 19. For example through international trade, conferences, tourism etc. However,I would not want to blame the magnitude of the spread and the rate of death on globalization. My thinking may call for more debate but I am of the view that liberalism or democracy has largely contributed to the spread of Covid 19 in the most hit countries other than globalization. In most Authoritarian countries where people are more less used to adhering to the demands of authorities the spread has largely been contained so far. Secondly, Countries that are largely urbanized have suffered more than countries that are less urbanized. Therefore, much as the spread of the disease across the world starting from China can be blamed on globalization, in my opinion many other factors other than globalization are responsible.
There is no doubt that globalization has contributed to rapid or fast spread of COVID 19. For example, the first person that was tested positive in my country imported the virus unknowningly as the person was already infected from the countey of immigration. Globalization allows for movement of persons, goods and services across the border, though, not without check, the point is, there is lawful immigration and emigration chances which has increased the spread of the pandemic rapidly across the world to become more worrisome pandemic to curtail even by technologically advanced countries. I think it is one of the advantages of Globalisation, yet, permanent isolation not possible.
There is no doubt that globalization has contributed to rapid or fast spread of COVID 19. For example, the first person that was tested positive in my country imported the virus unknowningly as the person was already infected from the country of immigration. Globalization allows for movement of persons, goods and services across border, though, not without check, the point is, there is lawful immigration and emigration chances which has increased the spread of the pandemic rapidly across the world to become more worrisome to curtail even by technologically advanced countries. I think it is one of the disadvantages of Globalisation, yet, permanent isolation not possible.
The understanding of the concept of globalisation based on the theory of interdependence; one would not entirely blame globalisation for the COVID-19 pandemic. The world cannot completely do without globalisation, only that its level of acceleration would be reduced. Knowledge-exchange/sharing and communications are components of globalisation that would help to contain the pandemic.
Interesting question and the follow-up from others. While globalisation is for sure a solid reason for the quick transmission, on the other hand globalization also helped to build resilience over the years in the affected countries. I have discussed various approaches adopted by both Chinese and western governments to handle the transmission in a recently published paper. Full text is available here: Article Smart technologies for fighting Pandemics: The techno and hu...
I am not fully agreed with this argument ! In 1917-18, The Spanish flu caused around 50 millions deaths, whereas it is just around 0.2 million deaths due to COVID-19. So, It may not be justifiable.
If there is anything we have learnt from the spread of the Coronavirus disease, it is that it has proven true the maxim put forth by Marshall McLuhan that the world is a global village, as cultures shrink and expand at the same time while being shared instantaneously too, thanks to advances in technology.
While this pandemic has shown us one of the cons of globalisation, it is worthy of note that this pandemic is being battled together on the same platform of globalisation. Because of globalisation, for instance, less medically advanced countries in the Global South have been able to benefit and receive medical supplies and aids, as well as greater levels of transfer of skills and needed equipment from the Global North which is germane to the success of winning the war against the pandemic.
Seeing that globalisation has come to stay, going forward, greater importance has to be put on bridging the gap in the areas of health for instance across the board, and the need for information sharing to allow governments and organisations assess situations better and take necessary measures ahead of time so that a stitch in time can save nine.
Social distancing, we do not need to move and meet physically. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught many of us to work from home, moreover, using the same assets we already possessed!!
At these RG project sites, I am posting (as are some colleagues) relevant items about COVID-19 and globalization (and de-globalization); and items on public policy responses to COVID-19 and their impacts, in selected nations:
https://www.researchgate.net/project/De-globalization-and-De-internationalization
https://www.researchgate.net/project/Late-Globalization-Re-globalization-Exo-globalization
https://www.researchgate.net/project/International-Society-of-Markets-Development-ISMD
Globalization has simply heightened the risk perception of covid-19 due to the endless press coverage worldwide of an unknown disease.
This question is like stating the obvious. Globalization obviously had come with a whole lot "goodies " and development over the years. However, considering the trend at which COVID-19 had spread from one part of the globe to the other, countries battling the widespread of transmission and death rate, having no mercy on the rich, the poor, white or black, educated and non-educated, developed nations and developing nations, defying technology and medicine. My answer is yes the COVID-19 is a drawback to globalization.
Самоизоляция людей, связанная с пандемией COVID-19, снизила двигательную активность людей, что может привести к различным патологиям человеческого организма, в первую очередь среди граждан старшего возраста 65+
COVID-19 shows to what extent people and countries are looking after their interests at the expense of others and everyone is looking after himself.
Globalisation has had a great positive impact over time but for the rapid spread of COVID-19, globalisation is undoubtedly the biggest culprit.