Topic: Coronavirus: Threats and Strategies to deal with it

Name: Ahmed Sandhu

Outline

1. Intro

Corona-Virus has gripped the world in a storm and disrupted everyday life at an unprecedented scale. It
has caused a global health crisis, devastated economies and caused numerous other socio-economic
problems. Although, things look gloomy at the moment but with a proper coordinated and cohesive
strategy this threat can be overcome.

2) Exposition

3) Main Section

3.1) Fractured health system and loss of human life

Case in point: 14M cases worldwide and more than 500,000 deaths across the globe (Aljazeera)

3.2) Economy Strangulated

Case in point: Asian Development Bank estimates that coronavirus would cause a loss of $15bn to
Pakistan’s economy

3.3) Education impacted and school closure

Case in point: 900 mn learners impacted by the closure of schools

3.4) Supply shortages for businesses

Case in Point: World trade to fall by 32% according to World trade organization

3.5) Human rights suppressed under the guise of fight against corona-virus

Case in point: China enforced early censorship on movement of information

3.6) Increase in unemployment many furloughed

Case in point: According to NewYork times 36m people are likely to laid off due to the global corona-
virus crisis.

4) Strategies to counter the threat of coronavirus

4.1) Capacity building of health care system

Case in point: Provision of Personal protective equipment, appropriate funds to mention a few steps.

4.2) Overcoming economic impacts

Case in point: Protecting jobs, supporting small and medium enterprises and protecting the most
vulnerable workers through economic recovery programs

4.3) Global coordination and trust

Case in Point: Sharing information, resources and technical know-how.

4.4) Innovative methods of teaching

Case in point: Use of teleschools and teaching through radio and television

4.5) Ensuring food security

Case in point: Abolish taxes on food items and support food distribution channels.

5 ) conclusion

Coronavirus has taken the center-stage as the biggest issue of our times. The deleterious impact of this
virus would be far reaching. However, through a proper cohesive strategy the threats can be overcome.

Out of the blue Coronavirus has gripped the world in a storm and has caused a host of socio-political,
economic and health impacts across the globe. Although, the virus has caused numerous challenges but
through a proper coordinated strategy its threats can be overcome. One of the biggest and most
obvious impact of coronavirus has been on public health care. Crona-virus has jolted decision makers
across the globe, and made them realize the importance of investing in a sound health care system.
Moreover, as lockdowns have been enforced due to coronavirus many businesses have been forced to
shut down. As a result many employees have been fired and furloughed. This has a direct impact on
poverty levels and many families have been pushed below poverty lines. In addition to businesses
educational institutions have been closed across the globe in the wake of the corona crisis. Hence, many
students have been unable to take classes and have fallen back in studies. Unfortunately, instead of
uniting to present a united front to coronavirus key leaders have resorted to blame gaming and
bickering which has further hampered the fight against coronavirus. Although, things look pretty bleak
at the moment, all is not lost and through sincere, coordinated and a cohesive approach the threats of
corona-virus can be overcome.

Coronavirus first made headlines in September. According to media reports and experts the virus
originated in the animal markets of Wuhan, China. Unfortunately, due to the initial censorship by
Chinese authorities the world could not know the full scale and impact of the virus until it was too late.
Within the span of a couple of months the virus experiences explosive growth across the world and it
was not late when the first cases of corona started to appear in Pakistan. Eventually, WHO also sprang
into action, declared it a global pandemic and coordinating with various stakeholders in order to counter
it. But according to many observers it was too little and too late. Coronavirus is a member of the SAARs
family of viruses and though it has low mortality but it spreads like wild fire. The essay will now explore
the multitude of threats of coronavirus and strategies to counter it.

Coronavirus has caused a global health crisis and exposed the fault lines in the existing health
infrastructure. As the cases started to increase the problems and weaknesses of the health system
started to become apparent. News reports from the epicenter of corona present a very troubling
account. In some of the worst hit countries thousands of people are dying every day and there is a dire
shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). For example, dawn newspaper reported that in
Pakistan there are only 0.6 beds per 1000 people. Likewise according to a UN report Pakistan suffers a
shortage of 200,000 medical staff. The problem is particularly alarming for countries like Pakistan as
Pakistan has to deal with different diseases in addition to corona-virus. Hence, the virus has put a
tremendous strain of the health infrastructure of countries like Pakistan.

Another major impact of the virus has been on global economies. In the wake of the coronavirus many
countries have imposed strict lockdowns. As a result businesses greatly suffered particularly the ones
which required workers to work in closed conditions. While some businesses were able to shift online,
however many manufacturing companies had no option but to close down their businesses. As
businesses halted the economies of countries around the world were negatively impacted. For example,
Pakistan is expected to have a $15 bn loss due to the effects of the coronavirus. In a related
development, security and policy think tanks believe that CPEC would take a back seat in the wake of
the coronavirus. Also, as businesses close, people lose their livelihoods and make less big purchases.
Hence corona virus has put economies several years back and it would take them a long time to recover.

A direct casualty of the closure of businesses is an increase in unemployment and rising poverty levels.
As companies across the world closed down they had to fire their employees, who had become
redundant. A few lucky ones survived by having their salary cuts and furloughed. For example, according
to a report by Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) unemployment rate has surged to
28% in Pakistan due to corona. New York Times also reported that 36million people across the world
have either lost their jobs or experiences some pay-cuts. This rising unemployment has pushed many
people below the poverty line. The situation is all the more alarming for Pakistan which has a large albeit
uneducated, unskilled youth population. Policy makers in Pakistan are faced with an uphill task on how
to provide employment opportunities to the huge diaspora of workers. To top it up, many workers who
were working in MENA region are also returning home. This rising unemployment not only is a social
problems but also a political problem. Some security analysts believe that with rising unemployment,
people might feel disfranchised and a rise in public unrest is expected. Hence, the rising unemployment
would have far reaching implications for developing countries like Pakistan.

Moreover, the pandemic has affected global supply chains. In today’s global world different industries
are linked. The output from one country is the raw material for the other. Unfortunately, due to closure
of travel and businesses many industries have found a shortage of raw materials. In case of medical
supplies this condition is particularly serious. Some complex medicines require many different chemicals
which are procured from many different places. The travel restrictions have greatly impacted the flow of
goods and medical supplies. According to a report published by a leading daily, the News, Pakistan’s
textile industry relies on imports for 70% of its needs. Most of the raw materials are procured from
China. As China has been at the forefront of the war against corona virus, many businesses had a
problem in maintaining supply chains. According to the WTO, global trade has dropped by 32%. This is
indeed an alarming problem. The closure of supply chains results in the closure of businesses, which in
turn leads to unemployment and the dearth of basic goods in the market. The problem of the shortage
of goods is further worsened by panic buying and hoarding. Hence, when seen in the wider scheme of
things the closure of global supply chains is indeed a recipe for disaster.

Last but not the least there have been many reports of violation of basic human rights and freedoms. As
coronavirus spread many countries imposed draconian restrictions and curtailed rights of citizens. For
example, Aljazeera reported that China jailed and harassed citizens who criticized governments’
response to the pandemic. In addition, many countries reported lower cases and deaths in order to
avoid public panic and global travel restrictions on their citizens. This was a direct violation of people
rights to information. Furthermore, Amnesty international reported that in many autocratic regimes
press was harassed for criticizing the government. Moreover, under the guise of surveillance many
countries have started unchecked monitoring of citizen activities. Hence, this pandemic has further
increased human right violations and many human rights activists believe that autocratic states might be
further emboldened by the coronavirus in their quest to curtail people’s freedom.

After exploring the various threats of the corona crisis the essay will now explore strategies to counter
the threats of coronavirus.

The first priority for the governments should be to check the health impacts of crona-virus. On an
emergency basis investments should be made in public health system. It should be ensured that there is
an adequate supply of protective equipment in the market. The government should ensure that all
citizens have access to quality health care irrespective of their economic status. Proper standard
operating procedures (SOPs) should be made by the government and implemented across hospitals.
Furthermore, the advice of experts from Agha Khan Hospital is also worth to be heeded. The staff has
raised the issue that in times like these doctors might not be able to save every patient and hence
procedures should be developed so that those who have the highest chance of survival are provided
medical care. These are challenging times are it requires innovative and timely actions to save the lives
of our citizens.

While on one hand the government deals with the health impacts of corona it also has to deal with the
economic impacts of coronavirus. On priority basis there should be short term work allowances and
credit assistance to businesses. This would ensure that the most vulnerable segments of our society are
not left to their fates. Following WHO guidelines countries can allocate money for local bodies so that
they can better spend it on public health care and on local businesses. Moreover, money grants should
be given to small and medium enterprises so that they can continue business, contribute to the
economy and provide jobs to local communities. If such measures are followed in letter and spirit the
economic troubles post corona can be greatly alleviated.

In this hour of need, it is required that countries set aside their differences and come together to solve
the common problem. They should pool their resources, facilities and manpower to ensure that a
vaccine is developed quickly. WHO should be fully activated and given appropriate resources so that it
can properly execute its programs across the globe. Instead of following individualist policies
governments should collectively try to overcome this issue. There should be cooperation on opening up
supply chains, powerful countries can remove tariffs on goods from developing countries so that their
economies can also develop. There should be no room for political point-scoring and bickering among
the global elite. This pandemic is not an issue for a single nation but is a global crisis and hence can only
be solved through a cohesive and coordinated global response.

Lastly food security should be ensured. Taxes on staple food items should be abolished and government
run food stores should be subsidized. Pakistan has started a really great initiative of giving money to the
poorest people under its “Ehsas” program. This would ensure that the poorest families are able to bring
food on their tables. However, there is still a need to increase the scope, intensity and coverage of this
project. Pakistan prides itself as one of the most philanthropic countries. It is high time that Pakistan’s
elite and well off people become part of the campaign to fight corona. There should be a strong
campaign for collecting donations, and then it should be ensured that basic food items are made
available to the maximum number of people. Finally, hoarding and corruption in distribution should be
strictly checked to ensure that the poor segments of our society can have food on their tables.

Coronavirus has taken the center stage as the biggest issue impacting thousands across the world. The
deleterious impacts of corona-virus can’t be understated, especially for public health and socio-
economic welfare. There is an urgent need that this menace is tackled head on. Doing so might seem
like an uphill task but it can surely be done. Transparency, global cooperation and a clear and
coordinated policy is the need of the hour to check the onslaught of this pandemic.