The global COVID-19 pandemic has not affected all countries equally. Some countries are doing a better job containing it than others. Why is that?
There are many factors at play:
Experience: Remember SARS back in 2003? That was a type of coronavirus. East Asian countries were particularly hard-hit by SARS, but they overcame it. Maybe that experience led them to be better prepared than most other countries.
Population density: It should be obvious that densely populated cities like New York City struggle more with the virus than rural areas like the state of Montana. Social distancing is tough when you have tens of thousands of people packed into every square mile of the city.
Culture: Some cultures do better at isolation than others. Europe comes to mind because of the independent mindset of its people. Latin American countries may struggle with the pandemic because of its social culture. American culture is interesting because its people are fiercely independent, but they also don’t like to be told what they can and can’t do.
Internet readiness: The ability to self-isolate also depends a lot on the ability to get things done online. This is where urban areas in first-world countries excel. In areas that are less-connected to the internet, self-isolating for lengthy periods of time becomes difficult.
Leadership: Countries where the leaders took the pandemic seriously early on are doing better than countries where the leaders dismissed the threat. Italy locked down early and strictly enforced the lock-down. The worst seems to be over for them. Other countries like the United States and Brazil are struggling to contain the virus.
I’m sure there are many other factors and circumstances unique to individual countries. The pandemic has proven to be unpredictable. One resource that I’ve found useful is TrackCorona, which lets you see the status of every country in the world at a glance.
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