The Guardian view on Covid and the world: the pandemic ’s impact is growing | Editorial

Cases are soaring in many countries, and the social and political effects are becoming clearer“At the root of every pandemic is an encounter between a disease-causing microorganism and a human being … It is a social phenomenon as much as it is a biological one,” writes Laura Spinney in her book Pale Rider, arguing that Spanish flu “pushed India closer to independence, South Africa cl oser to apartheid, and Switzerland to the brink of civil war”.It will be a long time before we, or our descendants, can fully assess Covid ’s impact. But its social and political effects are emerging more clearly. It has played a role in extraordinary turmoil in places fromColombia toCuba to South Africa, exacerbating poverty and frustration. The unrest is rooted in longstanding social and economic problems. In South Africa, where10,000 troops have now been deployed, it is the furious response to the jailing of the divisive former president Jacob Zuma, who faces a slew of corruption charges; authoritiessuspect his followers of orchestrating the violence. But Covid ’s erosion of social and economic wellbeing and trust in leaders has surely contributed.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Coronavirus Infectious diseases Science World news South Africa Asia Pacific Source Type: news