Revelation of "cracks" as COVID-19 pandemic outbreak

Thursday, 07/05/2020 11:02
(CPV) - 4 months has gone, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on humanity is comprehensive. It also reveals "cracks" of society, requiring serious research to find solutions to prevent and control more effectively in the future.
Photo for illustration (Source: jiohealth.com)

From "break" of global supply chains

One of human achievements in modern times is to establish global supply chains. Accordingly, all stages of the production process: production - distribution - exchange - consumption are linked at the world level, with deeper and wider integration, which makes the globalism pursued by majority economic organizations and countries around the world.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic broke the whole process from the first month when it broke out in China’s Wuhan and spread globally, because a series of decisions of governments such as zoning, isolation, social distance to quell the pandemic, the economies of many countries and the world quickly became paralyzed.

In a financial perspective, according to the IMF analysis, it is now possible to divide five levels of gaps of sector and region. Accordingly, countries in Europe and emerging economies (except China) with the strongest financial gap can be classified as level 5, the US is currently at level 4, and China is at level 3.

So far, after more than 4 months, countries are studying to issue plans to gradually re-open their economies with the goal of both ensuring health and life for the people and continuing to develop the economy to ensure the normal life and activities of the whole society.

However, along with the terrible devastation caused by the pandemic, COVID-19 could create a global recession, with worse consequences than the economic crisis in the 1930s.

Implications from social practices

Professor Jay Zawatsky, CEO of HavePower Company at Montgomery School of the US, said that many social practices are potential risks, accidentally spreading the disease in general, along with viruses originating in Wuhan.

Liberalism in the US and the West has also created a huge gap that prevents nations from effectively implementing COVID-19 prevention measures, with protests against orders of social distancing, and the phenomenon of contrary orders between central and local authorities appearing in some countries.

In the US, people in California, Texas, New Hampshire and Michigan organized demonstrations on April 17th-18th to protest the closure of business units and schools to limit the spread of COVID-19. In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro also took part in the protest and said that it was "necessary to ensure democracy and freedom".

Human security is threatened

It can be said that the COVID-19 pandemic has restricted, even eliminated at least 5 out of 10 human security criteria as defined by the United Nations: freedom of travel, personal freedom, trade freedom, freedom to access equitable health, and education.

The specialization of production at the global level with increasing depth, the establishment of the "world factory" model; economic unity; freedom of labour, service and investment transfer not only creates a gap in the production process, but also has a great impact on ensuring social security.

The US had to pay a heavy price because it was too dependent on foreign suppliers for important health services. For a long time, US investors have taken those essential production facilities to foreign countries to do business to get higher profits.

The COVID-19 pandemic is currently raging in the richest countries on the planet, where the largest number of victims is the poor. They are “cashiers at supermarkets, garbage collectors, domestic workers and shippers, who have to pay the most expensive price for the pandemic".

In a speech on April 13th, French President Macron acknowledged these unobtrusive employees are those society should be grateful to, but "they themselves are paid too low salary". Most of them hustle in narrow apartments, making them face a higher risk of infection.

They also have high rates of underlying diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure and obesity. Therefore, when they are infected with the virus, their health status becomes more serious. In France, up to 83% of COVID-19 patients in the emergency department are obese or overweight. In the US city of Chicago, African American people account for only 30% of the population, but account for more than 70% of people infected with COVID-19.

Thus, it thinks of a principle stated in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Charter: "Poverty in wherever is also a threat to the prosperity of the world". The COVID-19 pandemic is now a ringing alarm to demand of us: what have we done for the most vulnerable people?

Homeless people seek help from a food supply warehouse in US city of Las Vegas in March (Photo: Shutterstock)

And solutions countries need to be concerned about

Firstly, it is necessary to promote the application of super products of industrial revolution 4.0, especially information technology, biology, automation, robotization, AI and 5G network into social life. The e-government model also needs to develop faster because many benefits are already evident through the pandemic.

Secondly, encouraging forms of working from distance or from home because supply and demand both appear. After the pandemic, employers are required to review, re-arrange, restructure and reorganize the operating system so that the work operates normally. Many online processing works help save costs for employers; reduce travel time for employees; flexible working time, which create opportunity to increase income for both sides.

Thirdly, it is necessary to pay attention to developing software to be able to study online at all levels; e-commerce; online medical examination and psychological counseling; new products appear thanks combination biotechnology and information technology; and increase the use of robots to accelerate automation and remote control.

Fourthly, it is necessary to adapt soon to the new trend after the pandemic, because there will be big and important changes on the national and international scale, especially the technology to monitor dangerous diseases and attach the national data warehouse with citizen medical records. The system of "national health and epidemiological defense", strategic stockpiles will be established along with the adjustment of health budgets and reorganization of management.

Fifthly, it is necessary to take initiative in international relations after the pandemic because the control of spreading of the pandemic and demand of a “health visa” along with tests or biological checks will be carried out before a citizen enters a country. Accordingly, title of officials specializing in healthcare, monitoring and promoting bilateral health cooperation will soon be formed.

Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people, countries, regardless of who they are, to seriously consider their entire viewpoints, awareness and behaviors towards nature and society including globalization achievements and future directions so as to minimize "cracks" that have been revealed from the COVID-19 pandemic./.

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