During the COVID-19 pandemic, people’s everyday lives were disrupted in ways many could not have imagined. The outbreak exposed how fragile our global systems are and left millions of people struggling to access the basics they need to survive and thrive.
The world has learned a lot from this experience, and the lessons are being incorporated into how we prepare for future health crises. One important outcome has been a stronger sense of urgency to find ways to deliver lifesaving tools—including vaccines, tests and medicines—from the laboratory to those who need them most quickly.
However, the global response to the pandemic has been uneven. As the Wellcome Global Monitor 2021: Covid-19 report shows, lower- and middle-income countries have been hardest hit by the crisis. Their economies are more vulnerable to a single shock and depend more on a few sectors, like commodities or tourism, for income. And, as breadwinners have been confined or lost their jobs and crops have been destroyed, families are being pushed further into poverty.
The outbreak has also highlighted the deep divides between America’s two major political parties. In our latest survey, about half of U.S. adults or fewer say their local government officials did an excellent or good job responding to the pandemic. And, nearly equal shares of Republicans and Democrats say the country has given too little priority to supporting business and economic activity compared with protecting public health. Meanwhile, more Democrats than Republicans say the country has come up short in limiting risks for vulnerable populations and protecting their health.
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