DescriptionThe COVID Spectrum brings together a diverse range of essays from five continentson the pandemic that plunged the world into an unprecedented crisis. Importantquestions raised and sought to be answered in the first section of the book straddlethe personal and political, as well as the economic and ethical: How can we preventsocial collapse when all human life isn't equally valued? What does it mean to be amore caring society? Are our healthcare systems prepared for another such shock?Can we continue to be driven by the 'market' or do we need a more normativeeconomics? How do we deal with conspiracy theories and misinformation in thedigital age, especially in emergencies like this one? And have physical distancingnorms and video calls led to a fundamental break in the way we communicate?The second section of the book shows how, through all the chaos COVID hasengendered, people across nations and cultures have found it within themselvesto courageously wade through the troubles. We see how the Cubans managed theinfection, how the citizens of Hong Kong stood by each other, and how the headof state of an East African island nation showed us what it means to be a servantleader. Psychotherapists try to figure out ways of battling isolation-induced stress.Policy experts argue what we can do to alleviate the shocking exclusion suffered bymarginalized sections during the pandemic. And regular individuals learn the valueof being there for each other.The world changed in 2019. What we collectively witnessed wasn't just a medicalemergency, but a social and economic and conceptual breaking point. Thisanthology expresses the hope that the 'Great Reset' which lies ahead could be areal and enlightened one, if we try.
