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Mass surprise was an early social symptom of Covid-19 around the world. From government announcements to work emails, words such as unprecedented , uncertain and unforeseen became the norm, signs of collective bafflement and fear.
While shock was universal, how countries responded differed widely. The world had seen pandemics before. In 2015 Bill Gates gave a popular TED Talk on the impending danger of one. Many countries had emergency plans waiting in the wings. Some quickly swung into action, while others dithered. The UAE s agile governance allowed it to secure necessities from food security to mass testing. For the nations caught off guard, many of them developed, citizens wondered why no methodical response was forthcoming.