COVID-19 first appeared in China and soon became a global pandemic, but the polities of East Asia have been relatively successful in containing it. Some African states adopted harsh measures to suppress the pathogen, while others drew on experience with AIDS and Ebola to mount effective responses. Although a wealthy and technologically developed country, the U.S. has been notably ineffective in responding to the pandemic.
A virtual symposium on April 30 will explore these contradictions and complexities, as well as discuss the decline in positive international cooperation and the rise in exploitation of the pandemic to do harm trends that put all of humanity at risk.