For millions of people across the world, COVID-19 has meant the loss of earnings or the loss of a loved one. Many people are struggling with grief with trauma, and with uncertainty as to where their lives might be headed after this virus is controlled and the world returns to some form of normality. In this short guide, you’ll learn how the regions of the world are faring against the virus at present – and what you might expect from the weeks and months to come.
Asia
Having originated in Asia, you’d expect the virus to have been most brutal and unforgiving in this region. But, despite accusations that China has misled the world over the true toll of corona-virus within its borders, there’s a wider trend in Asia of few cases and few deaths. Countries like South Korea, Japan, and Singapore have all led the way in showing the world how to properly test, trace and isolate the virus. This means that of all the continents, Asia is looking the best-adapted to life with a novel coronavirus roaming its streets.
Europe
Sadly, there’s a different story unfolding in Europe. A continent defined by its high levels of human movement, and the reliance of each nation in the trading bloc, it’s become clear that containing the virus in this modern and forward-thinking region would be difficult. And so it has proven. High death tolls in Spain, Italy and the UK have been met by new cases in France, Belgium and Germany, making Europe, as a region, one that’s been particularly stricken with COVID-19. With long lockdowns coupled with the virus, Europe and the EU are looking at a huge loss of GDP and a recession in the coming months.
Middle East
There may have been concerns, for the Middle East, that their level of basic sanitation and political systems would fail to properly deal with the virus. One of the first countries that we saw suffering from the virus, back in March, was Iran. It appears that this would roll out to the region as a whole. Actually, through reports from iranforeignpolicy.com about COVID-19 and Syria suggest that the situation on the ground in neighboring countries may not be so bad. Despite being war-torn and rebuilding, Syria hasn’t experienced a horrific surge in cases – and the Middle East as a whole has sensibly applied lockdown in time to save lives.
The Americas
The story is also less than peachy on our home continent, with the US leading the charts in terms of COVID-related deaths, and the southern American states, most notably Mexico and Brazil, currently looking to suffer huge casualties as a result of bravado and denial in dealing with the virus. In the long-term, this is likely to significantly stunt the growth of the LATAM countries, and the US is also likely to take a hit, with unemployment and GDP figures looking poor in the coming weeks and months.
Understanding a region-by-region update on COVID-19 can help you plan investments and vacations in the near future, as this world-changing virus fades from our lives.
