Prompt 4: Pandemic risks for a globalized world

 Two effects of globalization seen in the COVID-19 pandemic is the overpopulation of cities and economic inequalities.  Major cities like New York were hit the hardest, experiencing large cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Because we live in a global world, these large cities have millions of people interacting every day. Public transportation, restaurants, nightlife, daycares, and jobs are opportunities for a virus to spread among larger populations. For the first time in 100 years, the NYC subway system shut down for a deep clean.  In communities that are less globally-connected, covid-19 had less of a dramatic effect.  Economic inequalities are also larger; the rich are richer, and the poor are poorer. People who have money are less affected by COVID-19. The rich have the opportunity to leave large cities, have food delivered to them, have their children continue their education online, etc.  People who live in poverty cannot afford to not go to their job. Often, their children do not have the technology to stay connected to online school. Also, jobs that typically pay less, like waiters and waitresses, shut down during the pandemic, whereas salary jobs were moved online. Once again, affluent individuals were not drastically affected by COVID-19.