Widespread protests in the UK and US have alarmed scientists, who warn that both countries are particularly vulnerable to a second wave of Covid-19 infections. Social cohesion is rapidly becoming an important economic variable in its own right.
The contrast with Asia is striking. Vietnam is a stand-out case for efficient health-care management. In Japan, Covid-19 infections are trending down sharply. South Korea and China have been able to implement effective contact and tracing, because social cohesion is much deeper.
Asia may also have the edge in employing technology to combat Covid-19. China is ahead of the curve. Medical AI developers in Europe and the US are playing catch-up. Even Thailand, not the most advanced of Asian countries in respect of technology, has moved ahead of the West. Another winner in this race has been Israel.
The global fault line over 5G will shape the ability of countries to deal with Covid-19. The transformation of services (ed-tech, digital entertainment, e-commerce, video-conferencing) to cope with the restrictions imposed by the pandemic will be faster in countries that adopt 5G. In this regard, China emerges as a clear winner.
