At the start of the pandemic, it was feared that the third world countries would be devastated. It was feared that due to overpopulation, cramped housing and poor nutrition these countries would witness the most number of Covid cases and deaths. It was also thought that developed countries, would not be unduly affected by Covid cases and deaths.
One year past and just the opposite has happened. Experts are perplexed and cannot explain this phenomenon. High income countries in Europe and North America have suffered most, while low income countries in Africa and Asia have escaped with minimal damages. Even within countries where economic disparities are glaring, like India, it has been observed that the poor living in slums and villages have escaped largely unscathed. Perhaps Covid should be seen as a divine retribution or God’s way of warning us against rampant economic inequalities, between rich and poor countries and also between rich and poor people within a country. The time has come for the rich to correct the gross inequality and injustice prevailing. And in doing so the rich must not think that they are doing charity but reparation.
