As several waves of the COVID-19 pandemic have hit all areas of the world, many cities, countries and regions have gone into different forms of lockdown multiple times to contain further spread of the virus and reduce strain on hospitals. More than 5.7 million people worldwide have died from COVID-19, and those numbers continue to rise. The effects of the pandemic beyond deaths are staggering too, with statistics pointing to a rise in mental health issues, alcoholism, domestic violence and workplace violence. Overall, 25% of U.S. adults said they or someone in their household was laid off or lost their job in the first year of the pandemic, according to Pew Research Center. Beyond that number, millions of other workers report being forced to reduce their hours or take pay cuts due to continued economic fallout from the pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic delivered on what nearly every public health expert predicted was imminent — a global public health crisis. Yet, we all have paid a price for being unprepared or unorganized in our collective response to this completely foreseeable event. While the exact causes for our global brittleness to the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to be subject of debate for years to come, what is clear is we must think differently — and more broadly — about risk and risk management,” says Cory Simpson, Executive Vice President at Resolute Strategic Services and Senior Director at the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission.