Will the pandemic spell the end of globalization?

AT THE END OF FEBRUARY 2021, the pandemic’s global toll is staggering: 113,467,303 confirmed cases worldwide and 2,520,400 deaths, including 510,000 fatalities in the US alone. Not a single country has gone untouched and for almost a year now, countless borders have been essentially closed. COVID-19—the first modern deadly global pandemic, rivaled only by the Black Death in the 14th century and the Spanish Flu (1918-20)—has brought to a screeching halt the free movement of peoples and goods across the world; the dream and promise of globalization have been dealt a blow from which they may not soon fully recover.

In fact, the reassertion of the individual state, throwing off the yoke of global forms of governance and policy making had already begun in recent years, well before the pandemic hit and made closed borders a necessity. President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ model severely affected US trade with many countries, especially China; the Trump Administration also limited immigration and put the overall focus on building up the US, with international relations taking a back seat. 

In Europe, the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union, in part to be exempt from liberal immigration policies and to re-establish the country’s sovereignty. Other examples include Hungary and Poland, which had been closing their border for non-Christian immigration. The pandemic, and all the emergency measures it triggered, will undoubtedly further diminish the globalization utopia, intensifying trends that have been already well underway. The global financial crisis in 2008 also put a major damper on the enthusiasm for—and workability of— globalization.

Globalization had gotten its main impulse from the neo-liberal policies of the 1980s in key countries, in particular Ronald Reagan’s America and Margaret Thatcher’s Great Britain. The role of the state was curtailed. Instead, free-market policies won the day and set many countries on the road to economic liberalization and the creation of a global network. Exceptions included the insular nations of the China and Russia, among others. The European Union, too, played a major role in promoting global trade and open borders.

With the arrival of the pandemic, governments were forced to strengthen state institutions, to protect citizens’ health, maintain social cohesion, and protect and repair national economies hard-hit by financial losses and liabilities due to the closure of businesses and the unemployment crisis. Not surprisingly, international solidarity has also declined, as most countries are failing to help nations that are particularly struggling; in that vein, Italy and Spain, both overwhelmed by the pandemic, complained about the lack of support from their northern neighbors.

The pandemic has interfered with the world economy in all its phases: production, distribution, and consumption. The increasing complexity of the distribution and supply-chain network, the lifeblood of the global economy, makes the structure very vulnerable. After the end of the Cold War, the victorious powers designed this complexity so that, for the sake of peace, countries would be interdependent. Any particular state would have to rely on other states for goods, materials and parts essential for the functioning of its economy.

That elaborate international system has now been dealt a blow by the pandemic, which has been prompting individual nations to try to become self-sufficient, within its borders, as within a closed system. The global economy, with all its moving parts, its delicate structure is very difficult to repair. Matter are made still worse by trade wars and accompanying tensions between major powers like the US and China—the two principal drivers of the world economy. What’s more it will be a long road for many countries before they are able to fully participate in the world economy before their own economic house is in order.

Aside from the health and food industries, rebuilding a country’s overall economic productivity will be extremely slow while—due to the pandemic—the systems of transportation and distribution are not optimally functional and when consumers are unable or hesitant to go shopping. Matters are made worse by the relative abandonment of the free-market system so eminently suitable to and essential for globalization, with its free movement of capital. Instead, just as happened in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008, the state begins borrowing and investing heavily in public services, especially health care. This dynamic scares off private investment, shrinking the free flow of capital so essential for the process of globalization.

Yet, this shift is called for in the battle against COVID-19, such as massive spending on the coronavirus vaccines, which is obviously a drain on the economy. And all this emergency spending is very likely to continue in one form or another once the pandemic has been truly defeated, such as spending on research on COVID-19 and other deadly virus strains, and on developing ways to protect the population from the next pandemic. 

It is thus that the pandemic will hurt globalization. Logistically, globalization will continue in the form of the rapid exchange and distribution of information, air travel, and commerce. What will likely also survive the pandemic is countries going it alone, downplaying international cooperation, taking care of their own, and manifesting a xenophobic bent. That inward-looking orientation will rob globalization of its humanist, internationalist soul.

SOMOS doctors actively do their part in fighting the pandemic

WITH MOST OF THE FOCUS on state, city and governments tackling the coronavirus pandemic, a remarkable network of doctors has been on the frontlines in the battle against COVID-19 in New York City since the very start. These physicians, who are the backbone of SOMOS Community Care, have not drawn the limelight but have quietly done their job fighting the ravages of the pandemic.

SOMOS has proven its effectiveness and earned its stripes. No doubt, its record in the battle against the coronavirus—showing that primary care physicians can play a key role—helped persuade New York State health authorities to give SOMOS doctors the privileged task of administering the vaccine.

This network of more than 2,500 community-based, independent physicians—most of them primary care providers—are caring for vulnerable African American, Hispanic and Chinese American Medicaid patients throughout the city. The populations have been particularly vulnerable to the virus, because of a high incidence of underlying conditions, cramped living conditions among other factors. These neediest patients have been the focus of SOMOS Community Care from the very start.

Months ago, when it came to encouraging people to get tested for the virus, SOMOS doctors’ close relationships with their patients—in whose lives they play the role of the family doctor of old—made all the difference. Plus, there is the fact that in many cases the physicians speak the same language and share the same cultural background as they people in their care.

These advantages also come into play now that these doctors have begun administering the vaccine. SOMOS doctors can establish patients’ trust and confidence about the safety of the vaccine and ensure the equitable distribution of the vaccine in communities of color.

The work of SOMOS’ fight against the virus began right when the pandemic first hit the US, in March 2020. At the request of Governor Andrew Cuomo, SOMOS doctors and staff began testing personnel at the New York Stock Exchange, a vital institution in the life of the US economy. The testing there began in mid-March and continued through the summer and fall of last year.

The organization has been operating more than 51 tri-lingual testing sites, with service in Spanish, English, and Chinese, based at Catholic and Protestant churches throughout New York City, while SOMOS is also testing at 33 office sites and two drive-thru locations. SOMOS, to-date, has administered more than 500,000 coronavirus tests. The count at SOMOS-run sites in Texas, Arizona, Florida, and Georgia bring the total up to 1 million. SOMOS has also been testing at more than 400 public schools in the city. Some 400 SOMOS practices—half of the total—play a part in the testing process.

At the same time, SOMOS partnered with restaurants and entrepreneurs in some of the communities it serves to provide meals to families hard-hit by the economic fall-out from the pandemic, families whose breadwinners lost their jobs and were plunged into poverty. To-date, more than 5M prepared meals have been distributed. SOMOS also worked with local grocers and other community-based organizations to purchase, package, and distribute food products. SOMOS also helped struggling small businesses in minority communities get back on their feet financially.

SOMOS has also finance the purchase and delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE) and consumable medical supplies necessary for COVID-19 testing; medical waste disposal related to COVID-19 testing; labor costs associated with medical staff providing COVID-19 testing; and additional costs for testing sites, including costs related to lease, mobilization, and demobilization costs, as well as certain operating and maintenance costs.

All the while SOMOS engaged in significant outreach and communications efforts to disseminate public information regarding health and safety measures and provide warnings about risks and hazards. This communication effort encompassed all forms of media, including radio, newspaper, pamphlets, and television. This work continues now in service of the vaccination process.

With hundreds of doctors now vaccinated, SOMOS doctors feel confident that they can immunize their entire patient body—at least those over 65—in the coming weeks. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier this year that SOMOS doctors will be vaccinating first responders at Taft High School in the Bronx, George Wingate High School in Brooklyn, and Brandeis High School in Manhattan. SOMOS doctors is also administering the vaccine at Yankee Stadium and the Aqueduct Racetrack.

SOMOS’s participation in the vaccination process will balance hospital-based distribution and make getting the vaccine more convenient for many New Yorkers. The SOMOS doctors were engaged thanks to the lobbying efforts of SOMOS President Dr. Henry Chen and SOMOS Founder and Chairman Dr. Ramon Tallaj, who is an advisor for the execution of New York State’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program.

All of SOMOS’ activities dealing with the pandemic are closely coordinated with the New York State Department of Health and the City of New York. To help both the testing and vaccination process, SOMOS has stablished two urgent care centers: one in the Bronx and one in Manhattan.

SOMOS has been on the frontlines from the start and paid in treasure (some $20M) and blood—a dozen SOMOS doctors died from the virus and many fell ill doing their jobs. Meanwhile, more than half of SOMOS practices remain closed.

The fight will continue until the virus is defeated—and SOMOS will not quit.

Mario J. Paredes is the CEO of SOMOS Community Care.

A 2021 MADE “NEW” BY ALL

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Un mensaje de aliento, de cercanía a la comunidad chilena residente en los Estados Unidos.

 

Jesus of Nazareth For All

 

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Gratitude in the time of pandemic

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New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Program

 

New York State has just issued its COVID-19 Vaccination Program, a comprehensive plan of action to go into effect once a proven vaccine becomes available for mass distribution. Credit goes to Gov. Cuomo for his continued leadership role during the pandemic and spearheading this effort, which aspires, writes the governor in a foreword, to become “the best vaccination program” in the country.

This document, notes the executive summary,” describes the steps that are being taken and protocols that are being put in place to ensure the safe and efficient distribution and administration of the vaccine to New York residents.” Given many “unknowns,” the Program is “designed to be flexible.” The Program was produced at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It is expected that vaccine distribution and administration approaches will be informed by the federal government upon release of the vaccine to states,” says the executive summary.

An essential function of the Program is to enhance the public’s trust in the process—in September, just over 50 percent of Americans said they would get a vaccine if it were available, compared to 72 percent last May.

It is critically important that the population served by SOMOS, poor Hispanic, and Chinese American communities, have access to the vaccine once available. This population is at greater risk of infection than the general population due to restricted and crowded living conditions and other environmental factors, as well as a higher incidence of pre-existing conditions.

Therefore, it is heartening that one of the “guiding principles” of the Program is “equitable & clinically driven distribution.” Specifically, that means: “New York State’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution approach will be based solely on clinical and equitable standards that prioritize access to persons at higher risk of exposure, illness and/or poor outcome, regardless of other unrelated factors, such as wealth or social status, that might confer unwarranted preferential treatment.”

Another “guiding principle” of the Program is tailor-made for a significant role for the SOMOS network of community doctors and the SOMOS neighborhood publicity apparatus, once the vaccine is available: “partnership, coordination & public outreach.” This reads: “New York State recognizes that coordination with local organizations and community providers is essential to the safe and successful distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. The state’s outreach efforts will especially focus on reaching underserved, hard to reach, vulnerable, less accessible and vaccine-hesitant populations, as well as those at highest risk for COVID-19 infection and poor outcomes.” The Program’s outreach focus is on patient populations like our own!

Regarding that outreach, the Program reads: “All public education and community engagement efforts will include dedicated efforts to connect with underserved, hard to reach, vulnerable, and vaccine-hesitant populations, as well as focused outreach approaches to communities at highest risk of COVID-19. New York State will work closely with partners statewide who can assist in ensuring that all public communication is done in a way to ensure that those with health inequities are represented and ensure that access to the vaccine is not a barrier for underserved communities.”

Plus, the Program will feature “close coordination with stakeholders, community leaders, and local organizations to disseminate information on the distribution and administration of the vaccine in NYS. This will include dedicated stakeholder engagement with community-based organizations representatives from community organizations serving underserved, hard-to-reach, vulnerable, and vaccine-hesitant populations to advise on outreach, communication, and engagement strategies.”

There is no doubt that SOMOS can play a significant role in the New York State COVID-19 Program by promoting and offering the vaccine to New York City’s most vulnerable residents. Let us hope a vaccine will be available soon.