World history in the early 21st century will be divided into 2 distinct eras—before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and after.1
The COVID-19 crisis is unlike anything the US and many countries have encountered. Previous crises have mostly occurred in one location or region, and others from elsewhere have been called upon to provide rescue assistance. This pandemic, however, is global, and has affected every country. This public health emergency has upended every aspect of life, and in the process, peeled back the layers of inequality and laid bare countless faulty systems that govern the world.