1. The latest New Left Review rightly notes that "the initial vectors of contagion were the networks of globalization" & "manufacturing supply chains, tourism, international evangelical gatherings and overseas students scattered its microbes from Wuhan to Qom and greater Milan" 
2. The networks of globalization helped the pandemic spread like wildfire. In the short-term (and very likely the long term) these networks are going to shut down or be substantially altered: less travel, borders even more restricted, supply chains redirected.
3. The partial rollback seems inevitable, not least because the nation-state is now empowered (for better or worse) with emergency powers. On a political level, leaders like Trump & Biden are now competing to outdo each other in nationalism.
4. Even as economic globalization is partly rolled back, internationalism (in the sense of sharing medical knowledge & supplies across borders) is more important than ever. The world's two most powerful nations (USA & China) are both fumbling this.
5. Trump's right-wing nationalism is predictably leading him to trash international organizations, scapegoating foreigners and domestic minorities (see his Islamophobic retweet today). The Chinese government has behaved in the same fashion (see the racism against Africans).
6. The empowerment of the nation-state isn't all bad: it could strengthen health care systems and local supply chains. The trick is to combine that with greater international cooperation in science. Obviously Trump can't do that. Can Biden? More here: thenation.com/article/world/…
