What are the first and second vulnerabilities that cities face during a pandemic (Gleaser, Survival of the City)? Summarize them succinctly and explain how these two vulnerabilities manifested in urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020.
A) First vulnerability: Density facilitates contagion. Second vulnerability: Dependence on global supply chains. Explanation: During the COVID-19 pandemic, crowded urban areas experienced rapid virus spread due to high population density. Additionally, disruptions in global supply chains led to shortages of essential goods and medical supplies in urban centers.
B) First vulnerability: Dependence on global supply chains. Second vulnerability: Inadequate healthcare infrastructure. Explanation: Urban areas relying heavily on global supply chains faced shortages of essential goods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, inadequate healthcare infrastructure in some cities led to overwhelmed hospitals and limited access to medical care for residents.
C) First vulnerability: Inadequate healthcare infrastructure. Second vulnerability: Density facilitates contagion. Explanation: Cities with inadequate healthcare infrastructure struggled to handle the influx of COVID-19 cases, leading to overwhelmed hospitals and a shortage of medical resources. Additionally, high population density facilitated the rapid spread of the virus in urban areas.
D) First vulnerability: Lack of social distancing measures. Second vulnerability: Over-reliance on public transportation. Explanation: Urban areas lacking effective social distancing measures faced challenges controlling virus transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, over-reliance on public transportation increased the risk of virus spread among commuters.
