Pandemic in the Network Society: COVID-19 in EU and Latin America

Abstract

The article presents the results of a comparative analysis of the factors related to the spread of the new coronavirus infection in Europe and Latin America. The choice of regions for comparison is due to a certain similarity of their peoples' cultures and religions, their linguistic commonality, the scale of infection of the population with the new coronavirus, clearly expressed specificity and different economic development levels. The criteria for the network society are: indicators of broadband Internet subscribers and Internet shopping, the proportion of households with Internet access and the Network Readiness Index (NRI). The article proves that the development of a modern network society can affect the spread of diseases in global pandemics. The author uses the example of the popularity of food delivery services in various countries to show that the features of the influence of elements of a networked society on the risks of COVID-19 infection are regional. The author provides arguments that ceteris paribus a high level of development of the network society is the most effective in terms of ensuring biological safety in countries with a higher standard of living, which retain their regional and cultural specifics and are distinguished by the presence of sufficiently strong local communities. The evolution of a network society opens up significant opportunities for developing countries, an improvement in the quality of life, and the emergence of new traditions. All this together changes the established social structures, groups, and local networks. The world is becoming more interconnected and interdependent. That requires collective efforts from the entire world community to equalize the living standards of the population in different countries of the world, which is necessary for minimizing risks during periods of global pandemics and possibly other biological crises.