Editor's letter

Some say when it rains, it pours. This has been more true than ever in the covid-19 pandemic, during which the interconnectedness of the world showed that with the introduction of one problem in society - the virus - other issues quickly followed.

When I took a first aid class a few years back, we were told that the first priority should always be to save lives. All steps in the aid routine were based on the level of threat to survival, even if that meant initially disregarding other issues that were present. Though simplified then, I have seen the same routine play out on a global scale during the pandemic. While governments have scrambled to address the immediate threats, other issues have loomed in the background, able to grow in the shadow of the crisis that is the virus.

In this issue of Utblick, six writers discuss different ways in which the pandemic reshaped realities around the globe beyond health. Guery Maranon discusses canceled elections, Johannes Malmgren highlights the capitalization of media and Vilma Ellemark the surge in child marriages. An issue that has been prevalent for years but was especially exacerbated by the pandemic conditions was domestic violence, highlighted by Kathina Mehring. Other shifts were ushered in by a sudden need, like the digitalization of the workforce, eloquently described by Laurin Zils. Not least, Dominique Keizer gives a poignant analysis of what the pandemic means for human interaction with nature.

When I am writing this, the omicron variant is in the headlines, warning us of a new wave. Vaccine inequality is still a huge issue, with poorer countries still hardly being able to put their hands on their first doses. At the same time, those who got their first doses a year ago in more affluent parts of the world are showing diminished immunity and as a result, countries with high vaccination coverage are still stockpiling vaccines in a vicious circle that keeps the pandemic going.

However, beyond the storm that is the virus, all the challenges highlighted in this issue will remain for governments to deal with once the pandemic subsides. We can only hope that once the first aid is done, we move on to these as well.

Johanna Bergström Editor-in-chief

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