People power key to getting through COVID-19 pandemic

New York. Image by Michael Pewny from Pixabay - The strength of connections, be it human connections within cities, or collaborative networks between cities, has been a key factor in determining how effectively the world's biggest cities have been able to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, according to leading experts. The Nature Comment article , led by Professor Xuemei Bai from The Australian National University (ANU), with three other co-authors from India and China, also argues our networks will be crucial in helping us tackle future disasters. "Our biggest cities need to adapt and evolve," Professor Bai said. "They will face other pandemics and increasingly frequent and potentially more severe disasters due to climate change. "It's not realistic to expect all cities to be fully prepared for all kinds of crises at all times. Developing strong networks and helping each other in times of need is crucial - whether its women in S ã o Paulo's largest slum sewing thousands of face masks, or coordinated sharing of supplies between major cities."   Professor Bai and her co-authors say while COVID-19 is still running its course, and the immediate aftershocks - such as job losses, poverty and food scarcity - need addressing urgently, much has been already been learnt.