The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on the economy.

The eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore the severe corruption vulnerabilities in the health sector.

As the Trump administration's wavered in its commitment in the region, Japan, under Prime Minister Abe, stepped up and was hailed as "new leader of the liberal order in Asia."

The Philippine government, despite these emergency powers, was not able to stop the country from becoming Southeast Asia’s hotspot for COVID-19, now with over 200,000 cases, and with no sign of slowing down.

Thankfully, this potential for mutation was only observed in a lab and not in “real life.”