Covid-19 is not the first disease outbreak to disrupt supply chains. The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), measles, swine flu, Ebola, and avian flu all resulted in trade interruptions. But none of these epidemics disrupted global trade and domestic supply chains like Covid-19.
The devastating effects of Covid-19 have included disruptions in labour supply, increased debt burden, job losses, business collapse, loss of livelihoods and deaths of over five million people around the world.