The geography of COVID-19: A case study in geoliteracy

The emergence of COVID-19 in 2019 resulted in
the most devastating global public health crisis
for over a century. Compounded by political,
economic and social crises, the pandemic has
taken global analysis away from climate change,
exacerbated existing inequalities and challenged
our fundamental concepts of ‘normal life’.
Notwithstanding the many challenges that the
COVID-19 virus poses for our personal and
professional lives, it offers significant opportunities
for geographical analysis. Indeed geography, a
discipline which spans the intersection of physical
and human processes, together with its strong
interest in patterns across space, is uniquely
placed for helping students understand the
pandemic (Gatrell, 2020; Hazen, 2020).