ABSTRACT South Asia, a poor, densely-populated region with weak public health infrastructure, appears highly vulnerable to COVID-19. But cases and fatalities have so far remained relatively low in the region. The low case-load is unlikely related to climate, malaria exposure or tuberculosis vaccination, as has been suggested. Insufficient testing in South Asian countries has probably disguised the true extent of the outbreak. Younger demographics might also explain the region's low fatality rate. Although the health impact of coronavirus has not been as devastating as some feared, the social, economic and political consequences are already severe. The pandemic is exposing and exacerbating some of the region's major weaknesses, including poverty, gender inequality, persecution of minorities, authoritarian governance, and geopolitical competition. In that sense, coronavirus is both a “mirror”, which reflects South Asia's problems, and a “catalyst”, which intensifies them.

中文翻译：

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南亚的 COVID-19：镜子和催化剂

摘要南亚是一个贫穷、人口稠密、公共卫生基础设施薄弱的地区，似乎很容易受到 COVID-19 的影响。但迄今为止，该地区的病例和死亡人数仍然相对较低。如前所述，低病例数不太可能与气候、疟疾暴露或结核病疫苗接种有关。南亚国家的检测不足可能掩盖了疫情的真实程度。年轻的人口统计数据也可能解释了该地区的低死亡率。尽管冠状病毒对健康的影响并不像一些人担心的那样具有破坏性，但其社会、经济和政治后果已经很严重。这场大流行病暴露并加剧了该地区的一些主要弱点，包括贫困、性别不平等、对少数群体的迫害、专制治理、和地缘政治竞争。从这个意义上说，冠状病毒既是反映南亚问题的“镜子”，又是加剧这些问题的“催化剂”。