Why big nations were brought low by the pandemic

INDIA is now the epicentre of the global coronavirus pandemic. It ranks just behind the US and Brazil in confirmed cases and is growing faster than either. The total rose 20% in just the last week, despite the fact that India is testing less than most of its peers.

It’s looking increasingly likely that India will wind up being the country with the most cases in the world. This is not just a function of its large population; China has over one billion people. It reflects the fact that big, diverse nations are at a disadvantage against pandemics.