Covid itself may soon fade from the memories of Western nations. But the increasing political and economic dislocation caused by the response to it could present a huge global challenge for years to come.

The pandemic has reordered the world and expanded the once-diminished gap between developing and developed countries. Unless the Western world wakes up, and helps out the developing world with vaccines and treatments, we may be facing a situation in which millions, or even billions, of people will feel compelled either to embrace Chinese authoritarianism or to migrate.

The pandemic is shaping a world in which half of the world’s population, standing on the wrong side of the vaccination and treatment divide, may be unable to change its circumstances. The West and China will continue coveting developing countries’ raw materials. But they may no longer see them as potential neighbours and necessary partners in building a better world.