Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing catastrophe that has disrupted the global economy, worsened existing social tensions and inequalities, and caused over millions of deaths globally. From the start of the pandemic in March 2020, media attention and political response to the crisis have focused largely on its most dramatic and disruptive short-term aspects. However, comparatively less attention has been paid to the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the largest mass-disabling events of the modern era, and the long-term implications of this.