Low Touch Economy | The Novel Outbreak There’s been a sharp uptick in take-out and food delivery, indoor spaces have emptied, and businesses are reshaping how customers and employees interact. This is the beginning of what many are calling a “low-touch economy”. Driven by safety measures to combat the spread of the virus, businesses around the world, from hotels to restaurants and retailers, have had to restructure under the pandemic or shut down altogether. Our Contributing Editor Laura de Belgique dives into what a low-touch economy will mean for the world.

A year ago, we spoke with Junzi Kitchen about their latest expansion into midtown Manhattan. As the fast-casual Chinese restaurant grew, no one could have guessed that a deadly respiratory virus would bring New York, and most of the world, to a standstill.

“We are just at the beginning, and I think [recovery] will require an unprecedented type of solidarity.” Our final segment with Peter Piot, co-discoverer of Ebola, sheds light on how the pandemic is changing the balance of power at the global level. Our Host James Chau speaks to Professor Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.