In today’s information age, hyperbole has become common. Yet very little can be said to exaggerate the

unprecedented spread and effect of the COVID-19 virus around the world. Nearly every part of the world has

been affected and every activity has been disrupted as countries scramble to tackle our biggest common

threat in a century. Economic projections for the next 18 months are grim as economies shut down in the wake

of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments around the world have responded to the crisis with unprecedented

economic force, tearing up the rulebook of standard policymaking to prevent a complete economic

catastrophe. Even with these aggressive policy steps, the economic prognosis is dire: the COVID-19 crisis will

tip the global economy into a recession.