Optimism for a post-pandemic summer this year quickly waned as the Delta variant (and a rocky vaccination rollout) resulted in an increase in reported cases of coronavirus around the world and the introduction of vaccination and mask mandates in many cities and countries. This has stoked fear over another recession, with the U.S. stock market temporarily dropping in July as investors panicked. Although the world is now much better situated to handle the economic strain of a pandemic, the resurgence of COVID-19 cases and slow vaccination rates suggest that the global economy will have to continue to adapt to pandemic conditions to avoid the kind of disruptions that brought commerce to a standstill last year. This case asks students to discuss the projected economic impact of the Delta variant and to explore what lessons learned in 2020 can further enable economic recovery
