As Hertz, JCPenney, Neiman Marcus, and Tuesday Morning head into bankruptcy, ostensibly as a result of COVID-19, an interesting parallel emerges between biology and economics. COVID-19 has laid a swath of devastation as it focused its deadliest effects primarily on individuals who carried a weakened immune system, were older or were seriously ill. While individuals who were strong or young could still contract it, they were in the minority. The same holds true for businesses. While auto rental has suffered, Avis and Enterprise survive. While retail has suffered, Amazon is exploding. These retailers had been on life support for years. COVID-19 was simply the final straw.
Originally posted for the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100.