In wealthy and well-vaccinated countries, year three of the pandemic will be better than year two. But in countries that are poorer, less well vaccinated or both, the deleterious effects of the virus will linger. A disparity of outcomes between rich and poor countries will emerge. Meanwhile, tests and treatments for “long covid” are on the horizon and the mRNA technology used in some covid vaccines could be applied to other diseases. So could there be a “covid dividend”? Host Tom Standage talks to The Economist's Edward Carr, Natasha Loder and Slavea Chankova. For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer. And we would love to hear from you—please take a moment to complete our listener survey at economist.com/worldaheadsurvey.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.