The pandemic is not only making people sick. As it ravages the global economy, a study in the United States reveals a worrying trend - as many as 40 million people in 17 million households risk eviction by the end of the year due to the inability to pay rent.

Yet, interviews with dozens of landlords across the country returned comments like "no difference", "pleasantly surprised" and "seems like normal". That view is reinforced by the corporate earnings reports of housing providers and a weekly survey of big landlords by the National Multifamily Housing Council, which for several months has shown little difference from rent collections a year ago.