Unlike other global outbreaks, COVID-19 is spreading at a relatively high speed, and, as a result, overstretching the available healthcare infrastructure. The capacity of the healthcare sector, in the form of healthcare personnel, protective equipment, test kits, and ventilators, cannot meet the demand set by the COVID-19 pandemic (Di Gennaro et al., 2020). In recent months, the United States healthcare sector has been overwhelmed with new Coronavirus cases that have led to the development of the need for superior communication systems, the adoption of emerging technology, and the transfer of technology from other regions of the world. In addition, to contain the spread of the virus, the United States healthcare system ought to conduct research and development of a vaccine.
Point Number 1 –Communication
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the limitation of the current analogue healthcare system (Keesara et al., 2020). Its spread is partly contributed by the digital and technological transformation of the past century. The rapid spread of the outbreak has outpaced the United States health system’s capacity to test, track, and contain individuals with Coronavirus symptoms (Keesara et al., 2020). While other private companies have turned to remote videoconferencing and other digital solutions, the United State’s healthcare system is still managing the pandemic through hospital visits. As the healthcare system prepares to receive more patients with COVID-19 symptoms, there is a need for the transformation of the current health care delivery to incorporate digital technologies. While digital technologies have existed for many years, their use has not been optimized due to heavy regulation and inadequate supportive payment structure. The Congress, with its first emergency Covid-19 authorization, lifted provisions that limited the use of telemedicine in rural areas (Keesara et al., 2020). Resultantly, telemedicine was made available for all beneficiaries of fee-for-service Medicare. To facilitate the use of telemedicine technology, the Office of Civil Rights declared that it would not impose penalties on healthcare providers that use HIPPA-noncompliant private communication technologies.
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The primary healthcare providers are now adopting telehealth tools, such as eConsult, to aid in the identification and treatment of coronavirus symptoms. RubiconMD, an eConsult platform, has seen an increase in the number of primary healthcare practitioners searching for answers about Coronavirus (Buckley, 2020). Rather than visiting medical facilities, the platform provides people with free access to physician consultations. Concert Health, another eConsult platform, links providers of health care with the “remote behavioural health team” to help the primary care provider in dealing with the mental trauma as a result of the outbreak (Buckley, 2020, n.p). Although the current analogue system lacks the capacity to meet the Covid-19 demands, the healthcare sectors have adopted new communication technology, particularly telemedicine and eConsult to help link patients and medical practitioners, and prevent visits to the brick-and-mortar hospitals.
Point Number 2 –Data Analytics and Exchange
Also, due to the short supply of Covid-19 test kits, other clinical data can aid hospital in the prediction of areas where cases are expected to surface, and thus providing more time for planning an appropriate response. The platform by Collective Medical, which avails clinical data from electronic health record (EHR) platform, is currently tracking “respiratory and flu-like” reports, among other symptoms associated with Covid-19 in California (Buckley, 2020, n.p). Collective Medical subsequently convey this information to relevant agencies, which can employ these data to trace the spread of new coronavirus infection.
Health care institutions employ different health record systems. Therefore, as cases of new coronavirus infections increase, there is a need for data sharing. Organizations such as Collective Medical and Verato are helping in the development of new data exchange technology (Buckley, 2020). Collective Medical is particularly helping in the aggregation and transfer of test data to emergency departments in order to aid in the treatment of new cases of COVID-19 with greater precision. Verato, on the other hand, helps the United States’ health system by acting as a source of data collected from “fragmented new care providers”, such as the drive-through testing centres and independent telemedicine platform. The data collected are transferred to EHRs in order to ensure that no data is lost.
Point Number 3 –Emerging Technology
The Coronavirus pandemic has revealed the need for more investment in healthcare, particularly medicine, community health, and disaster management. The outbreak took the United States by surprise and thus leading to the misjudgment of the magnitude of the problem (Vaishya et al., 2020). Resultantly, the U.S healthcare system failed to prepare for the outbreak in time. Therefore, the pandemic has led to an unprecedented demand for resources and thus necessitating the adoption of emerging technology to help combat the spread of the disease. Emerging technologies have become important in multiple applications, including mass screening, contact tracing, and the design of targeted responses, among others (Alwashmi, 2020). Emerging technologies are being adopted to protect primary caregivers through the elimination of physical contact with human beings as well as infected objects.
Artificial intelligence is now being applied in the detection of Covid-19. Persons with fever and other symptoms associated with the virus can now be tested through the incorporation of thermal imaging, artificial intelligence (A.I.), and cloud vision (Vaishya et al., 2020). In addition, the “Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence” (A.I.) is currently provided free access to multiple machine-readable information that incorporates data pertaining to the different mutations of the COVID-19. The database can be employed to increase knowledge on how to timely detect and contain a future outbreak of coronavirus and other epidemics. Blockchain technology has also be adopted in the collection of real-time information about strategic partners as well as traceability during the disease control process (Vaishya et al., 2020; Alwashmi, 2020). Blockchain also contributes to the effective management of the supply chain in the U.S health system.
Furthermore, the newly introduced 5G internet facilitates the transfer of real-time data in different formats, including video formats and audio formats. This information, in turn, facilitate patient data analysis and telemedicine. Digital health technologies have been adopted in the fight against Coronavirus. Online surveillance-mapping tools, such as the “Surveillance and Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System” (SORMAS) and HealthMap, are more effective in the detection of contagious diseases. HealthMap and SORMAS are being employed in the surveillance of COVID-19 (Alwashmi, 2020). Also, the technological advancement in smartphone apps has helped in the process of tracking strategic locations, infected individuals, and in the process of registering data and modelling the disease outcome. Emerging technologies have improved the integration of information and infrastructure, and interdepartmental collaboration, which is essential in managing the disease outbreak.
Point Number 4 –Transfer of Technology
More than one method of diagnosis can be used in testing Covid-19. However, the Nucleic acid test is the most predominant method adopted for screening (Udugama et al., 2020). Although this testing method has existed for many decades and has been used in the test of various diseases, its importance has been magnified following the outbreak of Covid-19. While the nucleic acid testing is an exotic testing method used in testing symptoms of other illnesses, the test has been embraced by the U.S health system as the primary method for testing Covid-19. Other methods, such as syndrome testing and C.T. scans, can also be used in testing for Covid-19. The nucleic acid testing method design relies on the sequence alignment and primer design, and the assay optimization and testing (Udugama et al., 2020). The healthcare system has successfully adopted and designed the test method to be used along with other methods, particularly the C.T. scans, to help reduce congestions, particularly during a period when there is a worldwide shortage of testing equipment.
Point Number 5 –Innovation
The disruptions in the educational and clinical care systems due to Covid-19 necessitates the need for new innovations. Moreover, the pandemic has exposed various weaknesses in the U.S clinical care system, and thus need for additional innovation to solve these problems. Virtual care, in the form of telemedicine, has been a significant innovation during the outbreak period (Woolliscroft, 2020). Despite barriers including issues with payment, licensure, and privacy, the United States has expanded its virtual visits capabilities and transformed in-person clinical visits to virtual visits for arrays of health problems, including chronic disease follow-up and acute care, triaging.
The coronavirus outbreak has also contributed to the development of the “hospital at home” concept. The U.S health system recommends that individuals with Covid-19 symptoms should self-quarantine and treat themselves at home unless the condition escalates (Woolliscroft, 2020). Although the concept has been explored and demonstrated to be equally effective or superior to inpatient hospitalization for various illnesses, it has not been adopted as the primary option. The success of the “hospital at home” concept in the management of Covid-19 can mark the adoption of this option as an alternative to inpatient treatment. However, such adoption can lead to the development of new challenges in the healthcare system, especially with the need for new skills and the adoption of new roles (Woolliscroft, 2020). Furthermore, the primary care providers might be required to develop virtual communication skills as well as the knowledge of remote sensor data.
Point Number 6 –Public Health Education
Public health literacy is essential in the process of fighting Covid-19 as well as the long-term community mobilization, sensitization, and resilience to new outbreaks in the future. For a disease, such as Coronavirus, that is very contagious, there is a need for sensitization of the public about the importance of good public health practices, including hand hygiene, social distancing, and the use of protective masks (Gostin et al., 2020; Adams et al., 2020). However, following the breakdown of the primary communication systems, the U.S health system is embracing digital technology in its public health education programs. Since the education system has also been affected by the pandemic, web-based education, social media, and mainstream media have been vital in the spread of information about Covid-19.
Aside from public health, technology has contributed to the development of virtual clinical learning. America Medical Colleges has developed an open resource repository that promotes information sharing and the dissemination of relevant educational approaches (Woolliscroft, 2020). Simulated patients and other simulation technologies have been incorporated into medical training experiences. Augmented and virtual reality helps in the development of competent professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic. The adoption of the new technology is promising, as simulation can partially replace actual patient encounters in the medical training curriculum.
Point Number 7 –Research and Development
There is no recommended viral treatment for Covid-19. The U.S healthcare sector has also not developed a vaccine for the virus. Therefore, the primary treatment of the disease is symptomatic and oxygen therapy. However, with the expanding literature on this topic, there are hops of finding an effective vaccine as well as the development of best practices for the management and treatment of symptomatic cases (Liu et al., 2020). Studies on antiviral strategies that involve small molecules involved in the virus infection and replication have been conducted to better understand methods that can be used to mitigate the disease. Also, drug-repurposing efforts are being conducted to understand and develop a vaccine for the virus. The process involves focusing on agents known to be effective against other RNA viruses, such as SARS-CoV. Besides, widespread and independent development of vaccines is ongoing in various institutions, with some vaccines having reached the clinical test stage. Therefore, with the progress, there is the hope of a working vaccine in the near future.
The management of the Covid-19 outbreak is, to some extent, dependent on the technological capabilities of the U.S health system. Technology is essential is maintaining a reliable communication channel in this period when human contact is limited. Emerging technology such as telemedicine has been effective in the delivery of clinical services, particularly in the “hospitalization at home” model of treatment. Furthermore, technology is also key in the process of sensitizing the public as well as the research and development process to develop a vaccine.
References
Adams, J. G., & Walls, R. M. (2020). Supporting the health care workforce during the COVID-19 global epidemic. Jama , 323 (15), 1439-1440.
Alwashmi, M. F. (2020). The Use of Digital Health in the Detection and Management of COVID-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 17 (8), 2906.
Buckley, M. (2020). Technology’s Emerging Role in the COVID-19 Response - California Health Care Foundation. Retrieved 1 June 2020, from https://www.chcf.org/blog/technologys-emerging-role-covid-19-response/
Di Gennaro, F., Pizzol, D., Marotta, C., Antunes, M., Racalbuto, V., Veronese, N., & Smith, L. (2020). Coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) current status and future perspectives: A narrative review. International journal of environmental research and public health , 17 (8), 2690.
Gostin, L. O., & Wiley, L. F. (2020). Governmental public health powers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Stay-at-home orders, business closures, and travel restrictions. JAMA .
Keesara, S., Jonas, A., & Schulman, K. (2020). Covid-19 and health care’s digital revolution. New England Journal of Medicine .
Liu, C., Zhou, Q., Li, Y., Garner, L. V., Watkins, S. P., Carter, L. J., ... & Albaiu, D. (2020). Research and development of therapeutic agents and vaccines for COVID-19 and related human coronavirus diseases.
Udugama, B., Kadhiresan, P., Kozlowski, H. N., Malekjahani, A., Osborne, M., Li, V. Y., ... & Chan, W. C. (2020). Diagnosing COVID-19: the disease and tools for detection. ACS Nano , 14 (4), 3822-3835.
Vaishya, R., Haleem, A., Vaish, A., & Javaid, M. (2020). Emerging technologies to combat COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology .
Woolliscroft, J. O. (2020). Innovation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Academic Medicine .
PESTLE Topic Number 4 –Environmental Factors
The measures implemented by governments to contain the spread of COVID-19 are noticeably impacting the environment. These measures include social distancing, lockdowns, closure of educational institutions, different types of businesses, and air and travel bans. Consequently, climate change-related conservation and air quality are experiencing a new normal as the effects of the virus continue. In this section, the impact of COVID-19 on the environment will be discussed using one of the components of PESTLE analysis –environmental factors.
Point Number 1 –Pollution
The COVID-19 crisis has forced many activities to freeze across the world. Governments, the health care industry, and other industries are hastening to take every possible measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 in order to safeguard the health of their citizens against the virus. Some of the precautionary measures that governments have taken COVID-19 include the extensive use of face masks, surgical masks, gloves, and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The health care industry is one user of these masks. Thus, amid the pandemic, the health care industry needs to consider the environmental impact of these masks.
Surgical masks are often made from “polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethene, or polyester” (Mukhopadhyay, 2020, n.p). In other words, these masks are plastic-based, liquid-resistant products and take years to decompose after they are discarded. Thus, when they end up in landfills, rivers, lakes, or oceans, they contribute to environmental pollution. Face masks, surgical masks, and gloves are supposed to be worn for a day or two (Mukhopadhyay, 2020, n.p). Given the high population in the U.S., the amount of trash generated every day is substantial. The adverse effects of such waste on the environment are far-reaching.
According to the health guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), used masks ought to be well discarded or thrown into lidded litter bins. The health care industry sterilize and burn the medical gears used by hospital staff or COVID-19 patients (Mukhopadhyay, 2020). The hospitals burn these wastes in dedicated incinerators. Unfortunately, not all hospitals in the U.S. have the ability to deal with the sudden spike of clinical waste generated by the pandemic. The pandemic has forced the health care industry to step up coronavirus decontamination services.
Topic Number 2 –Improvement of Air Quality
Closure of educational institutions and non-essential businesses are positively impacting the environment. The sudden shutdown of industrial activities has minimized emissions of harmful gases. In turn, this has improved air quality. In addition, curfews, Lockdowns, and travel bans have similarly contributed to the improvement of air quality. With regard to travel bans, the ban has restricted international flights. The cancellation of public gatherings, including public events like conferences, festivals, and concerts, has led to a decline in tourism. Airline ridership has slumped. As such, aviation emissions have dropped significantly. In 2018, the aviation industry contributed to 2.4 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions (“Environmental and Energy Study Institute,” 2019).
Vehicular activities contribute significantly to the emission of harmful gases into the environment. According to the “United States Environmental Protection Agency” (EPA) (n.d), vehicular activity contributes more greenhouse emissions than airlines. However, since the start of the pandemic, fewer people are commuting all over the world. USA Today and VentureBeat have spotlighted the United State’s reduced traffic (Bomey, 2020; Hazan & Fassenot, 2020). As a result, congesting has all but disappeared. The plunge in congestion in the U.S. and all over the world is critical, as idling vehicles emit more greenhouse gasses.
With the decrease in road travel and congestion, air quality has improved. Since the issuance of lockdown rule due to the pandemic, air quality has improved extensively. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellites show the significant improvement of air quality.
Air pollution has a negative impact on human health. It causes several complications, such as restrictions in physical activity, asthma, and respiratory and respiratory diseases (Romley et al., 2010). These complications often lead to hospitalizations, and their economic costs are substantial. The COVID-19 has led to the improvement of air quality. This, in turn, helps reduce the detrimental impacts of air pollution on human health. Due to the positive impacts of COVID-19 on the environment, in 2020, it is expected that financing of pollution-related health care will reduce significantly. Pollution-related healthcare often imposes a lot of burden on employers and insurance agencies (Romley et al., 2010).
Topic Number 3 –Reduced Carbon Emissions and Global Warming
The ongoing pandemic has disrupted energy use across the globe. Carbon emissions have reduced significantly since governments started to issue strict coronavirus measures. This includes lockdowns and travel bans. According to Evans (2020), the COVID-19 pandemic could cut carbon emissions by roughly 5 percent of last year’s global total. Evans (2020) argues that the COVID-19 is so far “trigger[ing] the largest ever annual fall in CO 2 emissions in 2020, more than during any previous economic crisis or period of war” (n.p). The reduced carbon emissions positively impact the environment, as it leads to reduced global warming. While this is great news, experts say that this reduction in carbon emissions and global warming is not adequate for meeting the Paris Agreement. The goal of the Paris Agreement is to substantially reduce the emissions of greenhouses gases in order “To keep global warming from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius” (Denchak, 2018, n.p).
Emissions and climate change have a profound effect on human health. The health care industry contributes significantly to greenhouse emissions. Other industries, such as manufacturing industries, have ceased operation temporarily. This has significantly reduced the emissions from these industries. However, most of the companies or organizations operating in the health care industries are still running, and these companies are continuing to contribute to global emissions of carbon dioxide. This has forced the health care industry to adopt green technologies as part of its environmental sustainability goals.
Topic Number 4 –Climate Change Policy
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to know what is happening to climate change policy. COVID-19 may portend future outbreak of diseases, particularly if the effects of climate change, which is caused by global warming, unleash the various diseases that are trapped in ice. Climate change did not stop as governments across the globe turned its attention to combating COVID-19. Thus, it is important to ensure that global warming does not disrupt our planet’s health. Despite cancellations to large climate change related-summits and meetings and the issuance of strict coronavirus rules, climate activism continues.
Climate advocacy continues in the midst of the current outbreak of this virus. Optimism reframes the economic stimulus packages provided by governments as helpful nudges for climate policy to evolve for the better. These economic stimulus measures provided by governments to boost the economy can be leveraged to provided investment opportunities, both green infrastructure, and clean technologies. The current pandemic has forced employment agencies to let their employees work from home. This has limited commuting and led to broader adoption of innovative technologies, such as videoconferencing, to enforce the new working from home habits, as well as to reduce the need for long-haul business flights (Peters, 2020).
The adoption of new online meetings in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic by different sectors, including the health care sector, raises the prospect of long-term emission reductions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases should these work-from-home habits persist beyond the current global emergency. Climate change activists have introduced several climate change policies as part of their agenda to control climate change. These policies also affect the health care industry, given that they are one of the contributors to greenhouse emissions and climate change. Also, these policies have forced companies operating in the health care industry to adopt innovative and green technologies as part of their corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
Topic Number 5 –Fossil Fuels
Since strict coronavirus lockdowns were issued, the demand for oil was likewise decimated. This is because of the call for lockdowns, travel bans, and curfews paralyzed ground and air travel. An oil price war ensued, which was characterized by drastic shifts in global oil politics. As a result, the fossil fuel sector became destabilized. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fossil fuel sector became worried about what to do with surplus oil—this forced U.S. President Donald Trump to sign a deal with oil producers. From the deal, the producers agreed to Trump’s recommendation and agreed to cut production.
The cut in oil production is significantly impacting the health care industry, particularly those companies that largely depend on fossil fuel. The pandemic has led to reductions in oil prices. This means that the companies are paying less compared to what they used to pay before the pandemic. This has resulted in reductions in costs.
Topic Number 6 –Renewable Energy
The current pandemic is also hitting the renewable energy supply. According to Frangoul (2020), “the renewable energy sector is suffering supply chain cuts” in the midst of the pandemic (n.p). This could slow the global energy transition. The pandemic is negatively affecting investments in clean energy (Frangoul, 2020). This could negatively impact the environment, particularly if oil prices continue to drop. The drop in oil prices due to the destabilization in the fossil fuel sector could make renewable energy lose the market. The lockdown has stopped or delayed renewable energy projects. Many factories have close their business operations as a move to help governments contain and manage the spread of COVID-19. This includes closure of the factories and strengthening sanitary measures within the sites. Undoubtedly, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will affect the growth of renewables. This will, in turn, affect the firms that rely on renewables to run their business operations. This includes companies operating in the health care industry.
Topic Number 7 –Climate Change-Related Conservation
The coronavirus pandemic has heightened the awareness of the conservation of wild and domestic animals. Wildlife trade secured additional notoriety when the “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (CDC) declared that wild and domestic animals could transfer the COVID-19 illness to humans. This elevated concern threatens species that have immune systems that are similar to that of human, such as great apes. According to “Harvard University’s School of Public Health” (2020), future zoonotic disease outbreaks may become the norm if the issue of emissions and climate change is not addressed. Thus, keeping ecosystems healthy is of paramount importance by protecting habitats, and minimizing climate change may help prevent future pandemics.
References
Bomey, N. (2020). Highway traffic is plunging in these U.S. cities amid coronavirus pandemic. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2020/03/13/coronavirus-pandemic-cratering-road-traffic-these-us-cities/5041250002/
Denchak, M. (2018). Paris climate agreement: Everything you need to know. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/paris-climate-agreement-everything-you-need-know#:~:text=The%20deal%20aims%20to%20substantially,the%20increase%20to%201.5%20degrees.
Environmental and Energy Study Institute. (2019). Fact sheet: The growth in greenhouse gas emissions from commercial aviation. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-the-growth-in-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-commercial-aviation
Evans, S. (2020). Analysis: Coronavirus set to cause largest ever annual fall in CO 2 emissions. https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-coronavirus-set-to-cause-largest-ever-annual-fall-in-co2-emissions
Frangoul, A. (2020). The coronavirus is hitting renewable energy supply chains and factories, and could slow the global energy transition. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/06/the-coronavirus-is-hitting-renewable-energy-supply-chains-factories.html
Harvard University’s School of Public Health. (2020). Coronavirus, climate change, and the environment: A conversation on COVID-19 with Dr. Aaron Bernstein, Director of Harvard C-CHANGE. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/subtopics/coronavirus-and-climate-change/
Hazan, B, & Fassenot, B. (2020). The COVID-19 crisis could show us how to cure our congested cities. https://venturebeat.com/2020/03/22/the-covid-19-crisis-could-show-us-how-to-cure-our-congested-cities/
Mukhopadhyay, S. (2020). COVID-19: Unmasking the environmental impact. https://earth.org/covid-19-unmasking-the-environmental-impact/
Romley, J. A., Hackbarth, A., & Goldman, D. P. (2010). The impact of air quality on hospital spending . RAND Corporation.
Szechenyi, N., & Bermudez, J. (2020). Japan’s response to COVID-19: A work in progress. https://www.csis.org/analysis/japans-response-covid-19-work-progress
The United States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d). Greenhouse gas emissions. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions
Comparing How Developed Countries Responded to the COVID-19 Pandemic
With the coronavirus pandemic still ongoing and possible waves of outbreaks in the future, now is no time to start talking about national “winners and losers” (Lipscy, 2020). This is particularly true because of the lack of much information on COVID-19 –such as details about successful “countermeasures” to contain the virus. Some nations have successfully managed to contain the virus and maintained low death tolls. However, there are others that failed to contain and manage the virus. It is important to look at both successful cases and unsuccessful cases to understand what successful and unsuccessful countermeasures actually look like.
Japan
Japan’s exposure to coronavirus has been relatively mild. As of June 2, 2020, Japan has confirmed approximately 16,884 cases and 892 deaths (Worldometer, 2020). Over the past few weeks, the rate of infections in Japan has remained constant. Like many other nations, Japan’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has evolved over time. The country announced its first coronavirus case on January 16, 2020. News about the outbreak of coronavirus in Japan grabbed the headlines in early February when the government quarantined the Diamond Princess cruise ship (Szechenyi & Bermudez, 2020). Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are quarantined for 15 days. The outbreak of the virus in the cruise ship called for more measures to contain the spread of the virus. The government called for school closures and non-essential businesses. The government also instituted travel restrictions from other countries. It also updated its legislation on health pandemics to include the coronavirus pandemic.
Following the increase in the number of cases in April, the government urged its citizens to stay at home on weekends. On April 7, 2020, the government declared a national emergency in different locales, including Tokyo (Szechenyi & Bermudez, 2020). The government urged its citizens to maintain social distancing rules, avoid crowded places, and use masks when in public places. Japan urged the public to ensure proper handwashing, as is it a necessary safety measure. The government also encouraged telework to contain the spread of COVID-19. The government updated its emergency declaration on April 17, 2020, to encourage such measures nationwide (Szechenyi & Bermudez, 2020).
Germany
Compared to many other countries, Germany has managed to contain and manage the spread of coronavirus pretty well. Germany’s success in managing the pandemic can be attributed to its properly funded health system, technological edge, and decisive leadership. Germany is considered among the countries that have successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic. The nation was successful at preventing the overburdening of its health system.
As of June 2, 2020, Germany had 183,775 cases of COVID-19 and 8,618 deaths (Worldometer, 2020). Compared to other countries, the death rate in Germany is considerably lower. Since it recorded its first cases, COVID-19 cases in Germany started to increase steadily. This forced the government to start encouraging its citizens to adopt the strict coronavirus measures outlined by the WHO. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are quarantined for 15 days. Just like Japan, Germany, a powerful drive to encourage its citizens to adopt the measures to contain the virus. These measures include maintaining social-distancing rules, self-isolating at home, and going to the public only for essential reasons (Narlikar, 2020). The government also temporarily banned social gatherings through a nationwide closure of all bars, clubs, cinemas, casinos, playgrounds, and gyms. With the exception of supermarkets and pharmacies, non-essential businesses, such as bars, most stores, and tourism, were shut down (Narlikar, 2020). Restaurants were allowed to operate but under restrictions. Just like Japan, German called for the closure of schools and daycare centres. The government imposed total lockdowns in some of the regions that were seriously affected. However, just like in the U.S., a few citizens continued to gather in parks and city centres to enjoy the warm spring warm. Serious warnings from the government stopped this kind of behaviour. Stiff fines accompanied the warning. The containment measures that the government implemented showed positive results. As a result, the government started to allow small groups of not more than two people. The government has also considered opening some schools and businesses.
France
France recorded its first case of COVID-19 on January 24, 2020. As of June 2, 2020, France had a total of 189,220 cases and 28,833 deaths (Worldometer, 2020). According to Lichfield (2020), COVID-19 was in French much sooner than the government thought. This made the job of containing the spread of the virus much harder. Reports indicate that French citizens are more concerned about how their government is handling the crisis (Lichfield, 2020). In the midst of the pandemic, public support for the French President Emmanuel Macron has slipped. This lack of trust between the French government and its citizens comes at a bad time.
The French responded to the coronavirus, just like many other countries. However, the French government was at least a week too slow in imposing the strict coronavirus rules. More specifically, Macron imposed a lockdown when it was too late (Lichfield, 2020). In addition, the French government has been lamentably sluggish in developing its coronavirus testing kits and responding to shortages of surgical masks and PPEs (Lichfield, 2020). But still, the French government has performed reasonably well when it comes to responding to the coronavirus pandemic. France re-equipped its high-speed trains to facilitate the transfer of coronavirus patients to hospitals.
Since the start of the pandemic, health officials had been urging the public to maintain social distancing and take precautions, such as hand washing, not shaking hands, etc. The government cancelled all events and closed schools, bars, restaurants, theatres, museums, and many other non-essential businesses or activities. In France, employers who cannot work from home are permitted to out of their residences, but they must provide written proof from their employers. However, it is important to note that visits to primary care physicians, shopping, and individual exercises are all permitted. The outings are limited to one person a day alone. However, this restriction does not apply to children; children are allowed to accompany their parents. The government imposed curfews and lockdowns, and police were tasked with reinforcing the lockdown rules, with a fine for breaking the rules. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are quarantined for 15 days (Lichfield, 2020).
Netherlands
The Dutch government has taken many measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The measures taken to contain the spread of the virus are working. The infection rate has slowed significantly in the last few weeks. As of June 2, 2020, the Netherlands recorded a total of 46,647 cases and 5,967 deaths (Worldometer, 2020). Before March, the number of COVID-19 cases in the Netherlands showed a negative trend. The government adopted several approaches to keep COVID-19 under control and ensure the healthcare system is not overburdened. The public complied with the government’s and WHO’s guidelines, and the situation has improved since March (“European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights,” 2020). Over the last few weeks, the figures show a positive trend.
Since it recorded its first cases, the Dutch government has responded to the pandemic by adopting several measured aimed at containing the virus. One of the measures was to expand its testing capacity to ensure many people can be tested in a day (“European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights,” 2020). This measure was combined with in-depth source and contact tracing. This is crucial when it comes to tracking the spread of the virus. Just like many other governments, the Dutch government encouraged its citizens to maintain social distancing, follow hygiene rules, and avoid public gatherings and venues, such as restaurants, bars, and other social gatherings (Government of the Netherland, 2020).
The Dutch government also implemented a lockdown measure. The government also made face masks compulsory on public transport. Schools and some non-essential businesses, such as salons and hairdressers, cinemas, restaurants, and cafes, were closed temporarily. With these measures in place, the Dutch government was able to manage the spread of COVID-19. The government has not started to ease some of these measures, including lockdown rules. The government has also outlined a plan to phase social restrictions if the virus remains under control (Government of the Netherland, 2020). Elementary schools have reopened, but with some restrictions, which include splitting classes to ensure social distancing is maintained.
Russia
While other countries such as the United States and Italy were batting the outbreak of COVID-19, Russia was still reporting low cases of coronavirus. Russia’s response to the coronavirus pandemic was chaotic (The Moscow Times, 2020). This was largely due to mismanagement and a lack of communication. Russia, which has seen a rise in the number of coronavirus cases later than those in other countries, recorded a total of 423,741 cases and 5,037 deaths as of June 2, 2020 (Worldometer, 2020). But Russia started its COVID-19 response relatively early. When the WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, Russia closed 16 out of its 25 borders with China (The Moscow Times, 2020). Despite implementing this measure, Russia continued to record more infections. The virus hid hard a number of cities, including Moscow. As a result, the government announced a citywide lockdown. The lockdown restricted people to their residences unless they were leaving to shop for essentials or seek medical services.
On April 13, 2020, the government introduced travel bans to restrict vehicular activities (The Moscow Times, 2020). Public officials, security guards, judges, lawyers, and journalists were excepted from this law. However, cases continued to rise, and this made the health care sectors to rush to make space for more coronavirus patients. On April 14, 2020, the president of Russia Vladimir Putin admitted that the nation was facing a public health crisis (The Moscow Times, 2020). The government imposed strict lockdown measures. Just like many other nations, the government encouraged the public to maintain the WHO’s guidelines. These guidelines, which include maintaining social distancing, avoiding public events and gatherings, and ensuring proper hygiene, among other measures, were introduced since the nation recorded its first case.
Since these measures were imposed, the nation has managed to contain the virus. As a result, the government has lifted some of Moscow’s coronavirus restrictions (Odynova, 2020). This includes the reopening of food shops and other businesses. Russia is also planning to roll out its first approved drug in the fights against COVID-19. The Russian government has described the drug as “a game changer” (The Moscow Times, 2020).
References
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. (2020). Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak in the E.U.: Fundamental rights implications. https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/netherlands-report-covid-19-april-2020_en.pdf
Government of the Netherlands. (2020). Dutch measures against coronavirus. https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/tackling-new-coronavirus-in-the-netherlands
Lichfield, J. (2020). Coronavirus: France’s ‘strange defeat.’ https://www.politico.eu/article/coronavirus-frances-strange-defeat/
Lipscy, P. (2020). It’s too soon to call coronavirus winners and losers. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/05/12/statistics-pandemic-covid-too-soon-call-coronavirus-winners-losers/
Narlikar, A. (2020). The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Germany’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Odynova, A. (2020). Putin eases Russia’s coronavirus measures as cases keep mounting. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-in-russia-cases-mount-fast-as-vladimir-putin-eases-lockdown-today-2020-05-11/
The Moscow Times. (2020). Coronavirus in Russia: The latest news. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/06/02/coronavirus-in-russia-the-latest-news-june-2-a69117
Worldometer. (2020). Coronavirus cases and deaths. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/japan/
