The Role of Public Health in Facing COVID-19
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Installment V
The Role of Public Health in Facing COVID-19
Conclusion and Recommendations
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the significance of robust public health systems. The role of public health in the fight against the COVID-19 crisis has been vital in curbing its spread. Public health provisions to prevent the accelerated spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus should continue with emphasis on screening, testing, contact tracing, social distancing, containment, and hygiene practices (Vardoulakis et al., 2020). These multiple measures and their timing have proven effective in the management of COVID-19. The enforcement of drastic public health measures in China, including social distancing, widespread testing, community containment, the lockdown of the most affected areas, utilization of face masks in public settings, and rigorous case tracing using artificial intelligence was vital in reducing the infection rate (Schuchat, 2020). The implementation of early travel bans and restrictions in countries such as Australia proved effective in containing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In the U.S., mandated wearing of face masks has effectively reduced the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Public health agencies and authorities such as WHO and CDC agree that the acceleration phase of the COVID -19 pandemic is complex and multi-dimensional. It requires a multifaceted and robust adaptation from the public health response teams. Within a three-week period between late February and early March, the U.S. rate of infection surged to more than 1,000-fold (Rivera et al., 2020). The delayed introduction of multiple community mitigation interventions to reduce the virus’s further spread, as evidenced by high infection rates across the U.S. The identification and recognition of factors associated with the accelerated spread of COVID-19 will be crucial information for future public health decisions, policies, and regulations in the United States of America.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately ravaged the community destabilizing public health systems. The role of public health personnel has not been adequately highlighted in the mitigation of the SARS-CoV-19 virus. Healthcare workers, including medical personnel, paramedics, community health workers, and first responders, have played a significant role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Ballard et al. (2020) recommend the institution of adequate safety measures to protect healthcare workers as they attend to COVID-19 patients. This can be ensured by providing protective gear such as personal protection equipment (PPEs) and the provision of socio-psychological support to reduce mental disorders as a result of stress and anxiety.
Public health safety directly relies on the preventive, mitigation, and containment measures taken to prevent the amplification of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ballard et al. (2020) recommend four vital stages that may be implemented to alleviate the effects of COVID-19 on public health. First, public health agencies and authorities should develop preventative healthcare policies and regulations based on epidemiological findings and medical recommendations. Public healthcare systems should be robust and resilient to handle the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. The protection of healthcare workers ensures that they are adequately prepared to handle COVID-19 related cases. The third step is to interrupt the virus by utilizing artificial intelligence to predict and forecast the infection rates (Agrebi & Larbi, 2020). Artificial intelligence is a tech-smart solution that could be utilized in a public health emergency such as the COVID-19 crisis to determine the most vulnerable among the entire population. This will help public health authorities adequately prepare for the resurgence of infection rates. The final step is to shield the most vulnerable from the SARS-CoV-2 virus and socioeconomic shocks.
The prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic requires active coordination between the various public health elements such as the public (communities), public healthcare workers, public health agencies, and authorities. The integration of community-based efforts into the public healthcare system subject to infrastructure and resources is essential in developing robust public healthcare systems. The alignment of plans and protocols by the U.S. Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other regional authorities also determine the trajectory of COVID-19. Strategic investment in public healthcare at all levels is a prerequisite in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder to the American people of the vitality of having robust and effective public healthcare systems that can provide essential services and protect us from emerging pandemic threats. Public health’s role directly depends on healthcare delivery systems, which require reinforcements to prevent the loss of lives during infections.
References
Agrebi, S., & Larbi, A. (2020). undefined. Artificial Intelligence in Precision Health, 415-438. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-817133-2.00018-5
Ballard, M., Bancroft, E., Nesbit, J., Johnson, A., Holeman, I., Foth, J., Rogers, D., Yang, J., Nardella, J., Olsen, H., Raghavan, M., Panjabi, R., Alban, R., Malaba, S., Christiansen, M., Rapp, S., Schechter, J., Aylward, P., Rogers, A., … Palazuelos, D. (2020). Prioritizing the role of community health workers in the COVID-19 response. BMJ Global Health, 5(6), e002550. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002550
Rivera, R., Rosenbaum, J. E., & Quispe, W. (2020). Excess mortality in the United States during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.04.20090324
Schuchat, A. (2020). Public health response to the initiation and spread of pandemic COVID-19 in the United States, February 24–April 21, 2020. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(18), 551-556. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6918e2
Vardoulakis, S., Sheel, M., Lal, A., & Gray, D. (2020). COVID‐19 environmental transmission and preventive public health measures. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 44(5), 333-335. https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13033