Coronavirus COVID-19: Global Pandemic, Rising Cases Worldwide - Essay Sample

Introduction

The coronavirus COVID-19 is a global pandemic and is currently defining a health crisis globally, becoming the most significant challenge that we have faced since World War II. Since the emergence of the virus from Asia, it has continuously spread to all the continents except Antarctica (Husain, 2020). The cases of spread are on the rise in Europe, Africa, and America. Every country is racing to slow the spread of the virus through mass testing and treatment of the patients, carrying out contact tracing, cancellation of public gatherings, and schools as well as limiting travel. The pandemic is moving like a wave and is becoming more than just a health crisis. The epidemic can devastate the social, political, and economic crisis, which will leave some deep scars to countries.

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Dozens of world cities have been deserted with people staying indoors as they are ordered by their governments or by their own choice. Businesses across the world have closed, which is seen from the closure of bars, restaurants, and theaters. People are losing their jobs every day without any knowledge of when there would be a return of normality (Husain, 2020). There is an estimate of about 195 million posts that are projected could be lost. Short term implications of the pandemic are clear with long term impacts being difficult to imagine (Kawanpure et al., 2014) how the epidemic will shape the health and development institutions, priorities, and occupations.

Husain, (2020) explains that after countries lack the proper equipment and testing kits supply as they protect against COVID-19, the nations will have to reexamine the supply chain for the health products as well as the livelihood related products. There will be a surge of nationalism concerning the demand to produce the pharmaceuticals, equipment, and medical supplies. Husain (2020) further illustrates that even the countries that could not develop the material would seek ways to developing them.

After realizing the economic impacts of the pandemic, and it is huge, Kawanpure et al. (2014) state that a much more significant investment will be channeled towards research and prevention of the epidemic. This will see billions of dollars invested in research institutes, vaccines, prevention-both medical and non-medical methods, and therapeutics. Husain (2020) says that this will mean trillion dollars economic losses, loss of lives, and livelihood for millions of poor people. Further, Kawanpure et al. (2014) indicate that every country has discovered its weaknesses concerning the responsiveness to the pandemic. It has reflected on the dependency on the rest of the world in satisfaction and maintenance of the way of living. It has also brought loneliness and isolation in response to the significant global shock.

As Husain (2020) explains, the rich countries have suffered a substantial economic loss. They are using Coronavirus COVID-19 as an excuse for cutting the development assistance in health reframing global health as a national security exercise. Covid-19 could be the new excuse for nationalism, isolation, and imposition of anti-immigration policies as well as institutionalized racism. It is already evident in some parts of the world and Husain, (2020) illustrates that this could increase and become a global plague in health and also the further concentration of power among the elites globally.

With the pandemic, Kawanpure et al. (2014) state that with the epidemic, there will be an end to the North-South paradigm. There will be an erosion of the monopoly in the traditional development sector, which has been there in the past 40 years. Countries like China and Korea that were used to be recipients are now in the forefront of helping the World Health Organization and other countries that are affected by the crisis. There is a distribution of masks from China as a charity to the developing countries, a thing that was only done by the United States and the European governments. Husain (2020) states that the largest hospitals in Europe are calling for donations from the public. There are operations from the Doctors without Borders who have their services across the weak areas of deploying medical camps.

If the crisis is not well managed through coordination, there will be e deep division between the north and south, which will challenge the multilateral system and the global solidarity on a significant scale. It is also valid on the humanitarian actions, as indicated by Kawanpure et al. (2014). The movements are restricted, and there is a suspension of commercial air transport that is risking a severe impact on humanitarian actions such as access by people. If the pandemic starts affecting the global foods functioning in the food markets, Lee et al., (2020) say that it might have more significant impacts that will be acutely felt by the vulnerable. The pandemic is also risking some more indirect effects of conflict dynamics in the environment where the humanitarians operate, having only extremists benefiting.

Just like any pandemics, Kawanpure et al. (2014) illustrate that the health crisis will have a trace on the interactions with the environment and with one another. However, after observing the initial reactions in the first quarter, Lee et al. (2020) say that COVID-19 and the impacts in the economy do not seem to bring a significant change in the management and development of policies in some sectors as the health sector and developmental partnership. They are bringing the developing countries closer to their self-determination in their development track as well as the choice of the most suitable policies and the partners that are accompanying them. This change is evolving and not drastic changes. The countries have discovered their fragility on their dependence on other countries in the satisfaction of the maintenance on the way of living. Kawanpure et al. (2014) explain that these countries have discovered the isolation and loneliness as they attempt to respond to the exogenous shocks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the pandemic, as illustrated by Lunn et al., (2020), also has a potential to the radical change and development for better. It has brought out the interdependence that the world has become in the way the COVID-19 is being traced. There is international cooperation in the spirit of the slogan 'helping you is helping me' and also call for solidarity. There is also an understanding of the common vulnerability across the border with the limited developmental segmentation in a more holistic, coordinated, and comprehensive approach. There is a strategic intervention by the state in addressing the social, health, and food impacts (Lunn et al., 2020). With the current economic contraction, public budgets will have to be more strategic, focused, and more counter-cyclical. There is also a need for COVID-19 stimulus and recovery packages that are needed.

Annotations

Husain, A. (2020). Coronavirus Pandemic: Effects, Prevention, and Management. The Readers Paradise. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=-kPhDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA8&dq=husain+coronavirus+pandemic&ots=B075A4Ftq7&sig=cs4Xah6bCG4tyQfCamyWOUoRkWo

Kawanpure, H., Ugargol, A. R., & Padmanabha, B. V. (2014). A study to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding swine flu. Int J Health Sci Res, 4(8), 6-11. http://www.ijhsr.org/IJHSR_Vol.4_Issue.8_Aug2014/2.pdf

Lee, S. A., Jobe, M. C., & Mathis, A. A. (2020). Mental health characteristics associated with dysfunctional coronavirus anxiety. Psychological Medicine, 1-5. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/mental-health-characteristics-associated-with-dysfunctional-coronavirus-anxiety/FFD3CA27D3669494A91F78DC68CCE2FA

Lunn, P. D., Belton, C. A., Lavin, C., McGowan, F. P., Timmons, S., & Robertson, D. A. (2020). Using Behavioral Science to help fight the Coronavirus. Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, 3(1). http://www.journal-bpa.org/index.php/jbpa/article/view/147