The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Health Crisis Managed or a Panic Response with Disastrous Future Consequences?

Abstract

In one year the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread rapidly across the globe affecting all societies and most age groups. It has taken not only a toll of human lives (approaching 220 million people infected with 4, 4.5 million reported deaths at time of writing), but has also decimated every economy, as countries struggle to control infection rates from airborne infection and personal contact, by introducing draconian lockdown and social distancing measures. The consequence of this has been to bring great suffering, well beyond the medical effect of the disease. A parallel pandemic has resulted in a deluge of information emanating from both scientific as well as international news media including social media platforms. Fact and fiction, reality and perception, lies and truth, have become entangled; the only realistic solution, both medically as well as politically, is concerted global vaccination to reduce further infection and introduce universal immunity. With several vaccines recently approved and being administered to general populations, a solution seems to be charted. Yet public controversy rages due to widespread apprehension regarding necessity, immediate risks and long-term safety of what is perceived as a ‘fast-tracked’ medication. While some concerns may be justified, much is also due to misconception and misunderstanding. This review highlights some of the issues concerning the handling of the COVID-19 crisis by governments worldwide, the medical and scientific communities and both the international and social media and how this may have laid the foundations for a far greater medical, social and economic burden in the coming years. We present comparative data to challenge the current conceptions of this disease in the more general context of human health, to provide a perspective that seems to have been lost in the general panic. Our aim is to re-align thinking about more rational approaches to the handling a disease which is unlikely to disappear from our spectrum of afflictions even after the magnifying glass has been removed from it.

Exploring Patterns in Online Discussions into the Lingering Impact of COVID-19, Two Years On

“…Concerns about the potential long-term effects of the pandemic on future generations were also prominent which align with published ndings from other studies [5]. Users' posts also demonstrated a consistent pattern in raising concerns about development and well-being of children.…”

“…COVID-19 strained an already burdened healthcare system, endangered immunocompromised individuals, and led to delayed treatment of other health concerns, with potential consequences for future fatalities [5]. Beyond the virus's immediate direct health consequences such as infections and death, COVID-19 resulted in indirect detrimental effects globally, including the psychological repercussions of future pandemic and the need to adapt to a pandemic-affected lifestyle [6].…”

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: What we know, what we can do to improve them and what we could learn from other well-known viruses

“…The results of these trials strongly suggest a more cautious use of the terms vaccination and immunization. These two words are often used interchangeably in non-specialist settings, including in international news media and on social media platforms, but this practice is inappropriate and likely to generate considerable confusion and misunderstandings by not only the general population, but also among non-health personnel who have the task of making decisions on public health [105] . Vaccination may not lead to the effective immunization of individuals receiving this procedure.…”

Key Lessons from COVID-19: A Narrative Review Describing Qatar’s Multifactorial Approach in Executing a Vaccination Campaign

“…Efforts to mitigate spread have included physical distancing, quarantine measures, and stay-at-home orders. Although these efforts had varied success, they were also associated with detrimental effects on economic, social, and mental well-being [ 3 , 4 ]. The implementation of widespread vaccination programs was required to curtail the pandemic, with various countries enacting vaccination and with varying success.…”