Question

2. Discuss the current Coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis in the US from three different perspectives outlined in the Global Health text: social determinants of health, infectious diseases, and complex emergencies. You should have a minimum of three paragraphs (at least one paragraph addressing each perspective).

Answer 1

INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. COVID-19 is now a pandemic affecting many countries globally mainly in U.S.

IMPACT ON SOCIAL DETERMINANTS

The social determinants of health (SDOH) are social and economic conditions that are categorized into five key determinants.Health and health care, social and community context, neighborhood and built environment, education, and economic stability.

Health and health care include access to health care, access to primary care, health insurance coverage, and health literacy. Low health literacy can cause patients difficulty with navigating the complex healthcare system and understanding medical advice or prescriptions. Individuals without health insurance are less likely to utilize or even have access to primary care, which makes detecting and managing chronic conditions, such as CVD, asthma, diabetes, and cancer, difficult. Social and community context are the circumstances a person lives, learns, and works in. This domain of SDOH includes community involvement and discrimination. Lower mortality rates are associated with social and community support and cohesion. Neighborhood and built environment include housing, neighborhood, transportation, access to healthy foods, air quality, water quality, and access to green space. Air pollution has been shown to be associated with incident asthma. The CDC has confirmed that individuals with asthma are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Safety plays a major role in health. People are more likely to walk or run outside if they feel safe in their neighborhood. Without the worry about crime and danger, safe neighborhoods also allow people to maintain good mental health. Immune function is influenced by psychological stress. Algren et al. state that individuals living in deprived neighborhoods were observed to have more stress when compared to those living in non-deprived neighborhoods. Stressors of those living in deprived neighborhoods include, “overcrowding, high crime rates, perceived danger, poor transportation, poor housing, disrepair, limited services, poor infrastructure, and a lack of social support”. Education includes high school graduation, enrollment in higher education, and language and literacy. The higher one's level of education, the higher his or her life expectancy is. It is important to disclose information regarding health in a patient-specific manner, taking into account the patient's education level. Economic stability includes employment, poverty, food security, and housing stability. The American Medical Association (AMA) states that as the poverty level increases, the percentage of adults who are 25 years and older with an activity-limiting chronic disease increases. Unemployment impacts an individual's health in many ways, as it has associations with depression, domestic violence, substance abuse, and physical illness.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.

Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing hospital treatment. Around 1 out of every 5 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart and lung problems, diabetes, or cancer, are at higher risk of developing serious illness. However, anyone can catch COVID-19 and become seriously ill. People of all ages who experience fever and/or cough associated withdifficulty breathing/shortness of breath, chest pain/pressure, or loss of speech or movement should seek medical attention immediately. If possible, it is recommended to call the health care provider or facility first, so the patient can be directed to the right clinic.

COMPLEX EMERGENCIES

The President Donald Trump announced Covid 19 a national state of emergency.

He called on all US states to set up emergency operation centers and said the government was accelerating testing, amid criticism about the lack of sufficient test kits nationwide. (AFP) ANB ANB.