The challenge of Covid-19

The challenge of Covid-19

The challenge of Covid-19 is increasingly becoming a threat to the lives of people from different parts of the world. Recently, the World Health Organization declared the disease as a pandemic. The definition as a pandemic has caused people to be worried across the globe; thus, bulk shopping of essentials and sanitizers has been seen in different stores across the globe to allow the quarantine periods to be more favorable for the people. The disease is still in the beginning stages as scientists across the world work tirelessly to develop a cure and possibly a vaccine. Even so, in the process of working towards a cure, major changes and information of similar viruses have been used to guide people on prevention. One of the safety measures is the constant public screening. Different nations have developed different forms of public screening with nations such as South Korea opting for the drive-through screening procedures to minimize contact and possible transfer. I believe that the process in which the disease is transferred from one person to the other justifies public screening; however, the public screening can cause a challenge of stigma for other existing conditions; even so, it is essential in having a better surveillance system.

The public screening is a good prevention technique employed by the various nations since the virus can be transferred through contact. The spread of the diseases has been highlighted as contact and through surfaces. As a result, early detection and quarantine are critical for the prevention of spreading. As an author with the Washington post explains about China, “it has begun a bold mass experiment in using data to regulate citizens’ lives — by requiring them to use the software on their smartphones that dictates whether they should be quarantined or allowed into subways, malls and other public spaces” (Mazour et al., 2020). The software provided by the government, together with the public screening ensures that contact between the infected and non-infected population, is prevented. Similarly, public screening is critical at this point in dealing with the crisis as it can allow the incidence of the entire family being infected to be lowered notably. I believe public screening is an essential tool in handling the crisis as it lowers the possibility of spreading among families and public members, thus containing the virus.

However, the processes of public screening can be used to collect data about the citizens, thus used out to map the common patterns of the people. The patient information being collected recently vary from information about the family, traveling routines, and personal data. The data, when kept, can offer a predictable pattern about a person, which in the hands of the wrong people can be misused. As to an expert at the trust organization, “Countries need strong data protection laws and independent authorities who can ensure that data are not kept indefinitely or used for political purposes, and few Asian countries have such checks and balances” (Chandran, 2020). The data collected in these public processes can be detrimental to the safety and privacy of the citizens. As the author continues to explain, the data in different nations have allowed the authorities to track the uber records of people, thus understanding the damage that might have been caused and, in other cases, encouraged quarantine (Chandran, 2020). In the current period, the data collected is important. However, the data collected should not be permanently stored by the authorities, thus preventing the chances of the data affecting the privacy of the citizens. Similarly, the data should only be used for health crisis management rather than for political gains in the future.

Similarly, the collection of health data can pose the challenge of stigma on existing conditions such as HIV and cancer. Different conditions can regularly affect the citizens in flu-like symptoms from time to time. Therefore, the public screening on the data will require the collection of information about preexisting conditions. As Chandran (2020) continues to explain, “The real risk, in situations like this, is that institutions will develop large surveillance mechanisms that they repurpose for more political or commercial mean.” In that, the data collected by the governments can be used for a variety of reasons. The health officials and volunteers in the communities are likely to come in contact with the information that could lead to the stigma on the people suffering from other conditions. The concept of immunity is helpful in preventing the contraction of the disease will also be used in some communities to express people as having bad immunity and sickly, which can cause psychological issues on the affected people. Different data collected in this period can expose the private lives of people in terms of current health issues they face. As a result, the data collected should be managed professionally and destroyed when the crisis passes to prevent the members of the society from being viewed and treated in a certain manner.

The crisis is a justification for expanding surveillance in China, Russia, and the US as a means of limiting the spread. Surveillance is likely to expand to various parts of the world based on the positive impact in the countries in which it is in progress. As the reporter of Politico highlights, “The chamber will take up an energy bill next week, leaving just one week before the recess to consider the surveillance law and the coronavirus package” (Caygle & Everett, 2020). The United States is in the process of temporary expansion of the surveillance systems to ensure more data is captured in the society about the ailment, thus increasing chances of correction. In China and South Korea, where surveillance and restrictions have been used extensively in January and February is seems to offer positive results as the rate of the infected people is reported to have reduced notably. In the same way, the collection of data about the citizens through extensive surveillance systems will be deployed in other countries for the purpose of lowering the contraction rate. Other nations will follow the system as a means to protect the people. Even so, the opposition is likely to arise in the western nations requiring the government to put proper checks and balances in place.

The Covid-19 crisis in modern society is a threat to all despite the borderlines; hence all countries should play their part to protect against the spread through public screening and quarantining of the affected. Even so, it should not be at the expense of the privacy of the people. The countries across the planet are expected to continue collecting health information as it seems to work in several nations in Asia. As a result, different leaders will be implementing the same in their nations to protect the people. Coronavirus has led to a crisis in which the leaderships and health officials are still trying to find the best solutions. However, in the meantime, it is essential to increase measures that limit the rise of the cases by the spread in the communities. The reduction of infections will be achieved by quarantining and limiting contact; thus, the leadership units are trying to find the best approaches. Nonetheless, the personal contribution and prevention are also effective in preventing the spread of the virus.