Over the span of mere weeks, the world has undergone rapid societal changes. The Coronavirus pandemic has forced people to stay indoors, practice physical distancing, and limit interactions with others outside of their household.
About one in three people on the planet right now are in lockdown, a situation that has never happened in the history of humanity. Physical distancing is a good temporary stopgap for the spread of COVID-19, which is why most countries have adopted locdowns as part of their strategy in combating the virus.
This imposition has brought with it a whole other list of issues; economic activities in most countries have slowed down, and some sectors have completely stopped. Social life has also been changed; people only see their friends through video calls and on social media, as lockdown restrictions prevent gatherings of all sizes.
The healthcare industry, though, is an exception to this; hospitals and healthcare facilities all over the world have been working at all hours to prevent the number of cases from surging beyond capacity. This pandemic has shown that healthcare systems in both developed and developing countries have much to improve on in terms of providing services.
Returning to normal
The global response to coronavirus is hard on many people. Most especially on the doctors and patients battling COVID-19, certainly, but also on those who are outside the hospitals. Human beings do not cope very well with isolation, and being away from others takes a toll on a person’s mental and even physical health. Thus, this setup is unsustainable for a large part of the world.
A gradual re-opening, coupled with close monitoring, is a good medium-term approach for avoiding the next waves of infections. That is, if the efforts in distancing are successful in the first place. The period for restricted movements, if everything goes well, should last 12 to 18 months. Experts warn, though, that reopening too soon can cause surges in the number of new cases.
In that timeframe, the best possible outcome is that science catches up, a vaccine is developed, and it will be ready for rollout just before full public reopening. After the threat of the virus is eliminated, though, healthcare as an industry will not benefit from returning to its old practices.
The impact on the medical profession
The virus has directly impacted the people who are actively working against it. In places with a large number of infections, a greater proportion of healthcare professionals contract COVID-19. This can lead to burnout and stress for the remaining medical staff, who will have to count their colleagues among those that need care and treatment.
Some medical students are even asked to perform regular duties to address the shortage of personnel. Added to the expected demand in the event of future waves of infections, it can prove difficult to convince future generations to pursue a career in medicine.
Rethinking healthcare
Healthcare systems all over the world are experiencing overwhelm, and this points to the need for serious reforms in how medical care is delivered to people. For better healthcare, experts and policymakers should turn to technology and online solutions.
Telemedicine is one example. Since it doesn’t need in-person contact, many practitioners have adopted it as a way for them to keep meeting their patients during the lockdown. With the need for quick and innovative solutions, the world might see a gradual migration to cloud-based and remotely delivered healthcare even after this pandemic.
Conclusion
The pandemic is a serious challenge to humanity and its survival as a species. Combining innovations in science and technology may be a way through this global crisis. For now, however, what most of the world can do is to simply wait.
Keep reading Dose of Healthcare for more health and medical news today. We are the go-to source for insights and updates on issues and developments in the industry!
