COVID-19 Pandemic: The daunting challenges of assuring sustainable benefits from weathering the storm
The ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ is a 21st Century eerily ‘Ravaging-Devastating Storm’! More daunting is ‘Weathering the Storm’ [1] and ‘Challenges’ of ‘Coronavirus Issues’ [2] and ‘Intervention Issues’ [3,4] were recently presented!! The ‘Pandemic’ is a ‘Global Crisis’ with plausible ‘Gains’-‘Lessons’ for our ‘Common Good’!!! The ‘Benefits’: ‘Positives’ to be sustained/ ‘Negatives’ to be ‘Addressed Systematically-Systemically’. This ‘Communication’ explores possible ‘Sustainable Benefits’ of ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ and the ‘Daunting Challenges’ of assuring they are not evanescent.
Sustainable Benefits Issues: These are some ‘Perceived Pandemic Benefits’ and which, if sustained, could contribute to a more ‘Peaceful and Better World’ with ‘Sustainable Development’ denominated in the ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’.
1. Climate Change: The ‘Global Shutdown-Lockdown’ has affected ‘Industrial Productions’, ‘Air Travel Shutdowns’, ‘Greatly Reduced Vehicular Movements’ with the resultant massively reduced ‘Climate Offending Emissions’! The World is unusually experiencing much ‘Cleaner Air’ with implications: Environment, ‘Green Economy’ and ‘Holistic Health’!!
2. Inadequate Global Emergency Preparedness Exposed: In spite of previous ‘Epidemic-Pandemic Experience’ [5,6] , the World demonstrated ‘No Lessons Learnt’ dovetailing into ‘Missed Opportunities’ but this is ‘Programmatically Beneficial’ as we appropriately have the ‘Right Assessment’ in the ‘Triple-A Process’ (Assessment-Analysis-Action) towards ‘Future Epidemics-Pandemics’! No more ‘Off Guard’!!
3. ‘Government-Governance Dyad’/ ‘Mixed Bag’: Several Governments demonstrated lack of ‘Ability and Capacity’ with the ‘Pandemic’ re: ‘Governance Deliverables’ to the ‘Citizenry’ in grappling with the ‘Country Epidemic Curves’ as they were mostly behind the ‘Peak’ and, therefore, largely ‘Reactive’ rather than ‘Proactive’ given previous ‘Pandemics Experience’! On the other hand, several Governments had the courage to dispose ‘Mitigation Measures’ which, though seemingly draconian and unimaginable, are the more effective against the ‘Pandemic’!! This disposition should be re-enacted for future ‘Demanding Situations’. The commendable ‘Strict Compliance’ by the Citizens needs rekindling as desired in the future.
4. Repurposing Production Lines and Services: Several ‘Repurposing Interventions’ are on-going in various ‘Spheres of Country Economies’ geared towards meeting the ‘Health Services Delivery Challenges’. This is a ‘Serendipitous Audit Opportunity’ to have a ‘Comprehensive Overview and Service Prioritization’ in the ‘Economies’!
5. Government Palliative Interventions; Bail-Out Packages and Economic Stimulus Packages: This amplifies the Principles of ‘Solidarity’ and ‘Subsidiarity’ for the ‘Common Good’. The ‘Less Privileged Groups’ and ‘Weaker Corporate Entities’ in the Economy are offered ‘Support/ Life Lines’ to stay afloat in the ‘Challenging Distorted Economy’; ‘Loans-Rental-Repayments-Moratorium’! This is addressing ‘Inequalities’ and a plus towards ‘Sustainable Development’: ‘None is Left Behind’ and ‘Everyone is Counted’; ‘Inclusiveness and Population Diversity’!!
6. Information Disregard: There are ‘Reports and Records’ of ‘Books’, ‘Journal Publications’ which possibly ‘Foretold’ the ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ with ‘Accurate Speculations-Predictions’ re: ‘Coronavirus’, ‘Time’, ‘Place’ and ‘Devastating Pandemic’! The ‘Lesson for the Future?’: Consider such ‘Available Information’ as ‘Resource and Tool’; ‘Information is Power’! To be forewarned is to be forearmed!!
7. Country Epidemic Curves and Peaks and Predictions/ ‘Country Strategic Stockpiling’: Several ‘Scientific Mathematical Projection Models’ and ‘Disease Predictions’ made it possible for Nations to be ahead of the ‘Pandemic’ and mount ‘Proactive Interventions’ with ‘Country Strategic Stockpiles’ re: needed ‘Critical Care Essentials’ but this was missed; A ‘Lesson for the Future’!
8. Leadership-Readership Dyad/ ‘Readers as Leaders’: There were several ‘Information Resources’ available on the ‘Pandemic’ for ‘Reading-compliant Leaders’; World ‘Leaders’ must be ‘Readers’ heading into the future!
9. Biomedical Journals and Information Access: Several ‘Subscription Access Journals’ dispose ‘Free Editorial Manuscript Handling and Processing’ to encourage ‘Article Submissions’ on ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ by ‘Authors’ to swell the ‘Appropriate Information Pool’. Several such Journals allowed ‘Open Access Policy’ to encourage and enlarge the ‘Pandemic Readership’ in these trying times; Sustainable?
10. Tele-Medicine and Tele-Health: With the Lockdown-Shutdown and Stay at Home/ Shelter-in-Place, several persons are taking advantage of ‘Tele-Medicine and Tele-Health’ but ‘Doctor-Patient Interaction’ definitely has its superiority in normal times!
11. Vaccines and Drugs Production/ Trials: Lessons from the past should be ‘Assets’ to guard against ‘Vaccines Production Abandonment’ as we ‘Weather the Storm’ [6]! Appropriate ‘Science-Technology-Innovation’ is it!
12. Health Systems Resuscitation/ Health Systems Financing: ‘Infused Funds’ rejuvenated ‘Fragile Health Systems’ but this ‘Health Systems Financing’ must ‘Routinely’ be within the ‘Arrowhead’ of ‘Country Budgets’!
13. Universal Health Coverage (UHC): There is an attempt to discharge the ‘Undergirding UHC Principles’: Available and Affordable Quality Healthcare to all without ‘Financial Strain’ and ‘No Discrimination’; Sustainable?
14. Health Insurance for Healthcare Staff: Emergency ‘Health Insurance Coverage’ were disposed for ‘Frontline Healthcare Staff’! Can this be sustained to assure continued commitment to service?
15. Medical Tourism: With ‘Country Shutdowns-Lockdowns’, several ‘Privileged Personalities’ could not enjoy their ‘Usual Medical Tourism’! A ‘Clarion Call’ now to rectify ‘Fragile Health Systems’!!
16. ‘Stay at Home’-‘Shelter-in-Place’-‘Shutdown-Lockdown’/ ‘Emerging Difficulties’: There have been ‘Weight Gain Issues’, ‘Family Disharmony’, ‘Drug Abuse-Alcoholism’, ‘Teenage Pregnancies’, ‘No Exercises/ DVT’, etc! Equally, there have been ‘Derived Benefits’: Family Harmony and Cohesion as ‘First Society Socializing Unit’, Improved ‘Social Connectedness‘ with ICT-compliant Communication, Avoiding ‘COVID-19 Infodemic’; We can optimize and sustain these ‘Benefits’ [7,8]!!
17. Charitable Gestures/ Relief Efforts: Solidarity and Subsidiarity at their best! Humanity manifested ‘Human Kindness’ for the ‘Love and Care of Neighbours’; Sustainable?
18. Humanity as ‘One World’; All are ‘Human Beings’ and what ‘Affects One Affects All’: This was ably amplified by National and International Dispositions and need to be sustained for ‘Sustainable Development’!
19. Spirituality and Divinity: ‘Faith’ and ‘Science/ Reason’ are not ‘Mutually Exclusive’! Humanity acknowledged ‘Divinity’ and ‘Spirituality’ with the ‘Ravaging and Devastating Pandemic’; This needs to be sustained for ‘Holistic Health’ [9]!! The WHO Definitions for ‘Health’ (1948, 1984), and indeed ‘Holistic Health’, are instructive!!!
20. WHO, CDC and ‘Interventional Capacity/ Disposition’: The ‘Situational Realities’ with the performance of these ‘Authoritative Bodies’ require ‘Revised-Reviewed Strategies’ for better disposition with future ‘Epidemics-Pandemics’!
21. COVID-19 Pandemic and Sustainable Development/ SDGs: Towards 2030, the World is expected to assure Peace and Prosperity for all People and the Planet through Partnerships (Governments-Private-NGOs-CSOs-Individuals) in the Social, Economic and Environmental Spheres. These ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Benefits’ should be optimized for ‘Sustainable Development’ by the nexus with the SDGs [10,11]!
This ‘Communicative-Conversation’ upholds the reality that in a ‘Crisis-Storm’, there will be some ‘Gains-Benefits’! The ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ may, indeed, be a ‘Blessing in Disguise’ for Humanity!!
Professor Charles Osayande Eregie,
MBBS, FWACP, FMCPaed, FRCPCH (UK), Cert. ORT (Oxford), MSc (Religious Education),
Professor of Child Health and Neonatology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.
UNICEF-Trained BFHI Master Trainer,
ICDC-Trained in Code Implementation,
*Technical Expert/ Consultant on the FMOH-UNICEF-NAFDAC Code Implementation Project in Nigeria,
*No Competing Interests.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
08 April 2020
CHARLES OSAYANDE EREGIE
MEDICAL DOCTOR
Professor of Child Health and Neonatology, University of Benin and Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Also, UNICEF-Trained BFHI Master Trainer and ICDC-Trained in Code Implementaion. Also a Technical Expert/ Consultant on FMOH-UNICEF-NAFDAC Project on Code Implementation in Nigeria
Institute of Child Health, College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Rapid Response:
COVID-19 Pandemic: The daunting challenges of assuring sustainable benefits from weathering the storm
The ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ is a 21st Century eerily ‘Ravaging-Devastating Storm’! More daunting is ‘Weathering the Storm’ [1] and ‘Challenges’ of ‘Coronavirus Issues’ [2] and ‘Intervention Issues’ [3,4] were recently presented!! The ‘Pandemic’ is a ‘Global Crisis’ with plausible ‘Gains’-‘Lessons’ for our ‘Common Good’!!! The ‘Benefits’: ‘Positives’ to be sustained/ ‘Negatives’ to be ‘Addressed Systematically-Systemically’. This ‘Communication’ explores possible ‘Sustainable Benefits’ of ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ and the ‘Daunting Challenges’ of assuring they are not evanescent.
Sustainable Benefits Issues: These are some ‘Perceived Pandemic Benefits’ and which, if sustained, could contribute to a more ‘Peaceful and Better World’ with ‘Sustainable Development’ denominated in the ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’.
1. Climate Change: The ‘Global Shutdown-Lockdown’ has affected ‘Industrial Productions’, ‘Air Travel Shutdowns’, ‘Greatly Reduced Vehicular Movements’ with the resultant massively reduced ‘Climate Offending Emissions’! The World is unusually experiencing much ‘Cleaner Air’ with implications: Environment, ‘Green Economy’ and ‘Holistic Health’!!
2. Inadequate Global Emergency Preparedness Exposed: In spite of previous ‘Epidemic-Pandemic Experience’ [5,6] , the World demonstrated ‘No Lessons Learnt’ dovetailing into ‘Missed Opportunities’ but this is ‘Programmatically Beneficial’ as we appropriately have the ‘Right Assessment’ in the ‘Triple-A Process’ (Assessment-Analysis-Action) towards ‘Future Epidemics-Pandemics’! No more ‘Off Guard’!!
3. ‘Government-Governance Dyad’/ ‘Mixed Bag’: Several Governments demonstrated lack of ‘Ability and Capacity’ with the ‘Pandemic’ re: ‘Governance Deliverables’ to the ‘Citizenry’ in grappling with the ‘Country Epidemic Curves’ as they were mostly behind the ‘Peak’ and, therefore, largely ‘Reactive’ rather than ‘Proactive’ given previous ‘Pandemics Experience’! On the other hand, several Governments had the courage to dispose ‘Mitigation Measures’ which, though seemingly draconian and unimaginable, are the more effective against the ‘Pandemic’!! This disposition should be re-enacted for future ‘Demanding Situations’. The commendable ‘Strict Compliance’ by the Citizens needs rekindling as desired in the future.
4. Repurposing Production Lines and Services: Several ‘Repurposing Interventions’ are on-going in various ‘Spheres of Country Economies’ geared towards meeting the ‘Health Services Delivery Challenges’. This is a ‘Serendipitous Audit Opportunity’ to have a ‘Comprehensive Overview and Service Prioritization’ in the ‘Economies’!
5. Government Palliative Interventions; Bail-Out Packages and Economic Stimulus Packages: This amplifies the Principles of ‘Solidarity’ and ‘Subsidiarity’ for the ‘Common Good’. The ‘Less Privileged Groups’ and ‘Weaker Corporate Entities’ in the Economy are offered ‘Support/ Life Lines’ to stay afloat in the ‘Challenging Distorted Economy’; ‘Loans-Rental-Repayments-Moratorium’! This is addressing ‘Inequalities’ and a plus towards ‘Sustainable Development’: ‘None is Left Behind’ and ‘Everyone is Counted’; ‘Inclusiveness and Population Diversity’!!
6. Information Disregard: There are ‘Reports and Records’ of ‘Books’, ‘Journal Publications’ which possibly ‘Foretold’ the ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ with ‘Accurate Speculations-Predictions’ re: ‘Coronavirus’, ‘Time’, ‘Place’ and ‘Devastating Pandemic’! The ‘Lesson for the Future?’: Consider such ‘Available Information’ as ‘Resource and Tool’; ‘Information is Power’! To be forewarned is to be forearmed!!
7. Country Epidemic Curves and Peaks and Predictions/ ‘Country Strategic Stockpiling’: Several ‘Scientific Mathematical Projection Models’ and ‘Disease Predictions’ made it possible for Nations to be ahead of the ‘Pandemic’ and mount ‘Proactive Interventions’ with ‘Country Strategic Stockpiles’ re: needed ‘Critical Care Essentials’ but this was missed; A ‘Lesson for the Future’!
8. Leadership-Readership Dyad/ ‘Readers as Leaders’: There were several ‘Information Resources’ available on the ‘Pandemic’ for ‘Reading-compliant Leaders’; World ‘Leaders’ must be ‘Readers’ heading into the future!
9. Biomedical Journals and Information Access: Several ‘Subscription Access Journals’ dispose ‘Free Editorial Manuscript Handling and Processing’ to encourage ‘Article Submissions’ on ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ by ‘Authors’ to swell the ‘Appropriate Information Pool’. Several such Journals allowed ‘Open Access Policy’ to encourage and enlarge the ‘Pandemic Readership’ in these trying times; Sustainable?
10. Tele-Medicine and Tele-Health: With the Lockdown-Shutdown and Stay at Home/ Shelter-in-Place, several persons are taking advantage of ‘Tele-Medicine and Tele-Health’ but ‘Doctor-Patient Interaction’ definitely has its superiority in normal times!
11. Vaccines and Drugs Production/ Trials: Lessons from the past should be ‘Assets’ to guard against ‘Vaccines Production Abandonment’ as we ‘Weather the Storm’ [6]! Appropriate ‘Science-Technology-Innovation’ is it!
12. Health Systems Resuscitation/ Health Systems Financing: ‘Infused Funds’ rejuvenated ‘Fragile Health Systems’ but this ‘Health Systems Financing’ must ‘Routinely’ be within the ‘Arrowhead’ of ‘Country Budgets’!
13. Universal Health Coverage (UHC): There is an attempt to discharge the ‘Undergirding UHC Principles’: Available and Affordable Quality Healthcare to all without ‘Financial Strain’ and ‘No Discrimination’; Sustainable?
14. Health Insurance for Healthcare Staff: Emergency ‘Health Insurance Coverage’ were disposed for ‘Frontline Healthcare Staff’! Can this be sustained to assure continued commitment to service?
15. Medical Tourism: With ‘Country Shutdowns-Lockdowns’, several ‘Privileged Personalities’ could not enjoy their ‘Usual Medical Tourism’! A ‘Clarion Call’ now to rectify ‘Fragile Health Systems’!!
16. ‘Stay at Home’-‘Shelter-in-Place’-‘Shutdown-Lockdown’/ ‘Emerging Difficulties’: There have been ‘Weight Gain Issues’, ‘Family Disharmony’, ‘Drug Abuse-Alcoholism’, ‘Teenage Pregnancies’, ‘No Exercises/ DVT’, etc! Equally, there have been ‘Derived Benefits’: Family Harmony and Cohesion as ‘First Society Socializing Unit’, Improved ‘Social Connectedness‘ with ICT-compliant Communication, Avoiding ‘COVID-19 Infodemic’; We can optimize and sustain these ‘Benefits’ [7,8]!!
17. Charitable Gestures/ Relief Efforts: Solidarity and Subsidiarity at their best! Humanity manifested ‘Human Kindness’ for the ‘Love and Care of Neighbours’; Sustainable?
18. Humanity as ‘One World’; All are ‘Human Beings’ and what ‘Affects One Affects All’: This was ably amplified by National and International Dispositions and need to be sustained for ‘Sustainable Development’!
19. Spirituality and Divinity: ‘Faith’ and ‘Science/ Reason’ are not ‘Mutually Exclusive’! Humanity acknowledged ‘Divinity’ and ‘Spirituality’ with the ‘Ravaging and Devastating Pandemic’; This needs to be sustained for ‘Holistic Health’ [9]!! The WHO Definitions for ‘Health’ (1948, 1984), and indeed ‘Holistic Health’, are instructive!!!
20. WHO, CDC and ‘Interventional Capacity/ Disposition’: The ‘Situational Realities’ with the performance of these ‘Authoritative Bodies’ require ‘Revised-Reviewed Strategies’ for better disposition with future ‘Epidemics-Pandemics’!
21. COVID-19 Pandemic and Sustainable Development/ SDGs: Towards 2030, the World is expected to assure Peace and Prosperity for all People and the Planet through Partnerships (Governments-Private-NGOs-CSOs-Individuals) in the Social, Economic and Environmental Spheres. These ‘COVID-19 Pandemic Benefits’ should be optimized for ‘Sustainable Development’ by the nexus with the SDGs [10,11]!
This ‘Communicative-Conversation’ upholds the reality that in a ‘Crisis-Storm’, there will be some ‘Gains-Benefits’! The ‘COVID-19 Pandemic’ may, indeed, be a ‘Blessing in Disguise’ for Humanity!!
REFERENCES
1. Godlee F. COVID-19: Weathering the storm. BMJ 2020; 368:m1199 of 26th March 2020
2. Eregie C.O. COVID-19 Pandemic: The difficult unresolved increasing challenges in weathering the storm. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1199/rr-10 of 31st March 2020
3. Eregie C.O. COVID-19 Pandemic: The difficult unresolved increasing challenges in weathering the storm. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1199/rr-13 of 2nd April 2020
4. Eregie C.O. COVID-19 Pandemic: The difficult unresolved increasing challenges in weathering the storm. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1199/rr-16 of 5th April 2020
5. WHO. Disease Outbreaks. https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease/en of 12th February 2020
6. COVID-1: Lessons and Recommendations. www.isglobal.org/coronavirus of 12th March 2020
7. Gupta S. Social distancing comes with psychological fallout. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid-19-social-distanci... of 29th March 2020
8. Winn R.J. Mental Health During Social Distancing. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/mental-health-during-social-distancing/ of 6th April 2020
9. Eregie C.O. Religion, spirituality and medicine: a further imperative for ‘medical socioeconosophy (MSE)’ in medical education improvement. https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m106/rr-5 of 29th January 2020
10. SDG Index. SDSN Public Opinion Survey: Covid-19 Impacts on the SDGs. https://www.unsdsn.org/sdsn-survey-on-covid-19-impacts-on-the-sdgs of 31st March 2020
11. UNDP. Coronavirus disease COVID-19 Pandemic: Humanity needs leadership and solidarity to defeat the coronavirus. https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/coronavirus.html Accessed 6th April 2020
Professor Charles Osayande Eregie,
MBBS, FWACP, FMCPaed, FRCPCH (UK), Cert. ORT (Oxford), MSc (Religious Education),
Professor of Child Health and Neonatology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.
UNICEF-Trained BFHI Master Trainer,
ICDC-Trained in Code Implementation,
*Technical Expert/ Consultant on the FMOH-UNICEF-NAFDAC Code Implementation Project in Nigeria,
*No Competing Interests.
Competing interests: No competing interests