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How has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Global Health?

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Every new year is a major milestone for humankind, and 2020 was no different. A significant global health event happened that year that posed a serious threat to the world — it was a coronavirus pandemic. In this article, we will learn about the events of the crisis, their effects on global health, and how they affected the world.

How it started

The first signs of the pandemic were detected in late 2019. There were reports of people getting sick after being in contact with people carrying the virus. The CDC took samples from the patients and confirmed that they were, in fact, infected with COVID-19. In April 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency to stop the spread of COVID-19. He also ordered all US citizens and residents to stay indoors for at least three weeks so that they don’t get infected with COVID-19. The WHO has advised all countries around the world to follow similar measures as soon as possible before it’s too late!

How hospitals reacted

The impact of COVID-19 on global health systems was severe and widespread. Health systems struggled to handle a high volume of patients who needed care at once and were unable to meet demand. In some places, this resulted in closed hospitals and waiting lists for days or weeks at a time; in others, it meant that people died before they could get treatment for serious illnesses like pneumonia or sepsis (blood poisoning). Many countries had difficulty keeping up with the demand for vaccines because they didn’t have enough supplies available for distribution. Some countries ran out completely within days after releasing their first batches. 

How the health systems struggled

In the United States, for example, many health systems struggled and collapsed under the weight of the epidemic. In Europe, where the virus has been widespread since March 2020, hospital beds were scarce and there were long waits for elective procedures such as hip replacements. The impact on global health was also felt in poorer countries where public health systems are weak and people have limited access to private care. In Africa, for example, low-income countries like Sierra Leone have seen rising numbers of deaths from HIV/AIDS due to lack of access to antiretrovirals during the pandemic. 

The health of health workers

The pandemic also caused health workers to become ill or die, leading to shortages of medical staff in many places. This put even more pressure on existing resources. Governments have been slow to respond with adequate funding for public health campaigns and medical supplies such as masks, gloves and face shields that can help prevent transmission of germs between people during treatment or caregiving activities like cleaning up after someone who has died from COVID-19 infection without proper personal protective equipment (PPE).

Recovering

Despite these challenges, there are signs of hope: a recent study shows that more people are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 than ever before. This suggests that we are starting to see progress in our ability to fight back against this deadly virus so that someday soon we might recover from this pandemic once again and lead the lives we knew before COVID-19.