Analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons towards a more effective response to public health emergencies

Abstract

Background The pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a timely reminder of the nature and impact of Public Health Emergencies of International Concern. As of 12 January 2022, there were over 314 million cases and over 5.5 million deaths notified since the start of the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic takes variable shapes and forms, in terms of cases and deaths, in different regions and countries of the world. The objective of this study is to analyse the variable expression of COVID-19 pandemic so that lessons can be learned towards an effective public health emergency response. Methods We conducted a mixed-methods study to understand the heterogeneity of cases and deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Correlation analysis and scatter plot were employed for the quantitative data. We used Spearman’s correlation analysis to determine relationship strength between cases and deaths and socio-economic and health systems. We organized qualitative information from the literature and conducted a thematic analysis to recognize patterns of cases and deaths and explain the findings from the quantitative data. Results We have found that regions and countries with high human development index have higher cases and deaths per million population due to COVID-19. This is due to international connectedness and mobility of their population related to trade and tourism, and their vulnerability related to older populations and higher rates of non-communicable diseases. We have also identified that the burden of the pandemic is also variable among high- and middle-income countries due to differences in the governance of the pandemic, fragmentation of health systems, and socio-economic inequities. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates that every country remains vulnerable to public health emergencies. The aspiration towards a healthier and safer society requires that countries develop and implement a coherent and context-specific national strategy, improve governance of public health emergencies, build the capacity of their (public) health systems, minimize fragmentation, and tackle upstream structural issues, including socio-economic inequities. This is possible through a primary health care approach, which ensures provision of universal and equitable promotive, preventive and curative services, through whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches.

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“…Importantly, this study confirms a prior study that explores the major negative impacts on social inequity and vulnerability, and that universality principles prevail in the effective containment of the pandemic. 69 However, this study captures snapshots of policy responses from January 2020 to January 2022 in the context of data incompleteness. Given the ongoing and rapid changes to contextual environments, it is likely that many of the policies highlighted above may have changed considerably since the time of writing.…”

SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Those Utilizing Public Transportation or Working in the Transportation Industry: A Rapid Review

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“…By its nature the pandemic crossed, and is still crossing, borders repeatedly, fueling wave after wave of infections, illness and death across the globe. However, governance generally occurs at the national level, such that national governments are often the only entities with both the legal authority and practical ability to respond (see Assefa et al 2022). 12 These governments have the responsibility to protect their citizens and residents; and political leaders perceived that their own standing and even tenure would be determined by their success in doing so.…”