Global Challenges to Public Health Care Systems during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of Pandemic Measures and Problems

Abstract

Beginning in December 2019, the world faced a critical new public health stressor with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. Its spread was extraordinarily rapid, and in a matter of weeks countries across the world were affected, notably in their ability to manage health care needs. While many sectors of public structures were impacted by the pandemic, it particularly highlighted shortcomings in medical care infrastructures around the world that underscored the need to reorganize medical systems, as they were vastly unprepared and ill-equipped to manage a pandemic and simultaneously provide general and specialized medical care. This paper presents modalities in approaches to the pandemic by various countries, and the triaged reorganization of medical sections not considered first-line in the pandemic that was in many cases transformed into wards for treating COVID-19 cases. As new viruses and structural variants emerge, it is important to find solutions to streamline medical care in hospitals, which includes the expansion of digital network medicine (i.e., telemedicine and mobile health apps) for patients to continue to receive appropriate care without risking exposure to contagions. Mobile health app development continues to evolve with specialized diagnostics capabilities via external attachments that can provide rapid information sharing between patients and care providers while eliminating the need for office visits. Telemedicine, still in the early stages of adoption, especially in the developing world, can ensure access to medical information and contact with care providers, with the potential to release emergency rooms from excessive cases, and offer multidisciplinary access for patients and care providers that can also be a means to avoid contact during a pandemic. As this pandemic illustrated, an overhaul to streamline health care is essential, and a move towards greater use of mobile health and telemedicine will greatly benefit public health to control the spread of new variants and future outbreaks.

Impact of an antibiotic stewardship program on antibiotic utilization, bacterial susceptibilities, and cost of antibiotics

“…We can reduce the spread of resistant bacteria and improve the efficacy of antibiotic treatments for all patients by doing so. The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly presented unprecedented challenges to the global healthcare system 30 . One of the most concerning consequences of the pandemic has been an increase in antibiotic consumption 31 , 32 , both in the community and in other hospitals.…”

Impact of public health interventions on COVID-19 control in Lahore

“…Similarly, Lupton and Lewis (2021) 13 , Ha et al (2021) 14 , and Gilmore et al (2020) 15 emphasized the relevance of clear communication, good data management, and regular reviews to ensure that policies and procedures are addressing the pandemic's challenges. Filip et al (2022) 16 and Mallah et al (2021) 17 highlighted the importance of screening individuals to stratify them into different risk levels and reduce the risk of transmission. Updating protocols and suspected case criteria regularly for optimal resource use and the best possible treatment was also deemed necessary, as mentioned in our study and Purssell et al (2020) 18 and Thomas et al (2020) 19 .…”

Fluorescent Marker as a Tool to Improve Strategies to Control Contaminated Surfaces and Decrease Danger of Cross-Contamination in Dental Clinics, during and beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The worldwide state of emergency declared in March 2020, and the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased the need to develop protocols to prevent cross-contamination in medical settings, as well as in other public areas [ 1 ]. Traumatic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic can have negative physical and psychological consequences, not only among the general public but also among medical and dental personnel [ 2 , 3 , 4 ].…”

“…Most healthcare facilities use disinfectants approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), such as sodium hypochlorite solution [ 22 ]. According to various tests, the virus responds better to ethanol than isopropanol, following contact of at least 30 s [ 1 ]. Tan et al [ 23 ] developed a systematic procedure to establish the correlation between particulate matter (PM), a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air, and microbial counts in hospital operating rooms.…”