How Do the COVID-19 Prevention Measures Interact With Sustainable Development Goals?

Abstract

Washing hands, social distancing and staying at home are the preventive measures set in place to contain the spread of the COVID-19, a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. These measures, although straightforward to follow, highlight the tip of an imbalanced socio-economic and socio-technological iceberg. Here, a System Dynamic (SD) model of COVID-19 preventive measures and their correlation with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is presented. The result demonstrates a better informed view of the COVID-19 vulnerability landscape. This novel qualitative approach refreshes debates on the future of SDGS amid the crisis and provides a powerful mental representation for decision makers to find leverage points that aid in preventing long-term disruptive impacts of this health crisis on people, planet and economy. There is a need for further tailor-made and real-time qualitative and quantitative scientific research to calibrate the criticality of meeting the SDGS targets in different countries according to ongoing lessons learned from this health crisis.

Collective Consciousness Supported by the Web: Healthy or Toxic?

“…On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization triggered the global health pandemic protocol, and issued a set of public health guidelines in the majority of affected areas. The resulting lockdown measures resulted in catastrophic losses of jobs, sources of income and last but not least increased systemic unemployment [25]. Stressors such as pandemics are often categorized as systemic shocks, since they drastically perturb the dynamics of the societal system.…”