Self prevention: A Medico to COVID”

Falak Ul Islam
We are in an age where data, technology and connectivity are more advanced than ever before, each and every one of us bears personal responsibility for preventing the reach of a known epidemic. We live in a time where technology is at our fingertips and can be leveraged to potentially prevent public health emergencies, enabling all of us to share in and lighten the burden. While we are still learning about COVID-19, the initial panic has forced thousands of people to flock to hospitals and primary care centers to be diagnosed. Packed waiting rooms, narrow or tight public transport routes, and poor hygiene can only exacerbate the problem, leading to the quick spread of COVID-19 or other illnesses. And while medical facilities are often known as high-risk locations for this very reason, there is also concern around high-foot traffic areas and public spaces including airports, schools and shopping centers. It is our obligation to tap into all tools available to protect ourselves and each other, minimizing the impact of this and all future epidemics as much as possible. Social distancing is therefore the most important measure, with an individual’s behaviour key. This includes early self-isolation and quarantine, seeking remote medical advice and not attending large gatherings or going to crowded places. The virus seems to largely affect older as well as young people and those with existing medical conditions, so targeted social distancing may be most effective. All self actions will be important, including banning large events such gatherings, schools and institutions where COVID-19 may be able to probable, and making sure that good diagnostic facilities and remotely accessed advice, like telephone help lines, are widely available. Ensuring the provision of specialist healthcare is also vital. The researchers warn, however, that large-scale measures may only be of limited effect without individual responsibility.
One of the strongest weapons we have to fight the spread of an outbreak is one we carry around every day — our internet.
All measures, of course, will have an economic impact, and some stricter measures, such as shutting down entire cities, as seen in Wuhan in China, may be less effective in Western democracies. The aim of these social distancing measures is to “flatten the curve” of the infection, shown in the green trace slowing the spread and avoiding a huge peak in the number of new infections. In comparisons with influenza-A (usual seasonal flu) and SARS, it currently seems likely that the epidemic will spread more slowly, but last longer, which has economic implications. Seasonal flu is generally limited by warmer weather, but as it is not known if this will affect COVID-19, the researchers say it will be important to monitor its spread in the Southern Hemisphere. One of the strongest weapons we have to fight the spread of an outbreak is one we carry around every day — our internet. Because health suggestions on our phones are increasingly leveraging the power of AI and machine learning to provide accurate, real-time insight into a wide range of health measurements, we have the opportunity to unleash remote healthcare solutions like never before…
(The author is a content writer. Views are his own)