I read an interesting article about the novel coronavirus’s transmission and how it could be controlled. “The epidemiology and pathogenesis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak” was written by Hussin Rothan and Siddappa Byrareddy. The lockdowns we are currently enduring could look a lot different. The global lockdowns have been surprisingly beneficial in some cases, but not for everyone. Some people are living in a dangerous situation. The lockdowns could have looked a lot differently, however, if we followed the lead of one Scandinavian nation.
How Can Global Lockdowns Be Beneficial?
The COVID-19 lockdowns have benefited us dramatically. We have successfully flattened the curve in many parts of the nation. These lockdowns have other benefits as well. By locking down, we studied this virus on the front lines. Since our healthcare systems have not been overwhelmed, we studied the use of experimental treatments and vaccines (e.g. remdesivir, chloroquine, etc.). The lockdowns have also brought us closer together. For instance, the cheers for healthcare workers in New York City, or the Air Force Thunderbirds and Navy Blue Angels saluting the healthcare workers on the front lines. Most of us have forgotten politics and focused all of our energy on defeating this virus. These flyovers represent hope, and we will get through these difficult times together. But, while many people are surrounded by their loved ones, others are living their worst nightmares.
How Is Mental Health and Domestic Abuse Affected?
The coronavirus lockdowns have been some people’s worst nightmare. Unfortunately, many people are currently struggling with depression or anxiety. This is a direct consequence of closing down small businesses. As a future physician, I will need to know how to help individuals cope with these problems. One major problem during these lockdowns is individuals cannot escape any domestic abuse. According to NBC News, “. . . calls for help to domestic violence hotlines have grown shorter and more frantic.” These people cannot escape from their abusers. If they have children, then the children will now be home to witness the violence. In my career, I will help people with the physical or mental pain associated with domestic violence. Would all of this pain occur if we controlled the virus without locking down?
What Could Have Been Done Differently?
While most of the world has locked down due to the novel coronavirus, some countries took a different approach. Sweden, for example, is using a herd immunity approach. Their economy is open; their people are allowed to go out to eat, and they are allowed to shop. The denizens of Sweden are asked to social distance, but they were never locked down. It seems to be working well for them considering their healthcare systems have not been overcrowded. Unfortunately, they have seen a higher death count and mortality rate than some neighboring countries who chose to lock down. Would something like this work in the United States, or could we isolate only the vulnerable populations? Rothan and Byrareddy consider this by stating, “Special attention and efforts to protect or reduce transmission should be applied in susceptible populations including children, health care professionals, and elderly people.” I think that it is an interesting concept to only isolate those who are most vulnerable. If we used his idea, then children would not be allowed to return to school in the fall. We have made tough decisions to keep people safe. I will have to make difficult decisions as a physician. Hopefully, I do not have to determine who gets to survive like some physicians in Italy did.
The coronavirus is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths around the world, but people are also dying from suicide and domestic abuse. People have lost their businesses. People have lost their jobs. People are losing family members. If we followed Sweden’s approach, then we may not have seen the demise of businesses and business owners across the nation. Even with all of the darkness surrounding COVID-19, we learned valuable information by flattening the curve. We know that the novel coronavirus is highly transmissible, and it needs to be controlled to save as many lives as possible. We know that this virus is fatal, but we have to ask ourselves—were the coronavirus lockdowns worth it?
I loved reading this blog! I wasn’t aware of Sweden’s ‘herd immunity approach’. It was interesting learning about how different parts of the world are acting in the midst of this pandemic. I actually had thought about that type of approach myself, letting people go out to eat and be out in public while keeping a respectful distance between each other. That way we are building up our immunity to this disease while doing our personal part to keep others safe. Overall, this was a wonderful piece and I know you’ll do great things in your future physician career!
This was a very interesting read. I never fully understood how Sweden’s approach was different but this helped clear that up. Also explaining how the problems from lockdown are far more than just getting COVID-19 such as domestic abuse really put into perspective the consequences of locking down. Also I like how you include how something like this could affect you in your path to become a doctor. Great Job!
This is a thought-provoking blog. I have never thought about domestic abuse before reading your blog. We have to change our point of view to improve our world continually. Locking down during serious out-break is the most convenient way to prevent further spread. We have chosen to save all people’s lives first. Those societal problems need to be solved, but it seems not the most urgent one. We are facing various issues every day. We are not capable of resolving every issue at once, so we must first find the most urgent one to solve. To become a physician, you are thinking about these issues. It is really good for you. I hope you can continue these COVID-19 blogs.
What a well-written blog post about an issue everyone can relate to! Your passion for helping people was quite evident. I did not realize other countries took different actions in response to the pandemic. I find Switzerland’s herd immunity response to be interesting, and I am curious if this approach would have worked in the United States as well. I wonder if the number of cases per capita were higher than those countries who locked down. I think I would’ve preferred the herd immunity approach rather than the lockdown we experienced. I wish you good luck with all of your future pediatric endeavours.
Interesting. Herd immunity does sound like an alternative solution comparing what we had right now. Nevertheless, Sweden just said they failed on doing herd immunity few days ago. Thus, I think there is no other option other than lockdown. However, there should be other option except lockdown due to the economic issue. It would be interesting to hear about that in next article.
The topic of your blog is really interesting. My lifestyle changed a lot due to the Covid-19 lockdown, and your article makes me reconsider its costs and benefits. Lockdown and quarantine can efficiently slow down the spread of Covid-19, but the costs of them should not be ignored. Your blog mentioned the victims of domestic abuse. In my opinion, people did not pay enough attention to their situations. As the influences from Covid-19 may last for years, we need to think about how to help them in this condition. Many people I know also had a tough time because of the lockdown, some of them lost their jobs and some of them could not meet with their families. I appreciate your thoughts and attention on this topic, and I believe you will do well as a physician in the future.