Public Health Interventions for COVID-19

Public Health Interventions for COVID-19
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Public Health Interventions for COVID-19
The outbreak of the COVID-19 profoundly impacted the world economy and healthcare systems. The disease was first discovered in Wuhan, China, and has since to every country across the globe (Brouard et al., 2020). The increasing rate of infections and high mortality rate associated with COVID-19 compelled governments and healthcare systems to implement a wide range of public health policies to protect the world’s population. The efficiency of public health policies primarily depends on the willingness of the public to comply and engage with the government intervention strategies. The adoption of the public health measure is particularly important because it slows down the spread of Coronavirus, saves healthcare systems and families preventable healthcare costs, protects the population of infections, and prevents long hospitalizations.
Importance of Public Health Measures
Aggressive public health measures play a pivotal role in reducing and preventing the spread of the novel Coronavirus. Studies reveal that public health interventions adopted by various countries have reduced the transmission of the disease both locally and globally (Hartley & Perencevich, 2020). For instance, a considerable drop in the rate of COVID-19 infections was recorded when the Chinese government adopted the public healthcare measures in Wuhan and adjacent cities at the beginning of 2020. The public was encouraged to adhere to public health policies to protect themselves from Coronavirus and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the nation. Public health measures also enhance and safeguards the state of well-being of individuals around the community. Reducing and preventing the spread of the Coronavirus ensure that individuals, their families, and the community around them remain healthy and productive.
Public health measures also save families and healthcare systems preventable healthcare costs. Coronavirus disease is characterized by prolonged hospitalization and cost-intensive medical supplies and equipment. The major symptoms of the infection are persistent shortness of breath, fever, and cough which may require the patient to be placed in mechanical ventilators and oxygen in severe cases (Zhao et al., 2020). The non-medical public health interventions mitigate these preventable healthcare risks by protecting individuals and their families from being infected by the coronavirus. Consequently, it prevents unplanned and prolonged hospitalizations which that are accompanied by unnecessary healthcare costs. At present, the outbreak of COVID-19 has caused a strain in the world’s healthcare system because of the shortage of healthcare resources such as hospital beds, oxygen, mechanical ventilators, and finances. Public health measures help in saving healthcare resources and reserve them for patients with diseases that could not be prevented.
Risk Mitigation Measures of COVID-19 in China
China is the first country to experience the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in Wuhan. Its government was forced to be the first to implement the applied public intervention strategies to protect the people and prevent the spread of coronavirus in other parts of the country and the rest of the world. The first public health strategy adopted by the Chinese government was a compulsory lockdown that was characterized by the closure of schools and other public places, restriction of movement, and mandatory stay-at-home policies (Lu et al., 2021). For example, a compulsory lockdown in Wuhan where the first case of coronavirus was reported lasted for close to three months during which movement was restricted and public gatherings were outlawed. The stringent lockdown in Wuhan and other Chinese cities significantly resulted in a drop in the rates of COVID-19 infections in the country. The number of COVID-19 cases also declined substantially after the implementation of lockdown policies in China.
Creating awareness and educating the public about coronavirus has also been a useful public health intervention in China. Information about the transmission path of coronavirus infection and prevention was availed to the public to help Chinese citizens better protect themselves from the virus. Coronavirus is transmitted through surfaces and members of the pu...