Pandemics and Public Health

Pandemics and Public Health

What role do you feel the government should play in response to a pandemic?

The government has the role of protecting its citizens against threats, including those related to their health and well-being. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, governments across the world have taken various measures to protect their citizens from infection by reducing the spread of the disease, such as restricting movement through lockdowns, canceling flights, especially to and from countries with high infection rates, and imposing fines on citizens who do not adhere to rules such as putting on masks and maintaining social distancing. Based on the responses made by governments across the world, I would conclude that the government’s role in response to a pandemic is to provide citizens with the resources required to protect themselves from getting infected. For instance, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, the government should offer masks and sanitizers, particularly to vulnerable groups who may not be able to afford them.

How does political philosophy dictate the responses reflected in policy?

Political philosophy plays a significant role in dictating the responses reflected in policy because important political factors need to be considered (Ryan, 2012). For instance, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, political philosophy may dictate the response reflected in policy by influencing policymakers’ arguments on the best measures or guidelines to be implemented to prevent the increase in the threat of infection. For instance, some policymakers may argue that citizens should not be forced to get vaccinated against Covid-19. In contrast, others may feel that citizens should be forced to get vaccinated to ensure that most people are vaccinated, thus reducing the death rate arising from Covid-19.

What role does (did) technology play?

Technology played various roles after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. To begin with, it facilitated communication amongst people due to the social distancing restrictions that hindered people from interacting face to face (Nadikattu, 2020). Therefore, people could make video calls and remain connected via social media platforms such as WhatsApp. Technology also helped create awareness of preventive measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through online videos with instructions on what people should do.

References

Nadikattu, R. R. (2020). Role of Information Science During Covid-19. COVID-19 Pandemic update 2020, 148-156. https://doi.org/10.26524/royal.37.13

Ryan, A. (2012). Hobbes’s political philosophy. The Making of Modern Liberalism. https://doi.org/10.23943/princeton/9780691148403.003.0009

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Within the Discussion Board area, write 300–500 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions with your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your concepts.

For this Discussion Board, please complete the following:

Think about the COVID-19 pandemic and the role that the government played in addressing public health. How did this differ from other nations? Explore the following articles for more information:

Learning From Taiwan About Fighting COVID-19
The Graphic Truth: Two Different Pandemics – EU vs. US
Respond to the following questions:

What role do you feel the government should play in response to a pandemic?
How does political philosophy dictate the responses reflected in policy?
What role does (did) technology play?
Responses to Other Students: Respond to at least 2 of your classmates with at least a 100-200 word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:

What did you learn from your classmate’s posting? What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates’ postings?