Reemerging, Emerging, or Current Health Care Issue: Covid-19 Pandemic

Reemerging, Emerging, or Current Health Care Issue: Covid-19 Pandemic

The novel SARS-CoV-2 virus was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. This highly transmissible virus is responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) (Shereen et al., 2020). Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020 since it was highly transmissible and had high morbidity and mortality rates. Covid-19 is an acute respiratory condition that is highly infectious and potentially deadly (Shereen et al., 2020). Many countries have implemented protective behaviors and lockdown measures to restrict its spread. This is one of the current healthcare issues in the world. It has public health, social and economic ramifications. Do you need help with your assignment ? Contact us at eminencepapers.com.

Resources/Protocols to Address Covid-19

Infection control and prevention (IPC) of Covid-19 is essential in healthcare settings. IPC is important since it helps reduce transmission of COVID-19 within the hospital and enhances the safety of the patient, healthcare professionals, and visitors (World Health Organization (WHO), 2021). Furthermore, it will increase the ability of the healthcare organization to respond to a Covid-19 outbreak. Subsequently, the healthcare organization should manage the safe flow of patients and personnel. The hospital should ensure adequate resources to manage patients safely in the triage areas. In addition, they should designate COVID-19 triage areas, healthcare units, and staff to the care areas (WHO, 2021). Patients should be screened and educated on IPC measures implemented within the healthcare facility.

The healthcare facility should also ensure the hospital environment is safe for patients, visitors, and healthcare personnel. Ensure physical distancing and avoid crowding points in all waiting rooms, triage areas, hallways, and patient care areas. Moreover, they should ensure that infectious and general wastes are adequately separated and safely disposed of (WHO, 2021). They should also reduce close contact in the corridors and allow continuous movement. Healthcare facilities must ensure the optimum availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks and gowns (WHO, 2021). They must implement strategies for the rational use of PPEs when shortages are expected. Healthcare professionals should also be trained on the best practices for doffing and donning PPEs. Healthcare professionals may be infected with Covid-19. Screening, testing, and vaccinating healthcare workers is essential (WHO, 2021). Healthcare workers with confirmed COVID-19 cases should be isolated promptly.

Leadership and Managerial Responses and Responsibilities

Leaders and managers should create trust through action during the pandemic. They should demonstrate preparedness and planning in response to the pandemic. Subsequently, they should invest in infrastructure in isolation, equipment, additional bed capacity, medications, and PPEs (Ahern & Loh, 2020). These are resources that are required to respond to and fight the virus. Leaders and managers should also address the pandemic’s unintended personal and economic effects by appropriately and promptly implementing processes and procedures (Ahern & Loh, 2020). When uncertain, leaders should seek relevant information from reliable sources. These sources include researchers, healthcare professionals, and collaborative partners (Ahern & Loh, 2020). Leaders must act based on credible advice given. In addition, they should initiate data collection within the healthcare organization to understand the impact of the virus on the available resources, disease patterns, and interventions needed to provide the best outcomes (Ahern & Loh, 2020).

Leaders should share information with the government to help them manage the covid-19 and provide them with the necessary support tools. Leaders and managers must build confidence and trust and make decisions. They should remain connected with their subordinates and obtain the feedback required to help manage the pandemic. Leaders and managers coordinate COVID-19 responses (Ahern & Loh, 2020). They can collaborate with the government, non-governmental organizations, and like-minded partners. They must promote effective communication during the COVID-19 response. Communication is essential for coordinating and aligning managerial planning and objectives (Ahern & Loh, 2020). In addition to coordinating response, leaders must implement programs to support their subordinates’ well-being. This will include psychiatry health support and staff welfare (Ahern & Loh, 2020).

Cultural Impact

Protective behaviors are essential in the control of Covid-19 spread. Protective behaviors are actions the individuals do autonomously or because of government recommendations to curb disease transmission, such as hand hygiene, mask use, and avoidant behaviors, including physical distancing (Lee et al., 2021). However, protective behaviors have varying success between cultural groups since success depends on the beliefs and norms of people that drive their commitment to implement such behaviors. Culture is practices, explanations, attitudes, and ideas that create behavioral models and play a role in enacting protective behaviors to curb the spread of COVID-19 (Lee et al., 2021).

Cultural factors influence human behaviors related to Covid-19 responses. An example is a culture with solid societal norms and a low tolerance for deviant behaviors that positively facilitates the enactment of interventions to prevent the pathogen’s spread (Lee et al., 2021). Furthermore, culture influences how citizens willingly embrace COVID-19 prevention interventions, including physical distancing and face mask use (Lee et al., 2021).

In a collectivist culture, there is interdependence among members of a community. This interdependence results in actions for the greater community good (Lee et al., 2021). In collectivism, there are self-disciplined and unified actions. In the study by Lee et al. (2021), many participants enacted protective behaviors early. These defensive behaviors were driven by motivation for duty to humanity and self-protection.

Legislative Actions/ Government Agencies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a comprehensive response to the pandemic. It has focused on comprehending the disease, its spread, and its effect on people and communities. CDC health frontline healthcare professionals and the general public protect themselves from the pandemic. Accordingly, the CDC collects information concerning vaccines and offers recommendations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2021). This agency does not have a role in vaccine development. However, it collaborates with partners and health departments to develop vaccination programs. The CDC also detects and characterizes new Covid-19 variants. The agency learns about the variant and informs the general public and global partners (CDC, 2019).

Covid-19 has put some racial populations at higher risk of infections and severe illness. The agency is working to reduce health disparities by learning more about their origin and equipping frontline healthcare workers with the necessary resources to bridge the gap (CDC, 2019). CDC also understands the pandemic’s short-term and long-term effects (CDC, 2019). Additionally, the CDC’s response to the pandemic provides resources to vulnerable populations and countries, provides international leadership, and nurtures partnerships to promote increased technical and scientific experience related to COVID-19. This helps strengthen surveillance systems, which help to respond to future pandemics and outbreaks.

Conclusion

One of the current healthcare issues in the Covid-19 pandemic. Since its outbreak in China, the virus has spread globally. It has been associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. Healthcare organizations must adhere to protocols set by public health systems to protect their patients and personnel from the virus. Healthcare leaders’ role is to coordinate response strategies and protect their subordinates from the effects of the virus. The primary prevention strategy for the virus is protective behaviors. However, this is influenced by culture, and public health officials should be aware of the role of culture in Covid-19 spread.

References

Ahern, S., & Loh, E. (2020). Leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic: Building and sustaining trust in times of uncertainty. BMJ Leader, 5(4), 266-269. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2020-000271

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021, February 12). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cdcresponse/index.html

Lee, C. T., Kanji, R., Wang, A. H., Mamuji, A., Rozdilsky, J., & Chu, T. (2021). Cultural contexts during a pandemic: A qualitative description of cultural factors that shape protective behaviors in the Chinese-Canadian community. BMC Public Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11928-w

Shereen, M. A., Khan, S., Kazmi, A., Bashir, N., & Siddique, R. (2020). COVID-19 infection: Emergence, transmission, and characteristics of human coronaviruses. Journal of Advanced Research, 24, 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2020.03.005

World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Infection prevention and control (‎IPC)‎ in healthcare facilities in the event of a surge or resurgence in cases of COVID-19. WHO | World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications

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Overview
The purpose of this paper is to examine an emerging or current issue in health care. While not limited to these, several potential topics are:
Reemerging outbreaks such as COVID-19, measles, or Ebola.
Human trafficking.
Violence in health care settings.
Medical tourism.
Consumer-directed health care.
Assisted suicide.
Medical marijuana.
Mandatory vaccinations.
Eldercare.
Abortion.
Personalized medicine.

Requirements:
Research, examine, and analyze your issue with thought, sensitivity, and reflection. Your paper must have the following elements:

The form must be 3–5 pages in length.

Introduce your issue, including supporting information, and identify the resources or protocols a provider would need to consider and have in place to address the problem (for example, policies, staffing levels, relevant training, isolation areas, et cetera).
Explain the leadership and managerial responses and responsibilities, for example, assuring compliance with policy and procedure and required reporting (such as to the Department of Health/CDC).
Discuss the cultural impact (for example, treatment choices due to religious beliefs).
Describe the legislative actions or government agencies involved (for example, CDC, AMA, ACA, EMTALA, et cetera).
End your paper with a summary of your research, including potential related impacts on the healthcare industry and related significance.
This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards. For assistance and information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your system. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:
Examine the influence of political, economic, and social factors and the impact of the U.S. healthcare system on an emerging or current healthcare issue.