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WITH COVID-19 OVER , APPLYING THE LESSONS LEARNT

Context– The status of COVID-19 has been changed by the World Health Organization from ‘ Public health emergency of international concern’ to ‘other endemic diseases’.

After effects of the Covid 19-

  1. There was a prevalent misinformation that the 3rd wave would affect the children , since then the children being deprived of schooling and learning and repeatedly being asked to mask-up. Even in April 2023 , school closures and mandatory mask wearing activities has been carried out by support of misinformation , social media influencers etc.

Recently a study was conducted regarding the mask enforcement for schoolchildren , by analyzing the views of different groups –

  1. Trained public health experts and epidemiologists – have consensus that schools should not be closed and mask wearing activity should not be mandatory for children
  2. Super- specialists like hepatologists or endocrinologists agreed on wearing the mask and school closures
  3. Experts and influencers living outside India have stronger arguments for school closures and mask wearing for Children in India 
  1. In outbreaks and epidemics , policy interventions and preventive advice need to factor in the local context and not by observing the pattern in other countries.
  1. The dogmatic stand has been adopted by many self-proclaimed experts, some influencers have positioned themselves as Super-reviewers of scientific studies and use social media platforms to find limitations and criticize the robust studies.
  2. Covid deniers at the beginning now become Covid foreverers.

SOLUTIONS/ WAY FORWARD-

  1. With the WHO’s announcement, Covid 19 has transitioned from a population level challenge to more of an individual level concern.
  2. Government should run formal training courses on the principles and practice of epidemiology.
  3. India’s response to outbreaks and epidemics should be guided by a understanding of epidemiology and not derailed by social media influencers.

Question – Consider the following statements 

  1. World Health organization is the United Nations agency
  2. Its aim is to expand universal health coverage and promotion of healthier lives

Choose the incorrect code

a.1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2 

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer- D