Provocation by Han Yu In a provocation dated April 21, 2020, Bivens and Moeller argue that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s SARS-CoV-2 virus illustration, “while scientifically accurate and visually pleasing,” fails to convey “the exigency of the current pandemic…and the human toll” and doesn’t provoke publics to adopt behaviors (such as handwashing […]
Month: May 2020
How common is “silent” infection with COVID-19? Lessons from an Antarctic cruise
“Covid-19: In the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton” is a brief communication, just published online in Thorax. It describes a cruise ship which set sail after the COVID pandemic was declared, en route for the Antarctic. All passengers had temperature checks on embarkation, but a week into the trip some passengers developed fevers and the […]
‘Saving Face’ and Public Health Policy During Covid-19
Blog by Arthur Rose and Luna Dolezal Criticisms of the Chinese response to the coronavirus pandemic have frequently used “saving face” to explain China’s politicized public health strategy. “Saving face” has also been used to explain Japan’s delayed decision to cancel the 2020 Olympics and Pakistan’s return to work on the Belt and Road project. […]
Coronavirus and lost life: three million years
By David Shaw Everyone knows that older people are at greater risk of dying if infected with coronavirus. Some have even suggested that most people dying of the virus would have died this year or next year anyway because of their age and frailty. But this is not true. In fact, the typical person who […]
Why are funerals superspreading events for COVID-19 in Kurdistan?
In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), funerals appear to be one of the most significant superspreading events for COVID-19. Officials from the Ministry of Health (MoH) referred to funerals as the source of clusters of cases in several locations. One funeral, for example, accounted for the largest spike in COVID-19 cases on a single day. The role […]
From models to narratives and back: a call for on-the-ground analyses of COVID-19 spread and response in Africa
This week, BMJ Global Health published two mathematical models (here and here) to predict the pattern of spread and the potential consequences of COVID-19 in Africa. These two papers are steps ahead of several other such predictive exercises in that they make deliberate effort to take into account the different ways in which people […]
Building sustainable health financing options for emergency response: Lessons from the COVID-19 response in Africa
The ferocity with which global pandemic has affected countries globally has highlighted the importance of emergency public financing. The rapid spread of the disease requires a rapid, proactive and comprehensive approach in order to control its transmission. As such, governments need to have adequate funds availed in a timely manner to the health sector […]
COVID-19 and the Future of Global Health Research Partnerships
Those of us working in global health research, like many others, have seen our work change dramatically in the past eight weeks. Travel, both the privilege and bane of our industry, has halted indefinitely. Our work moves exclusively online. Surveys abound! Many of us are fortunate. Our work can transition online. Most of us […]
COVID-19 in Haiti – a disaster unfolding
When the first case was confirmed on March 19, Haitians were already experiencing an upsurge in gang-associated activities, a spate of kidnappings, a falling currency, weeks of school closures, and a population deeply dissatisfied with the political leadership. In the context of these chronic ills, the rapidly escalating COVID-19 in Haiti represents an existential […]
Symbolism paradox – COVID 19 as the testing ground
With the SARS-CoV-2 managing to reach practically every nation on the globe, governments are facing the biggest challenge since World War II. Most nations have resorted to a range of promotive methods such as social distancing and handwashing drives to highly restrictive methods like complete lockdowns and curfews. Irrespective of the intervention, a group […]