COVID-19

Question 1

Why is low testing and contract tracing a challenge for DCs

Answer 1

LDCs may not have sufficient resources for widespread testing or contact tracing, which are essential for controlling spread of virus. Without accurate data on number of cases, it becomes harder to implement effective containment measures

Question 2

Give an example for low testing and contact tracing capacity

Answer 2

Yemen, ravaged by years of civil war, saw its healthcare system collapse under strain of COVID-19. Testing capacity was extremely low, only handful of testing centres operational across the country. Many cases went unreported or undetected

Question 3

Why is there vaccine inequity

Answer 3

Wealthier nations acquire vaccines first, leaving LDCs at back of queue which delays their vaccination efforts and pandemics impact

Question 4

Give example for vaccine inequity

Answer 4

Despite being home to 17% of world’s population, Africa received 1% of global COVID-19 vaccine supplies during initial rollout. As of early 2023, most African countries had fully vaccinated less than 20% of their population

Question 5

Give an example of inadequate public health systems

Answer 5

Brazil has limited number of healthcare facilities, especially in rural areas.(2.41 doctor to patient ratio) Brazil reported 33.4 million COVID-19 infections and 697000 deaths as of May 2023, second most deaths in the world

Question 6

Give two healthcare challenges DCs face when dealing with COVID-19

Answer 6

DCs have complex healthcare systems with mix of public and private providers, coordinating unified response was complicated by different regulations and standards.
Mutating virus made it harder to control pandemic as constant updates to vaccine/public health strategies were required

Question 7

Give an example of complex healthcare systems

Answer 7

In New York, local health departments and private hospitals often worked independently, leading to fragmented vaccine appointments and challenges in scheduling

Question 8

Give an example of mutating virus

Answer 8

In 2021, there was surge of 400,000 covid-19 cases in India due to outbreak of Delta variant of COVID-19, which was significantly higher than first wave of infections due to variants increased transmissibility

Question 9

Explain social gatherings as a challenge to managing covid-19

Answer 9

Less likely to observe social distancing in informal setting with families. Large events(weddings) considered super-spreader events, one infected person transmit virus to dozens of people due to proximity and enclosed space

Question 10

Explain resistance to public health measures as a challenge to managing covid-19

Answer 10

Many individuals resisted public health guidelines(wearing masks, social distancing). People were often influenced by misinformation, belief measures were unnecessary and this led to public resistance to lockdowns and protests or civil unrest.

Question 11

Give one example for social gatherings being challenge to covid-19

Answer 11

Despite local guidelines limiting gatherings, wedding in Maine 2020 proceeded with 65 attendees, led to significant outbreak that spread to multiple communities, including nursing home and correctional facility, leading to 177 confirmed cases, 7 hospitalisations and 7 deaths

Question 12

Explain why there was rapid spread of covid-19 across borders

Answer 12

International travel for business or leisure contributed to spread of covid-19 due to incubation time of the virus in travellers. Airports and planes are key points for virus to transmit across countries

Question 13

Why was there difficulty in enforcing travel restrictions

Answer 13

Enforcement was inconsistent and many people continued to travel, leading to continued transmission across regions. Different countries implemented travel restrictions in different ways, differing rules and inconsistency made it difficult to uniformly enforce restrictions across borders

Question 14

Give evidence for rapid spread of covid-19 across borders

Answer 14

In April 2021, the U.K. identified the Delta variant in travellers returning from India. By June 2021, the Delta variant had become the dominant strain in the U.K., leading to a massive wave of infections and hospitalizations. Similarly, Australia experienced outbreaks of Delta, traced back to travellers returning from India

Question 15

Give evidence for difficulty in enforcing travel restrictions

Answer 15

the U.S. imposed a travel ban on China in late January 2020. However, tens of thousands of people continued to travel to the U.S. from China in the weeks following the ban, often due to exceptions made for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and their families

Question 16

Explain why overcrowded housing is challenge to manage spread of covid-19

Answer 16

Impossible to maintain social distancing, large numbers of individuals living in enclosed space(or multiple generations) means if one person is infected, can quickly spread to others. Residents share bathrooms and other communal areas, increases chance for contact with contaminated surfaces

Question 17

Explain why poor sanitation and hygiene is challenge to manage spread of covid-19

Answer 17

May not have access to clean water and sanitation facilities, makes it difficult to follow hygiene practices such as hand washing, which are critical in preventing spread of virus. Shared bathrooms also increase chance for contact with contaminated surfaces.

Question 18

Give an example for poor sanitation and hygiene leading to spread of covid-19

Answer 18

Zaatari, one of the largest refugee camps in the world, houses over 76,000 Syrian refugees.
families live in tight quarters with minimal space between them, creating conditions in which the virus can quickly move from one household to another, especially in communal areas like food distribution centres or health clinics.

Question 19

Give an example for overcrowded living conditions leading to spread of covid-19

Answer 19

Migrants in Singapore sleep on bunk beds, crammed into rooms with as many as 20 people. The biggest dormitory complex houses up to 24,000 workers. For most of 2021, migrants made up to 19 in 20 of covid-19 cases, 175,000 out of 323,000 dormitory residents had caught the virus.