Stopping the spread of a pandemic: A people or a process solution?

“We are more powerful when we empower each other” - Sheryl Sandberg

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The outbreak of Covid-19 has us all on our toes, doesn’t it? Who would have thought that what seemed like a normal cold would turn out to be so deadly? Today, the novel coronavirus which started off in a small city in China has almost infected the entire world, within a period of 3-4 months! Who plays a major role in resolving these health crises? Is it a process solution? Or the otherwise, a people solution?

Why did we even let this reach the point where it is now declared to be a pandemic? Was it so hard to control the spread of this virus? Could this not have been avoided? My point is, no one knows when a simple flu will evolve into a human pandemic.  

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Will a people or a process solution contribute in stopping the spread of a pandemic?

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Now let’s talk about what we mean by the word “Pandemic”. According to the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information), pandemics are large-scale outbreaks of infectious disease that can greatly increase morbidity and mortality over a wide geographic area and cause significant economic, social, and political disruption. In a layman’s term, it is the spread of a lethal disease potentially across the globe while affecting the economic, social and political balance. Apart from this, the greatest impact caused by a pandemic is the fear in the minds of the people. 

Now, talking about ‘Fear’. Why do people fear a pandemic? Well, it's not only the people dying around us that scares us, but also it is lack of preparedness towards fighting such an outbreak terrifies us.

Now, all being said, the bigger question is whether a pandemic can be prevented or be mitigated better? Is it a people or process solution?

Well, some may say it's a process solution, while some may feel otherwise. But, I say, you can stop the spread of a pandemic when both people and process work together. In union with each other. So what do you mean by people or process solution? 

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First off, a ‘people solution’ means efforts solely taken by the people to control the outbreak. So, when we say controlling a pandemic is a people solution, it indicates that only and only people are responsible for the mitigation of the pandemic.

On the other hand, a ‘process solution’ is a coordinated response which is implemented by the government in order to stop the spread of the virus. This involves focusing on the maintenance of social awareness, using risk transfer mechanisms, providing proper care and treatment for the infected.

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I think we can handle a pandemic situation better when we use both the solutions together. Fighting the pandemic is not only the responsibility of the government but also every individual’s responsibility. We can stop the spread of the disease faster if both, organisations and people, work towards the same goal which is to prevent the further spread of the virus.

With the current Covid-19 outbreak, the virus is highly contagious and easily transmitted from person to person. At such times, people must adhere to the rules and must work side by side with the government to help decrease the spread. The problem arises when they don’t cooperate. Then, the government’s efforts to implement a defined process won’t help control the virus.

It becomes very necessary to maintain a balance. Both solutions need to be adopted for an effective result. 

So remember, this is not the end. We can still fight off this pandemic together. A blend of both solutions is what will help the Human race succeed. This will be a true victory over the pandemic. So, let's join our hands together and stand in unison. It’s time to buckle up and pay back!

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