Headline Diplomat – Issue 1
The perilous lenses of COVID-19: The impact on the economy
Writes Brock Cooper, Journalist, Profitable Prose, LinkedIn
Covid-19 has infected millions of people across the globe and healthcare workers are on the front lines battling the disease and putting their own health at risk. The healthcare system in numerous countries is taxed beyond the peoples’ limits putting tremendous stress on healthcare workers who attend to patients around the clock.
“Depression, anxiety, insomnia, substance use: those are the four things we watch out for,” Dr. Chris Thurstone, director of behavioral health at Denver’s largest hospital to The Denver Channel. “As things start to settle down and people actually get a chance to breathe and think and be themselves again, they might notice that they’re not completely themselves.”
Covid-19 forced changes in a healthcare system that was not prepared for a pandemic of this magnitude and it will never be the same.
Burnout and Anger for Health Professionals
Hospitals are short on supplies, respirators, and other equipment as doctors and nurses do their best to comfort those inflicted with this terrible disease. They are burning the midnight oil for days on end with little break and it’s causing a serious impact on their physical and mental health.
It’s not unusual for healthcare workers to suffer burnout, but many describe this as something they’ve never felt before. In addition, they are being placed in harm’s way as several hundred health workers have died from the disease and face a violent backlash.
“In the early weeks of the pandemic, a lot of the events were triggered by a fear of infection actually spreading,” said Christina Wille, a founding member of Insecurity Insight told NPR.
Telehealth Flourishes Among COVID-19 Outbreak
With hospitals being overrun with COVID-19 cases and beds and equipment in short supply, telehealth is flourishing and expanding. Telehealth is the use of the Internet to help people diagnose and treat issues that are not severe enough to require hospitalisation.
Fearing the spread of Covid-19, people are naturally reticent to go to the hospital or see their doctor, so telemedicine has replaced doctor’s visits for many.
“A lot of my patients still don’t want to come into my office,” Dr. Paul Berggreen, a gastroenterologist who is president of Arizona Digestive Health said to USA Today. Older adults who might be more susceptible to COVID-19 complications – in particular – are staying home, he said.
Despite this, many insurance companies are scaling back telemedicine as the outbreak decreases. Many doctors also say that telemedicine is unsustainable for doctor’s offices because insurance agencies are too small.
COVID-19 Identifies Flaws in the Healthcare System
The pandemic has shined a light on an imperfect healthcare system that was ill-prepared for a problem of this magnitude. Even today, months after the start of the pandemic, hospitals are still short on required medical and protective equipment to keep their workers and patients safe.
The international healthcare industry must work together to improve and revitalise how they treat their patients and healthcare workers not only during a deadly pandemic, but once everything returns to normal. Healthcare has irrevocably changed and there is no going back to the status quo.
Conclusion
Covid-19 has helped show the flaws of the healthcare system and added even more stress to an already overworked healthcare personnel. The future of healthcare will likely include higher standards for transmission risk and programs to help healthcare workers deal with stress and other psychosomatic issues that came as a result of the pandemic.
Featured photo by Jonathan Borba, Pexels
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