COVID-19 Impact on Security: Discussion Essay

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Security

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic posed a threat to national, global and human security. The pandemic is a threat to human freedom due to the diminished stability of the food sector, social stability, and dignity. Simultaneously, it is a threat to global and national security due to the increased risks for law enforcement, economic collapse and fatality rates. For developing countries such as Indonesia, the effects are insurmountable, and its legacy will be seen for a prolonged future. Even developed countries such as the USA experienced tremendous issues due to the impact of the COVID-19.

Effect on Law Enforcement

The proliferation of COVID-19 has significantly impacted law and order in Indonesia. The state concerned with their responsibilities constantly puts pressure on law enforcement (Alam et al. 2021). Most often, these individuals are under double-duty strain to address the pandemic scenario (Alam et al. 2021). Law enforcement personnel has experienced high growth in infection rates (Alam et al. 2021). Due to their postings being distant from where they were raised, some of them are estranged from their families. This separation from families caused mental health issues, including anxiety (Alam et al. 2021). This is a threat to human security as anxiety is spreading, destabilizing society and causing deprivation of the freedom of fear and national security as law enforcement is losing its effectiveness and officers.

In the US, the situation was similarly drastic due to the same concerns of raising positive covid testing among law enforcers. In New York City, over 2,000 law enforcement personnel had tested positive for COVID-19 by early April 2020, and many more had reported coming into contact with the infected (Jennings & Perez 2020). These statistics raised anxiety and safety concerns for families among personnel (Jennings & Perez, 2020). Consequently, exposing the fragility of the national and human security in both countries.

In order to deal with the impending crisis Indonesia followed in parallel the recommendations made by WHO. The government subsequently enacted a number of regulations, including social safety nets, large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), and physical distancing (Roziqin et al. 2021). Only if the society abides by them will these policies be effective. The effectiveness of those policies may depend on the society, either as a source of support or as a source of challenges.

In contrast, USA developed more detailed approaches to covid. The country is planning to issue funding for vaccine production in scale of 1 billion doses per year (National 2022). The government will develop a website where citizens may learn about the COVID-19 danger in their area and receive recommendations based on that risk (National 2022). Plans to continue the development of existing tracking and data collection methods are also set in motion in preparation for the new outbreak variants (National 2022). These governmental policies demonstrate clear difference in the funding of two countries and relate to massive introspective insight of what can be done for developing regions.

Social Instability

In addition, the pandemic caused national division and stigmatization in Indonesia. According to public health studies, individuals who tested positive for the coronavirus experienced a negative stigma that, in some circumstances, resulted in eviction, desertion, and other negative outcomes (Dwinantoaji & Sumarni 2020). The issue should be critically addressed by the policy-making that ensures shared risk information with local communities to mitigate the devastating effects of the pandemic (Dwinantoaji & Sumarni 2020). Anti-Asian attitudes also emerged in the midst of crisis both within Indonesian and US territories (Dwinantoaji & Sumarni 2020; Dhanani & Franz 2020). It is recognizable that the situation escalated from the limited understanding of the disease in the early phases of the pandemic.

Role of Information

Therefore, information exchange is essential to prevent rumors and false information. Governments, local authorities, residents, the media, famous individuals, and communities all have a crucial responsibility to play in eliminating social stigma, especially that which is attached to people (Dwinantoaji & Sumarni 2020). Educating people on how the virus spreads and the fact that viruses do not target certain racial or ethnic groups may help to end the discrimination. At the same time, the media may spread information about fundamental infection control procedures, COVID-19 symptoms, and when to seek medical attention, as it is crucial to raising awareness. Journalists should include the infection survivors and role models to honor medical professionals, health professionals, and community volunteers who are battling and playing a good role against the global pandemic in order to lessen societal fear (Dwinantoaji & Sumarni 2020). These actions could be attributed to the necessary changes for human security in recognition of the events that transpired during a pandemic.

The role of technology is similarly essential in tracking and ordering medications, remote controlling patients and transmission of medical data. This is the result of Internet of Medical Things which comprises the combine network of IT technologies and medical devices (Saher & Madiha 2021). In essence, this is a smart platform that analyzes biological data to determine a patient’s ailment without a lot of human intervention (Saher & Madiha 2021). It does this by utilizing smart sensors, smart gadgets, and cutting-edge communication protocols (Saher & Madiha 2021). This is a promising filed which may lead to the faster responses towards possible future outbreaks.

Global Insecurity

Moreover, global food security suffered from the pandemic, which led to devastating consequences. According to some projections, 80 million more individuals were malnourished in 2020 than there were before the epidemic, and 65 million to 75 million people may have fallen into extreme poverty (COVID-19 2022). At the same time, a pandemic puts approximately 43 million people in 38 different nations in danger of experiencing starvation or famine-like circumstances (COVID-19 2022). The countries most in danger from famine include Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and South Sudan (COVID-19 2022). West Africa’s hunger rate has doubled since 2019 and is now at its highest point in decades (COVID-19 2022). Due to drought, inflation, COVID-19 border controls, and political unrest, farmers in the area had already been struggling to feed their families, further exacerbating an already dire food situation (COVID-19 2022). This is recognizable as a threat to global security and humanity as a whole.

Biosecurity

Protecting the health of people, animals, and the environment from biological dangers is the crucial task of biosecurity. The likelihood of biosecurity breaches has dramatically increased with globalization. The COVID-19 pandemic is an illustration of a biosecurity breach that has presented a significant threat to the entire planet. Since the first report on the identification of COVID-19, some governments have implemented preventative measures, such as lockdown, screening, and early discovery of suspected cases, as well as implementing the necessary responses to minimize the risk of fatalities and economic damage. However, some measures led to a negative effect on the public.

Social Response

In Indonesia, people underwent traumatic experiences from the constant media coverage of the pandemic. The research observed four psychological responses in local society: withdrawal, hysteria, and individual and collective violence (Abdullah, 2020). In the US, the research demonstrates that similar levels of fear are present. People suffered from mental distress, depression, anxiety, stress and hysteria in 2020 (Holingue et al., 2020). This demonstrates similar levels of fear in both countries and negative perception of the society towards pandemic and utilized countermeasures.

In the recent US poll it was evident that half of the population considers that official policymakers are doing a fair or poor job in their responses to the virus (Tyson & Cary 2022). Numerous people felt confusion towards proposals from public health authorities on how to stop the coronavirus from spreading quickly (Tyson & Cary 2022). In Indonesia, public policies addressing COVID-19 were highly dependent on cooperation from the international community. Australia has sent professional advisers to help with the proper management of epidemic as well as vital medical supplies like lab equipment, non-invasive ventilators, and personal protective gear. This high dependence on external factors demonstrates the state’s high limitations in properly addressing the issue. The US national response was poor but the methods applied in intelligence networking and high technological advancements in tracking and monitoring of the disease allow the country to properly manage its progress.

Recommendations

It is evident that the impact of a pandemic or rather health security should be prioritized globally. In an effort to mitigate the scope and negative ramifications of the pandemic, two recommendations could be made. The first is the adaptation of human security as a national priority due to the vastness of issues that need to be addressed in a timely manner. COVID-19 revealed that existential threats in the form of preventable diseases and poverty are substantially more harmful in contrast to commonly perceived threats of national security. The second recommendation is the dissemination of public policies to target not only physical health but also the mental health of the population. It is evident that the pandemic caused mass panic in the nation, and people were genuinely frightened for their lives which caused law enforcement difficulties and, in some cases, radicalization and violence. Therefore, addressing the issue of community mental health is necessary for future policy-making.

Table 1. Relevant statistics for COVID-19 in USA and Indonesia

Death TollTotal CasesGovernmental ExpendituresCountry
157,189 (WHO n.d.)6,273,228 (WHO n.d.)405.1 trillion rupiah (Jefriando 2020)Indonesia
1,025,353 (WHO n.d.)91,435,449 (WHO n.d.)4.3 trillion dollars in obligations (The federal response 2022)USA

References

Abdullah, I. 2020. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(5), 488. Web.

Alam, Md. Mahmudul, Agung Masyad Fawzi, Md. Monirul Islam, and Jamaliah Said. Security Journal, 2021, 1-20. Web.

USGLC. US Global Leadership Coalition, Web.

Dhanani, Lindsay Y., and Berkeley Franz. International Journal of Public Health 65, no. 6 (2020): 747–54. Web.

Dwinantoaji, Hastoro, and Sumarni, D. W. 2020. Journal of the Medical Sciences (Berkala Ilmu Kedokteran), 52(3), 74-81. Web.

Holingue, C., Badillo-Goicoechea, E., Riehm, K. E., Veldhuis, C. B., Thrul, J., Johnson, R. M.,… & Kalb, L. G. 2020. Preventive Medicine, 139, 106231. Web.

Jackson, J. K. 2021. “Global economic effects of COVID-19.” Congressional Research Service

Roziqin, Ali, Syasya Y.F. Mas’udi, and Iradhad T. Sihidi. Public Administration and Policy 24, no. 1 (2021): 92–107. Web.

USAspending.gov, Web.

Jefriando, Maikel. Reuters. Thomson Reuters, Web.

Jennings, Wesley G., and Nicholas M. Perez. American Journal of Criminal Justice 45, no. 4 (2020): 690–701. Web.

The White House. The United States Government, Web.

Tyson, Alec, and Cary Funk. Pew Research Center Science & Society. Pew Research Center, Web.

Saher, Raazia, and Madiha Anjum. Researches and Applications of Artificial Intelligence to Mitigate Pandemics, 2021, 109–38. Web.

“Who Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard.” World Health Organization. World Health Organization. Web.

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