Introduction
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a new condition that has triggered a global pandemic. Experts in the fields of medicine and public health have proposed superior strategies to contain the disease. Caused by a new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, this condition is highly contagious and continues to claim the lives of many people in different parts of the world. Such individuals are still finding it hard to differentiate the facts between normal flu and this disease. This paper seeks to explore and describe why COVID-19 is not another flu, but a serious condition that all people should take seriously.
Why COVID-19 is Not a Flu
Most of the research completed within the past 12 months have proved that COVID-19 is a serious disease in comparison with flu. For instance, Kamel (2020) indicates that the condition is deadly and can cause death in persons with weakened immunities. This fact explains why it has claimed the lives of people with underlying conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The field of Ethics can help more people appreciate the problems that COVID-19 has presented in comparison with flu. For instance, the condition has resulted in numerous issues regarding the way the deceased should be buried or disposed of. The disease has triggered moral questions when it comes to the provision of medical support, food supplies, and vaccines. Such issues are unprecedented and capable of affecting the moral foundations of any given society.
Individuals can acquire additional insights by examining COVI-19 through the use of the Health angle. For instance, many professionals have observed that COVID-19 is extremely infectious. El-Sheekh and Hassan (2021) indicate that around 80 percent of people with the condition will develop mild signs and symptoms. However, 15 percent will record advanced symptoms or become severely ill (Reddy, 2020). Being a new disease, the global society has been compelled to implement proper measures to minimize infections and ensure that more lives are protected. Globally, this disease has resulted in around 109 million infections and around 2.4 million deaths (Reddy, 2020). For flu, around 200,000 people die across the globe because of complications associated with it (Reddy, 2020). The newness and complications associated with COVID-19, therefore, make it a serious medical condition.
Egypt was one of the first countries to record cases of COVID-19 in Africa. Using the lens of the Economics discipline, it is agreeable that the condition has presented numerous problems in this country. Currently, the disease infects around 170,000 citizens annually (Kayali et al., 2016). Over 9,000 people die annually due to complications associated with this condition (Kayali et al., 2016). Unlike flu, the disease has affected most of the economic sectors and disoriented the lives of many individuals (Kamel, 2020). During the same period, the country has been forced to provide subsidies and food supplies to citizens who are unable to earn a living. The disease has also led to economic stagnation in the country and across the wider Mediterranean region.
Conclusion
The above discussion has identified various reasons to explain why people should not consider COVID-19 as just another flu. The disease has triggered unprecedented economic problems, increased ethical and moral tensions, and redefined the goals and missions of Egypt’s health sector. The supportive facts outlined above reveal that global society should continue supporting the implemented protocols to ensure that more people do not lose their lives.
References
El-Sheekh, M. M., & Hassan, I. A. (2021). Lockdowns and reduction of economic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic improved air quality in Alexandria, Egypt. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 193(11). Web.
Kamel, M. I. (2020). A view of the health services after COVID-19: An Egyptian perspective. Alexandria Journal of Medicine, 56(1), 118-129. Web.
Kayali, G., Kandeil, A. M., El Shesheny, R. A., & Kayed, A. E. (2016). Avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in Egypt. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 22(3), 379-388. Web.
Reddy, S. G. (2020). Population health, economics and ethics in the age of COVID-19.BMJ Global Health, 5(7), 1-10. Web.