Managing the Spread of COVID-19 Among Special Needs People Research Paper

Introduction

Novel Coronavirus, popularly known as COVID-19, is a new strain of virus that was first reported in the city of Wuhan in China. It is believed that the virus is epidemiologically linked to the wet market that has remained popular in the country for the past several decades (Le et al., 2020). The outbreak of the pandemic has had a major disruptive impact on the global society. In Europe and North America, lockdown measures were taken to help manage its rapid spread. The same stringent measures were also implemented in different parts of the world. Despite these efforts, many lives were lost and the global economy was negatively affected. In the United States alone, over 380,000 people have lost their lives to the virus.

Globally, it is estimated that about 2 million people have lost their lives so far to the virus. In the United Arab Emirates, it is reported that about 230,000 cases have been reported, with 711 people losing their lives to the virus (Velavan & Meyer, 2020). The few number of deaths recorded in the UAE is a major success in the fight against the virus when compared to reports provided by other countries. It is a testament to the concerted effort that the government has put in place to protect the general populace from the virus.

The government, through the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority has put in place measures meant to protect all the residents of this country, especially the vulnerable population, from contracting the virus. Public awareness campaigns has been the most effective and commonly used strategy by this authority to sensitize members of the public on how to combat the virus. Washing of hands regularly, the need for people to avoid touching their faces when in public places, wearing masks, and minimizing unnecessary movements and gatherings are some of the measures that this entity has been promoting as a way of combatting the virus. The government also used lockdown, as has been seen in most parts of the world, as a means of minimizing the spread of the deadly virus.

In the fight against COVID-19, one of the biggest concerns that this authority has had to face is how to protect special needs people from the virus. The deaf, the blind, children with autism spectrum, down-syndrome, development delays, and the elderly have uniquely been devastated by this virus. During the period of the pandemic, the government was forced to shut down some of the facilities that these people rely on to lead normal lives because they emerged as super-spreading centers for the virus. The elderly rely on these centers to get the special care they need. Some of the children with developmental challenges rely on these facilities to get regular therapies to help them overcome their problem. The blind need assistance of their friends and family members to follow guidelines provided by the government on how to fight the virus. The deaf also has the challenge that makes it necessary for them to get the support of friends and family members. It means that this population is even more vulnerable to the virus than the rest of the population.

It has been necessary for the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority to find ways of protecting this vulnerable population from the virus and its socio-economic consequences. As Cao (2020) explains, as the government puts in place stringent measures to fight this virus, it is important to ensure that the vulnerable population is not left exposed to other threats. Denying a child with developmental challenges the opportunity to have access to the regular medical services they need may leave them permanently paralyzed. Similarly, when the elderly are forced out of the homes where they get the care they need because of the fear of the virus, then they may be exposed to other illnesses, which may lead to their early demise. As such, it is necessary to have a delicate balancing of the needs when fighting this virus. The government, through this agency, must develop a special plan that can help it protect the rest of the population from the virus, while at the same time ensuring that special needs people have access to services that they need to lead a normal life.

Problem Statement

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority finds itself in a challenging situation. The Ministry of Health, working closely with various governmental and non-governmental agencies, has been keen on ensuring that people with special needs receive adequate care to enable them lead normal lives (Sahu & Cerny, 2020). Children with autism, down-syndrome, and developmental challenges have been receiving regular therapies and other forms of treatment at different facilities around the country. Homes for the elderly have also been providing socio-psychological and health support for the senior members of the society. However, most of these facilities have had to be closed because studies have shown they can be super-spreading grounds (Fauci et al., 2020). Some of these special needs people cannot lead normal lives without the regular care they receive from these institutions. There is also the challenge of implementing COVID-19 management policies among the blind and the death. They rely on friends and family members to lead normal lives.

The challenge that this authority faces is how to develop strategies of managing the spread of the virus among special needs people without adversely affecting their health. As Iba et al. (2020) observe, the novel coronavirus has proven to be deadly, especially among those with underlying health conditions. The ease with which it spreads from one person to another and the speed at which one’s health deteriorates once infected has also baffled medical experts. The government has been keen on finding effective ways of ensuring that the vulnerable population is not infected. The challenge that remains is that most of the available strategies of managing its spread not only affects the economy but may also have more devastating impact on the selected population. As the global medical community continue to learn more about the virus, it is necessary for the authority to reevaluate its strategies to ensure that other factors are also taken into consideration.

Aim and Objectives of the Study

The primary aim of this study is to assess and discuss the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority’s strategies in managing the spread of COVID-19 among special needs people and to propose ways of improving them. The authority has put in place measures to address this issue, but a section of the society has criticized the current strategies as being insensitive to people with special needs. One major wrong assumption was that everyone can afford to stay at home for some time as a way of suppressing the spread of the virus. These special needs people need regular therapies and other forms of medication to stay alive (Zhao et al., 2020). Denying them these services may lead to death or major health complications. The following are the specific objectives that should be achieved through this study:

• To assess the current strategies used by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority in managing the spread of COVID-19;
• To assess the effectiveness of these strategies in minimizing the spread of the virus to the general population;
• To assess the effectiveness of these strategies in protecting people with special needs from COVID-19 and special health complications that they may have;
• To identify challenges of the current strategies in protecting special needs population;
• To discuss ways through which the authority can address the challenges to ensure that special needs population is effectively protected.

Hypothesis

The current studies have demonstrated that most of the strategies that governments all over the world have been using to battle the spread of COVID-19 ignored special needs people’s challenges. The UAE has been implementing the same policies, mostly on the basis of the guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (Yang et al., 2020). The following hypothesis was developed based on the preliminary investigation that the researcher conducted.

H1. The current strategies that the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority has been using have failed to protect special needs people in the country.

Terminologies

The following terms are widely used throughout this document:

• COVID-19- coronavirus 19 is a novel virus that was first recorded in Wuhan, China, and has symptoms similar to those of pneumonia, but is more deadly.
• Special needs people- individuals with medical needs such as those with autism, down-syndrome, the blind, the deaf, and children with developmental challenges.
• The vulnerable group- those who are at a higher risk of contracting the virus and losing their lives because of their compromised immune system
• The elderly- Those who are aged over 65 years
• WHO- World Health Organization.
• CDC- Center for Disease Control and Infection
• NCEMA- National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority

Literature Review

The previous chapter has provided a background information about the issue under investigation and the justification for conducting this study. The preliminary investigation has revealed that the current strategies that the government has been using did not take into consideration special needs people. As Vaira et al. (2020) argue, it is possible for the government to succeed in minimizing COVID-19 deaths as much as possible, but at the same time allow other medical problems to claim more lives than would be necessary. The fundamental goal of the government is to ensure safety and security of people through every means possible. It is not realistic to allow other problems to thrive and to paralyze a section of the society in the process of fighting this novel virus. Measures should be taken to ensure that every member of the society is protected when developing these policies.

Understanding the Danger that COVID-19 Poses to the Vulnerable Population

The novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is a new type of a deadly virus that was first reported in the city of Wuhan in China. It is believed that the virus originated from the wet market where the locals sell exotic meat. According to Jeyanathan et al. (2020), the actual source of coronavirus has been shrouded in mystery because of the political angle that it took. When the virus broke out in the late 2019, the Chinese government tried to deal with it without informing the international community. It spread very fast and soon, the country was overwhelmed. By the time the Chinese government finally acknowledged the existence of the problem, the virus had spread globally. It has become apparent that the virus was deadly and the vulnerable population, especially for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

When one is infected with the virus, the effect can range from no symptoms, to mild, and severe. As Pfefferbaum and North (2020) note, COVID-19 has symptoms similar to those of pneumonia. There is the shortness of breath, fever, dry cough, and tiredness, loss of smell and taste, and headache. Sometimes the patient may experience rashes on the skin, aches and pains, especially in joints, conjunctivitis, and diarrhea. Health individuals are likely to experience mild symptoms that can easily be managed by maintaining a healthy diet and isolating from the rest of the population to minimize the spread. However, when one has underlying health conditions, especially asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, or the elderly, it is possible to have severe symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, intense chest pain, and loss of speech and movement (Fontanet & Cauchemez, 2020). These symptoms often take about 6 days after infection to start manifesting in an individual.

COVID-19 is one of the deadliest viruses that the global society has had to deal with in recent history. As Bowleg (2020) explains, various factors make this virus dangerous. First is the ease with which it can spread to a wider population. During the first few days of being infected, one may not exhibit any symptoms. However, they will be spreading it to anyone that they come into physical contact with, as Watkins (2020) explains. For those who are asymptomatic, they may not realize that they have the virus, which means that they can spread it to friends and family members without their knowledge. The second factor that makes the virus lethal is the speed with which the health of an individual who is infected deteriorates.

During the first five days of infection, an individual may not even realize that they have contracted the virus. However, when the symptoms start to emerge, the health of a patient start to deteriorate rapidly and they will need immediate intervention. When the case is severe, such a patient would need immediate ventilation support because they are no longer able to breathe on their own. When the lungs collapse, it becomes impossible for such a patient to breath, and they will lose their lives. When a patient with severe symptoms fail to get the medical support that they need, they cannot survive from the virus (Lurie et al., 2020). Another factor that makes this virus lethal is the massive number of people who get infected within a short time. Doctors, nurses, and clinical officers have gained adequate knowledge on how to handle these patients and ensure that their symptoms are managed as a way of protecting their lives.

Ventilators have become a critical equipment in hospitals when it comes to the management of the virus. The problem is that most of these medical facilities are overwhelmed. The medical practitioners are thinly stretched as most of them struggle to meet the increasing need for their services. The available facilities are also overwhelmed by the ever increasing number of hospitalization. In some countries such as Spain and Italy, the government was forced to put up tents to act as makeshift hospitals because the available facilities could no longer accommodate everyone who needed these services (Lurie et al., 2020). A significant number of patients lost their lives because it was not possible for them to have access to medical services that they needed. Even the morticians were devastated by the number of the dead coming from hospitals. In some extreme cases, a patient would just drop and die before even reaching the hospital.

Special needs people were considered vulnerable to this virus in different ways. First, the elderly were classified vulnerable population to this virus. The problem with the elderly was that a significant number of them have underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and heart diseases (Anderson et al., 2020). An individual with one or a combination of these conditions may not survive if they contract the virus. It explains why care homes for the elderly were some of the worst affected institutions in Europe and North America where the virus had devastating effect. The compromised physical strength and wellbeing of the body among the elderly makes them fall into high-risk category when dealing with the virus.

The blind is another high risk category of people when battling the virus. The World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and various other health organizations have issued various guidelines on how people are expected to avoid the virus (South et al., 2020). In what many have defined as the new normal, health experts have encouraged people to avoid crowded places as much as possible. The problem is that the blind have to rely on others to undertake their normal duties. They may not easily realize it when they are in crowded places until they hear the sound. It means that their ability to follow the guidelines provided by the government is not in their hands. They have to rely on members of their family or friends to implement these policies. If those who they rely on are reckless, then they will be exposed to the virus easily even when they want to be responsible in the fight against coronavirus.

The same problem faces the deaf who also have to rely on family members and friends to address some issues. Although their case is not as bad as the blind, sometimes the public awareness campaigns that is promoted in various media platforms do not take into consideration unique challenges of the deaf. As such, these individuals rely on those close to them to make full interpretation of the message so that they can understand what is expected of them and how they can effectively fight the virus (Lurie et al., 2020). The fact that the ability to fully take control of activities in their lives in the fight against the virus makes them be classified as special needs people.

Individuals with mental challenges, irrespective of their age, also face a unique challenge when it comes to managing this virus. These individual lack the capacity to reason rationally and might not follow the strict guidelines put in place by health experts such as wearing of masks and avoiding crowded places. These individuals are less likely to maintain strict hand hygiene measures. When these individuals lack close relatives or friends willing to provide them with food and shelter, then they will be forced to beg or retrieve leftovers in dustbins, which further exposes them to the virus (South et al., 2020). They lack the capacity to understand the message put in place by various agencies on how to stay safe. A combination of these factors make it more likely for them to contract the virus than the rest of the population.

Strategies that Other Countries Have Used to Protect the Vulnerable Population

When the pandemic struck, medical experts struggled to understand it and to develop measures meant to manage its spread. However, it was clear that the virus was highly contagious. The first measure that was developed in China where the virus was first reported was to minimize physical interaction of people (Shi et al., 2020). It was evident that it was highly contagious, especially when an infected individual came into contact with others without the virus. The government advised people to minimize unnecessary movements and social gatherings because of the ease with which the virus can spread. When it became evident that people were not following this guideline, many governments were forced to implement strict lockdown measures. In parts of China, Italy, Spain, and United Kingdom, governments introduced lockdown, prohibiting people from moving out of their homes unless they were essential services providers. This measure helped in slowing the rate of infection in these countries.

Schools were shut down, companies closed, and many government officials were advised to work from home. These measures were taken to ensure that physical interaction was minimized as much as possible. In what became known as social distancing, this measure was considered one of the most effective strategies of fighting the virus. As Lipsitch et al. (2020) observe, the primary mode of transmission of coronavirus from an infected person to a healthy person is physical interaction. The virus is spread through air, and when an infected person is in close proximity with healthy individuals, the virus will spread. One can also contact the virus when they touch contaminated surfaces. As such, minimizing movement of people and their physical interaction minimizes the spread of the virus.

Strict hand hygiene measures has become a standard practice during this period of COVID-19 pandemic. Stopsack et al. (2020) state that one of the best ways of killing the virus stuck in the hand is to wash one’s hand with soap and a running water for at least twenty seconds. Studies have confirmed that maintaining hand hygiene minimizes chances of one contracting the virus. Another alternative to hand washing is the use of alcohol-based sanitizers. They help in killing the virus in case one touches an infected surface. It is also recommended that people should avoid handshaking, hugging, and any other form of physical contact as a way of minimizing the spread, especially after meeting a loved one for the first time after a period of being apart.

All these measures are based on the premise that the virus can only be transferred from one individual to another through physical contact, being close to one another, which makes it easy for the airborne virus to spread, or being in contact with contaminated surfaces, which makes it possible for the virus to spread through the nose, mouth, or eye. Minimizing the risk factors lowers the risk of the spread, which is currently the most effective way of managing the spread before the vaccine is made available to the global population.

Unintended Impact of the COVID-19 Management Measures on People with Special Needs

When enforcing various measures to help curb the spread of the virus, the government failed to understand the fact that special needs person should be granted special attention. As Cron and Chatham (2020) observe, there are various unintended impact of the COVI-19 management measures among this special group of people in the society. One of the unintended consequences was the closure of care homes for the elderly. In Europe and North America, it became apparent that these were super-spreading grounds for the virus. The situation was worsened by the fact that the elderly were some of the most vulnerable members of the society. They are more likely to die of complications arising from the virus than the rest of the population.

It was not an easy decision, but in the United States, the government was forced to close down most of these care homes. Those who were residing in these homes were advised to get alternative shelters because it was believed that these facilities were no longer safe for them anymore (Hornuss et al., 2020). The problem that many faced was that they did not have alternative shelters. Some had to rely on well-wishers to get accommodated during the period. The government in the United States and most parts of the word are yet to come up with effective measures that can help address this problem that the elderly are facing in the country.

Special needs children who need regular therapy such as those with developmental challenges were also hugely affected by these initiatives. According to Ahmad et al. (2020), most of the facilities that they relied on were converted into isolation centers. Some parents deliberately stopped going for the therapy sessions because of the fear of contracting the virus. As such, these children could no longer have access to the services they needed for their normal development. Many governments around the world were so overwhelmed with the surge and impact of the virus that this group of people were forgotten in their management plans. Most of these children are still unable to have access to medical support that they regularly need to lead normal lives.

A number of them have had a situation where their conditions worsened because of lack of the services that they need. Zhang et al. (2020) argue that most parents are still not satisfied with the assurance by the government that they can visit healthcare facilities to get services they need. They consider the condition of their children as non-life threatening, opting to stay at home for fear of contracting the deadly virus. Other special needs persons such as those with down-syndrome have also suffered during this period because of the challenges of getting the medical attention that they need either because most of the healthcare facilities are focused on battling the virus or because of the fear of contracting the virus.

The Effectiveness of these Strategies

It has been difficult to measure the effectiveness of these measures taken to manage this virus because the pandemic was unprecedented. The United States has been recording over 4000 deaths every day from COVID-19 related complications (Moghadas et al., 2020). In Italy and Europe, the same trend was witnessed when the outbreak was at its peak. The fact that such a pandemic had not been witnessed in the recent times, it has been difficult to have an effective measure of determining the level of success of the strategies that various governments have used. Zhang et al. (2020) explain that China managed to curb the spread of the virus in a better way than Europe and North America.

The problem is that it may not be easy to trust official report from China. The government has been keen on hiding the truth from the onset of the pandemic, and it is believed that the statistics that it presents are not a true reflection of the actual fact in the country. In terms of the impact that these strategies have had on people with special needs, it is apparent that it has been a failure (South et al., 2020). Most of these strategies failed to take into consideration the need to ensure that these people are protected from any adverse effects.

Methodology and Tools

The previous chapter has provided a detailed review of the literature. In this chapter, the focus is to discuss methods that the researcher used to collect and process data from various sources. Data used in this study was collected from both primary and secondary sources. Secondary data was obtained from books, peer-reviewed journals, and reliable online sources. Primary data was obtained from a small sample of respondents who were available and willing to take part in the data collection process. The chapter explains the study population, questionnaire design used to collect primary data from respondents, and analysis of the primary data.

Study Population

The study population was persons with special needs such as children with autism, down-syndrome, developmental disorders, and the elderly. The study focused on investigating how the current COVID-19 management strategies has affected them and how the government, through the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, can redefine its strategies to ensure that they are protected. When collecting primary data, respondents were classified into three groups. The first group included the elderly who have been living in home care facilities around the country, most of which have been closed to help fight the spread of the pandemic. The researcher was interested in determining their view about the current strategies, possible weaknesses that they have witnessed, and ways that they believe these challenges can be addressed. The second group are experts who have been handling people with special needs in the country. They included doctors and physiotherapists who have been handling patients with different needs, and nurses who have been caring for the elderly.

These individuals have the capacity to provide expert opinion on how the current strategies have affected their ability to care for their patients and the impact it may have on the wellbeing of these special needs individuals. The third category included parents of children with special needs. These children may not have the capacity to participate in this investigation because of their tender age (Kaurani, 2020). As such, their parents were involved to help understand the challenges that they go through during this period. These parents could explain the trauma they have gone through trying to find ways of caring for their children during a period when most of the facilities they rely on are overwhelmed by the number of COVID-19 patients.

The researcher used stratified sampling method to identify participants in this study. As mentioned above, there were three classes of respondents, which included the elderly, medical practitioners, and parents of children with special needs. In each of the three strata, the researcher used simple random sampling to select individual participants. A sample of 50 participants was used to facilitate the collection of primary data. The small sample was used because of the challenge that the researcher faced in reaching out to the participants (Klugman & Lamb, 2019). Restrictions put in place by the government to help manage the spread of the virus meant that the researcher could not meet with these participants for face-to-face interviews. Instead, the researcher e-mail a questionnaire to each of the participants with guidelines on how to answer each question.

Questionnaire as a Tool for Data Collection

The researcher relied on a questionnaire to collect primary data from sampled participants. The questionnaire had three parts. The first part of the document focused on collecting information about the demographics of the participants. It was an important section that helped in ensuring that each of them met the inclusion criteria in each of the three groups. For parents, one of the important inclusion criteria was that they should have at least one child with special needs who has been receiving therapy or other forms of medication to lead a normal life. For the elderly, it was required that they must have been staying in home care facilities prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. For the medical practitioners, they had should have been caring for a special needs person before or during the outbreak of the pandemic.

The second section of the questionnaire focused on academic background and experience of the participants. As Small and Mardis (2018) explains, an individual who is highly knowledgeable in a given field of study has the capacity provide authoritative information that is reliable. Similarly, one who is experienced in a given field also has the capacity to provide informed opinion over a given issue. The last section of the document focused on a wide number of questions about the current strategies that the government has been using to manage COVID-19 and how effective it is taking into consideration concerns of special needs people. The document was e-mailed to the participants and they were informed that they should send the filled questionnaire through the same channel.

Analysis of the Primary Data

Once data was collected from sampled participants, the final step was to conduct analysis to respond to the research questions. The researcher chose qualitative methods to process the primary data collected from the participants. This approach to analyzing primary data was considered appropriate because it allowed for a detailed explanation of the issue under investigation. It was possible to assess the current strategies that the government is using to manage the spread of the virus in the country. It allowed the researcher to explain the effectiveness of the current strategies and how they affect persons with special needs. It was also possible to explain weaknesses of these strategies and how they can be addressed to ensure that as the country battles the pandemic, those with special needs are not ignored. The outcome of the analysis was presented using themes, as shown in the chapter below.

Analysis

The previous chapter has provided a detailed explanation of the method that was used to collect data from a sample of respondents. In chapter 2, a review of literature was provided to help explain what other scholars have found out in this field. More specifically, the chapter provided a discussion about how other governments around the world, especially in Europe and North America, have dealt with the virus and its impact on persons living with disabilities. In this chapter, the focus is to discuss how NCEMA can approach this problem, based on the information from secondary sources and data obtained from a sample of respondents who agreed to take part in the study.

How the NCEMA is Currently Handling COVID-19 Cases among Special Needs People

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority responded to the outbreak of the virus in the same way as other government agencies around the world. The immediate concern was to minimize the spread as much as possible as a way of protecting the vulnerable population and ensuring that healthcare facilities are not overwhelmed. The researcher asked respondents specific questions regarding strategies that NCEMA is currently using to battle the virus among the general population and persons with special needs in specific.

What are the current strategies used by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority in managing the spread of COVID-19?

When asked this question, respondents provided answers based on the experience that they have had and information that is available in the public domain. This question was meant to gather information about the general strategies that the government has been using to battle the pandemic. Given that this was a qualitative research, respondents were requested to provide explanation to answers that they provided.

Participant 7 explained, “The government has been keen on implementing strict adherence to various measures meant to curb the spread of the virus. One such strategy is limited physical interaction. Some of the religious and academic institutions had to be shut down to minimize the spread of the virus.”

Participant 16 noted, “The government, through the Department of Transport, has been keen on regulating international flights to minimize importation of the virus from other countries. The strategy was considered appropriate when it became apparent that a new variant of the virus was emerging in the United Kingdom and South America.

Participant 24 stated, “Practices such as wearing of masks, keeping social distance, regular sanitation, and regular monitoring of body temperatures have become standard practices in the management of the virus.”

The response obtained from these participants demonstrate that NCEMA has been following guidelines provided by World Health Organization, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and other global healthcare organizations. The government’s strategies in managing the virus has been similar to strategies used in other parts of the world. These strategies are based on the requirement that human interaction should be as minimal as possible to help reduce the spread of the virus (Sahu & Cerny, 2020). The researcher wanted to determine if the authority has introduced specific strategies specifically meant for those with special needs.

Do you believe NCEMA has enacted and effectively implemented COVID-19 management measures that target persons with disability?

The goal of the researcher was to help this authority to develop COVID-19 management strategies that are sensitive to the plight of people with special needs. As Goldschmidt (2020) states, before suggesting on how an entity can improve its strategies, it is important to start by investigating the current strategies and assessing their effectiveness. The above question helped in that assessment.

Participant 1 said, “I have never heard of any COVID-19 management measures specifically meant for persons with disabilities that NCEMA has implemented since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country.”

Participant 28 stated, “Most of the guidelines that NCEMA has provided are meant to meant to battle the pandemic among the general population. The unprecedented nature of this virus limited the ability of the government to have policies meant for different members of the society.”

Participant 47 said, “Persons with special needs have largely been ignored when COVID-19 management measures were developed. It is evident that some of these policies are making their conditions worse because of the inability to have access to healthcare services that they need.”

It is evident from the responses above that the government, through NCEMA, has failed to enact policies meant to protect persons with special needs as the country battles the virus. These respondents noted that the government was not fully prepared to effectively deal with the pandemic, and as such, relied on strategies proposed by international healthcare organizations. Conspicuously missing in these strategies were measures to protect those living with medical challenges that require regular medical attention. They have been able to access services they need either because of the fear of contracting the virus, as one of the respondents noted, or because healthcare facilities that they relied on have been converted to isolation centers for COVID-19 patients.

In responding to the objective that focused on assessing the effectiveness of these strategies in minimizing the spread of the virus to the general population, it is evident that these strategies have worked. They have minimized the speed at which the virus spreads in the society among the general population. However, in assessing the effectiveness of these strategies in protecting people with special needs from COVID-19 and special health complications that they may have, it is important to note that the level of success has been less satisfactory.

Weaknesses in the Strategies That NCEMA is Currently Using

The researcher was keen on identifying specific weaknesses of the current strategies used by NCEMA in managing the pandemic, especially among the targeted population. The following question was used to help identify these weaknesses to help develop solutions that will address concerns of people with special needs.

What are the challenges of the current strategies in protecting special needs population?

Participant 2 said, “One of the main issues with the current strategies used by NCEMA is that there was a complete disregard for special needs people. The approach taken gave the impression that COVID-19 was the only healthcare problem that the country had to address.”

Participant 14 said, “NCEMA has failed to put in place measures that can ensure that special needs patients can continue having access to special care that they need even as the country battles the pandemic. The problem has been compounded by the fear of the virus that people have.”

Participant 36 stated, “Healthcare facilities have also failed persons with special needs during this period of COVID-19 pandemic. Although it has been important to use every available resource to battle the pandemic, it would have been better to find ways of meeting the needs of this special group too.”

The United Arab Emirates has been able to manage the spread of the virus. The number of those who have contracted the virus has been lower than the global average, especially when compared with Europe, North America, South America, and regional countries such as Iran. The number of deaths have also been relatively lower than the global average. However, the success of these measures have come at the expense of persons with special needs. Most of them have been unable to have access to the medical care because many healthcare facilities have been redesigned to address COVID-19 emergencies. The fear that people have towards the virus may also be attributed to misinformation (Kaur & Gupta, 2020). It means that the authority has failed to create adequate awareness campaign that can help the targeted population. These issues should be addressed to ensure that the vulnerable population is protected.

Effective Ways in Which NCEMA Can Protect the Population from the Spread of the Virus

It is necessary for the government, through NCEMA, to find effective ways through which it can protect the vulnerable group from the virus while at the same time ensuring that they have access to the medical care that they need to ensure that their wellbeing is not compromised. The researcher was interested in getting views from the participants on how the identified challenges could be addressed based on their knowledge and personal experiences. The following question was used to collect data from these participants.

What are the ways through which the authority can address the challenges to ensure that special needs population is effectively protected?

Participant 11 said, “NCEMA should consider introducing policies that are sensitive to the plight of special needs person. In the fight against COVID-19, their unique challenges and medical needs should not be ignored.”

Participant 29 said, “Public awareness campaign should take into consideration special needs persons. The deaf and the blind may not have the capacity to process information shared in the mass and social media platforms in the same way as normal people.”

Participant 50 noted, “There is need to fight misconceptions and misinformation about COVID-19 that has created a massive fear among the general population. Instead of promoting fear, NCEMA should ensure that people are adequately empowered so that they can embrace the right policies meant to minimize its spread.”

These participants have identified various strategies that NCEMA can embrace to help in protecting special needs persons from COVID-19 and effects of its management plans in the country.

Conclusion and Recommendation

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority was forced to respond swiftly to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic that was raging around the world. The UAE has managed to keep the spread of the virus lower than most countries around the world, especially in Europe and North America, because of the timely intervention plans of NCEMA. However, the study shows that although these strategies were largely successful in keeping down the spread of the virus and number of deaths, special needs persons were ignored. Their needs have not been taken into consideration, which has led to a situation where they cannot access some of the important services that they need. The management of NCEMA should take into consideration the following recommendations:

• NCEMA should have a special program that specifically targets those with special needs. The authority should make an effort to ensure that their unique challenges are taken into consideration when enacting COVID-19 management policies;
• NCEMA should ensure that promotional campaigns, both in mass and social media platforms, take into consideration special needs of these individuals;
• The authority should take measures that will enable special needs person to continue receiving relevant medical services such as therapies and other medications even during this period.
• When necessary, persons with special needs should be given financial support to ensure that they can continue leading a normal lifestyle even during this period.

Challenges Encountered and Solutions Embraced

When conducting this study, the researcher encountered some challenges worth noting at this stage of the study. The biggest challenge was the inability to physically interact with participants because of measures put in place by the government to manage the spread of the virus. It also meant that the number of those who could be convinced to take part in the study was also limited. To address this problem, the researcher relied on online platforms to reach out to potential participants. The researcher was able to reach out to 50 participants. Time available for the study was relatively short, but it was adequate to collect and analyze data for the study.

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