Category: Coronavirus

Coronavirus is an extremely contagious disease which has recently been declared pandemic. As a result, there are regulations imposing limitations on travel as well as sale and use of specified products, temporary restriction on the operation of institution, workplaces and bans on gathering and public events. The virus brings a host of legal issues for business. Most small business like cafes, pubs, convenient sores etc are facing the worst time with events being cancelled and limitation on public gathering.

A few solutions can be considered in order to help the business facing these harsh times.

Most of the business have a hard time paying their staff as they have shortage of customers. Policies like help from the governmental aid for minimum wage coverage, where the government can help pay 20%-30% of the salaries depending on the size of the business. This can turn out to be a bit controversial due to increased number of stores. In Italy, has extended tax deadlines for companies and broadened the wage supplementation fund to provide income support to laid off workers.

Small and medium-size can be allowed to defer certain payments and to provide lower rents and interest on loans. It can lead to companies having some resources to face current challenges like sick employee payments, rents etc. The government can sanction funds for the different categories of the business, analyzing which needs much desire help. Interest free loans are also a good option.

For those laid off, unemployment insurance could be temporarily enhanced, by extending its duration, increasing benefits, or relaxing eligibility. Where paid sick and family leave is not among standard benefits, governments should consider fund it to allow unwell workers or their caregivers to stay home without the fear of losing their jobs during this epidemic.

The Government should authorize central banks to be ready to provide ample liquidity to banks and nonbank finance companies which particularly lend to those which lend money to small and medium-sized enterprises. Extension of loan maturity should also be advised.

Most of small business depend on cheaper products from foreign countries like china for their business. But they face a huge disrupt in this supply chain and due to which they can’t meet the demand. The government can start promoting local producers to provide their goods to the small businesses at a subsidized rate which in fact can help both the parties. Like local farmers can sell to super markets at a rate set by the government. The government can help finance the operation at the start.

Small business can look for modern ways of operating with lower costs. They can tie up with delivery apps or offer delivery to homes. Instead of laying off staff they can find different ways of making them work.

Instead of closing all stores and businesses. A limitation on their operating time can be implemented. Business open during this should comply with government regulation which should consist of procedures to be followed to prevent spreading the disease. Keeping the place of business clean and disinfected. Less number of people allowed at once. A minimum distance of atleast 1.5-2 metres.

All the measures and policies can be tried and used but none of them can last in the long run, rather new ways of dealing with this crisis should be encouraged. The world’s economic is going through a tough time now and the biggest hit will be taken by small businesses. People should also be encouraged to purchase goods from them.

Crises have a tendency to heighten tensions between communities. A spike in patriotism, nationalism, and racism occur in times of crises such as acts of terror, war and national catastrophes. The coronavirus epidemic, or COVID-19, reportedly originated from Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei province, in late 2019. As of April 29, 2020, the number of people that contracted the respiratory virus reached 3,179,494, with 226,173 fatalities recorded worldwide (John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, April 2020). The country most affected by COVID-19 at present time is the U.S. President Donald Trump has been critical of the Chinese government, blaming it for allegedly hiding information that would have helped other countries to take the necessary precautions to curtail the rapid spread of the virus. Trump has continuously referred to COVID-19 as the ‘Chinese virus’, thus adding racist connotations and another layer of threat and vulnerability for Chinese and other Asian communities. “A very basic definition of discrimination tells us that to discriminate is to distinguish between things, usually in ways that imply a judgment about what is better or worse” (MacKinnon, p.7). In the case of the COVID-19 epidemic, Chinese nationals have become victims of discrimination. Direct attacks on Chinese nationals, the refusal to eat at Chinese restaurants and racist comments like ‘Kung Flu’ have all played a part in growing anti-Asian racial discrimination.

Racial discrimination is an ongoing phenomenon in the U.S. “Race still remains as a powerful concept with deep historical roots which helps to explain ongoing inequality and discrimination” (MacKinnon, p.8). Racial supremacy, racial privilege and racial inferiority are rooted concepts that surface in times of crisis, and ideals of equality are pushed back in what becomes a blame game. Chinese integration to the U.S. has a dark history. From as early as the 1850s, when a few thousand Chinese workers arrived to North America, anti-Chinese activists have used gender, race and sex to discriminate against them.

“Anti-Chinese activists, politicians, and journalists throughout the Americas characterized Chinese in strikingly similar ways as thrifty and hard workers, on the one hand, and as conniving, diseased, dirty and uncivilized, on the other” (Young, 2014, p.13). The demarcation between ‘us’ and ‘them’ (them being Chinese) got stronger between Caucasian communities and Asians in the U.S. when political, financial and social factors came into play. For example, in the late-19th century, mass migration of Chinese nationals and a downturn in the economy led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. For 10 years, Chinese immigrants were not allowed to enter the country for work. Chairman Mao Zedong and the People Republic of China’s rise to power in 1949 prompted anti-Chinese sentiment in the U.S. also. These are only a few examples of how tensions escalated and became a potential source of institutional racism. Today, because of the COVID-19 epidemic, attacks on Chinese nationals in Europe and the U.S. have hit new heights since the end of the Cold War. Some political executives, Trump included, have racialized the virus, bringing with it ‘Sinophobia’. Hate crimes against Chinese-Americans and Chinese students have spiraled out of control over the past two months. This is primarily because a large percentage of Americans blame China for the disease entering the U.S. and the consequences it has had on the country.

According to a study by IPSOS “about 3 in 10 Americans blame China or Chinese people for the pandemic” (IPSOS, April 2020; see survey results below). Republicans in particular believe the Chinese government, Chinese labs, or China-based animal wet are the reason behind the current global health crisis. A small minority of politicians within the Republican Party have legitimized racism by frequently arguing that COVID-19 is a biological attack by China. In April 2020, Trump said the Chinese government might have allowed the virus to spread on purpose instead of intervene against it leaving the Asian continent and reaching Europe and North America. Such comments are an example of conscious action, which contributes to the inequality and oppression of ethnic minorities. Furthermore, allegations regarding the lack of intervention against hate crime directed at Asian-Americans suggest the oppression and racism may be more systematic than initially thought (Campbell, April 2020).

Throughout U.S. history, there have been contradictions to the principle of equality and justice, particularly against African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asian-Americans. While Asian-Americans do not experience as much of the profiling that is prevalent against African-American and the Hispanic community, they are perceived more as a threat to the U.S. and the American way of life. Tchen and Yeats (2014) elaborates the fear of East Asians, including the Chinese, as an existential threat to the Western world. ‘The Yellow Fever’ is a terminology used to underline the alleged upcoming Eastern invasion into Europe and North America. The rise of China as political and economic hegemon has added more validity to the claims made by racists. Throughout the 1960s, the fictional character Fu Manchu made it to the big screen as a Chinese villain trying to conquer the world. The script involved lines like “conquer and breed, Kill the white man and take his women!” (Tchen and Yeats, 2014, p.9). Fu Manchu was depicted not as a male but alien like features to differentiate Asians and demonize them.

In conclusion, a long timeline of deep-rooted discrimination against Asian-Americans have once again resurfaced with the pretext of COVID-19. Asian-Americans whom may have never even been to China are being targeted in racist slurs and physical abuse. The U.S. President and some members of his administration have worsened the situation by linking the origins of the virus to the Chinese government and Chinese people. Discriminatory language that and unwelcoming behavior Asian-Americans were confronted with in the 19th century have resurfaced in the latest global crises. Swift solutions are unlikely to materialize to worsening discrimination and the stigma surrounding COVID-19.

Bibliography

1. Campbell, A. F., & Ellerbeck, A. (2020, April 16). Federal agencies are doing little about the rise in anti-Asian hate. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/federal-agencies-are-doing-little-about-rise-anti-asian-hate-n1184766
2. COVID-19 Map. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
3. Forth-Seventh Congress – Session 1, 1882. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/index.html?dod-date=506
4. Kelley, A. (2020, April 7). Attacks on Asian Americans skyrocket to 100 per day during coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/490373-attacks-on-asian-americans-at-about-100-per-day-due-to
5. Mangan, D. (2020, March 18). Trump defends calling coronavirus ‘Chinese virus’ – ‘it’s not racist at all’. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus-criticism-trump-defends-saying-chinese-virus.html
6. New Center for Public Integrity/Ipsos Poll finds most Americans say the Coronavirus Pandemic is a Natural Disaster. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/center-for-public-integrity-poll-2020
7. Porter, T. (2020, April 19). Trump said China may have started the coronavirus deliberately, as top advisers claim attacking Beijing may be the best way for the president to save his job. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-says-china-may-have-started-coronavirus-deliberately-2020-4?r=US&IR=T
8. Tchen, J. K. W. (2014). Yellow peril!: an archive of anti-Asian fear. London: Verso.
9. Young, E. (2014). Alien nation: Chinese migration in the Americas from the coolie era through World War Ii. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.

Organization is defined as a cooperative social system that involves a coordinated effort on the part of many people who pursue the shared goal. In other words, the organization will work when people gather and officially agree to incorporate their efforts for a common objective. Communication can be defined as the process by which information is interchanged and comprehended by two or more people, usually with the aim of motivating or influencing behaviour. Organizational communications is one of the areas of human communication. It may happen within members of an organization where we call internal communication, or individuals or groups from outside an organization which is external communication. Internal communication occurs in up , down and horizontal communication. The communication channels in organization are face to face communication, teleconferencing, telephone and voice mail, written communication also internet and email. According to Shockly-Zalabak (2006:17), organizational communication is also considered to be messages. It is the exchange and creation of messages, which involves the movement and transmitting of both verbal and non-verbal behavior and the exchanging of information within the organization. Communication is very crucial to all of us in this world, and it has become our needs as we communicate every day. Human communication is very much needed as it helps to meet social needs, identity needs, practical needs, physical needs, offer help and play. There are eight characteristics of organizational communications which are management system, climate and organizational culture, communication network, decision making, conflict, power and politics, leaderships, organizational communication ethics and the last one is Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Organizational. All these characteristics are essential in order to manage any problems that may arise in the world.

There will be many issues or crises in this world every day, with varying degrees of seriousness. For example, the current issues of COVID-19 really have a major impact on the world as a whole. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus virus. A novel outbreak of coronavirus was first documented in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019. On 30 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) finally declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic on March 2020. As of 4 May 2020, more than 3,58 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in more than 187 countries and regions, resulting in more than 251,000 deaths.

All the characteristics of the organizational communication referred to above are significant for the management of the world during this outbreak of COVID-19. One of the obvious characteristics that can be observed during this pandemic is the climate and organizational culture. Climate and organizational culture have a direct impact on organizational communication. Climate is a response to the values that exist within the organization. Organizational climate affects the behavior of its members on the basis of achievements that have been highlighted throughout the organization. Due to the influence and role of organizational citizens, the organizational climate is continually changing. Culture refers to the fundamental assumptions shared by members of the group during the problem-solving process. Culture is also influenced by the external influences and internal influences of the organization. Culture is a value, a norm and a practice that has long been firmly established within the organization. In brief, culture is a kind of practice or belief that has been firmly held by each and every employee in the organization. This characteristic of organizational communication can be apparently seen among society when most of the country around the world has enforced a restricted movement order. This situation really affects society because they have to start changing their daily routine.

Apart from that, leadership is also one of the characteristics of organizational communication. Leaders are the main role of the organization. Leadership is an act or role played by the leader in helping the members of the organization to succeed (Cragan & Wright, 1999). Effective leadership refers to the leadership qualities highlighted by the leader and the communication that is formed. The preferred leader is a visionary leader, who knows how to give the correct instructions, understands the subordinates and is easily approachable. It is difficult for an organization to be productively controlled without leaders. The relationship between this characteristic and the current issues of COVID-19 is how the heads of government or countries of each country in the world carry out their duties in order to stem the pandemic in their country. Good leadership will give the country a positive outcome.

Furthermore, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in organizational is also apparent characteristic as we live in a modern era of technology. Each organization uses ICT to facilitate and accelerate work within the organization. Technology is a design for an action aimed at reducing uncertainty in the context of cause and effect to achieve the stated goals (Rogers, 1995). ICT is a combination of computer technology, telecommunication technology and media (Bradley, 1998). It is capable of increasing productivity and strengthening the organization if it is used positively. The ICT that is often used in the organization is the internet, teleconference, teletext, fax, management information system (MIS), e-mail etc. There’s many advantages of using ICT in organizations, such as more information can be processed , stored, transmitted and filtered quickly and cost-effectively, organizations can obtain information from a variety of sources across the country without time limits, interaction between workers becomes easier and often, and also enhance the competitiveness of all organizations and workers. This characteristic is very much related to the current issues of COVID-19, as most people in the world are now using ICT to receive current news. As a result, it has become an effective platform for us to spread important news and awareness among society.

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has exposed and exacerbated many prevalent social justice issues. While social isolation plays a critical role in stopping the spread of COVID-19, it also has some negative effects. Regardless of their field of practice, social workers must adapt to the situation, which has many challenges, especially because social work practice most often involves in person contact. Social isolation also makes it difficult to help clients get access to the resources they need. Social workers who may have been successfully keeping their home and work lives separate must navigate the fusion of them during social isolation. Among the many issues raised from coronavirus pandemic and social isolation is the rise in domestic violence.

In the Guardian’s article “In quarantine with an abuser: surge in domestic violence reports linked to coronavirus” (the guardian) the dialogue continues. The writer mentions that “Activists worldwide have reported an alarming rise in domestic violence cases since the start of coronavirus-related quarantines” (the guardian). The increase in domestic violence is rising because of the need for people to socially isolate. If the those who are being abused leave the home they will be “expose[d]… not just to a deadly virus but a world that has largely closed its doors” (The Guardian).

The writer of the Guardian article also acts as a resource broker, which is one of the many roles that social workers can assume, by connecting readers with a useful resource that victims of abuse can use despite lack of privacy to safely ask for help. She says that “Safe Horizon has a chat service on their website for quiet interactions, as well as an escape button which allows survivors to quickly leave their website without it appearing in their browser history” (The Guardian). This can be a useful resource for those who do not have enough space or privacy to call a national hotline or access other resources. It is necessary for social workers to stay updated with current developments in the resources for domestic abuse survivors, such as the one mentioned in the Guardian article.

It is also important to emphasize that women are not the only people who are particularly vulnerable to domestic violence. Children are also at increased risk. A New York Times article, “The coronavirus could cause a child abuse epidemic,” focuses on the likely increase in child abuse cases. Social isolation which has initiated the closing of schools among other social institutions, which means that “Children aren’t seeing the teachers, counselors and other adults who would normally raise concerns about their well-being” (NY Times). Due to the lower availability of child-abuse reporters during social isolation, there will likely be an under-reporting of child abuse. Unfortunately, “The Covid-19 pandemic has created the conditions for a rise in child abuse that could go unchecked” (NY Times). It is important for social workers to look for innovative ways to ensure the safety of children in times such as these.

Time magazine released an online article that discusses the increase in domestic violence titled “As Cities Around the World Go on Lockdown, Victims of Domestic Violence Look for a Way Out.” This article does a better job of showing the complexities of the situation in a way that none of the other articles do. The article cites that “the National Domestic Violence Hotline reports that a growing number of callers say that their abusers are using COVID-19 as a means of further isolating them from their friends and family” (Time). Victims fear that they may get the virus and there is an obligation for them to stay home, which sometimes means avoiding getting the help that they need. Unfortunately, the actual increase in domestic violence is not the only thing that survivors will suffer. Resources are being cut down and the poor condition of the economy may result in economic dependence of survivors on their abusers. Many resources are overwhelmed including health systems which produces challenges “for victims to get access to medical care or therapists” (Time) and women’s shelters in certain areas may even close “if the risk of infection is deemed too high” (Time).

The Guardian and Times articles also make sure to emphasize the economic influences on domestic violence survivors. The expected economic recession “make[s] it more difficult for victims to leave abusive relationships” (Time). These difficulties arise in the positive correlation between the rises “Studies show that as unemployment rises, so do levels of domestic violence” (The Guardian). This means that survivors will likely need more access to resources. However, their need may not be met since “Many social services for victims of domestic violence will also suffer budget cuts under a recession” (Time). Many women are financially dependent on their partners, which is exacerbated by the fact that “Women hold two-thirds of America’s low-wage jobs, and many have now been cut” (The Guardian). The economic recession and lay-offs that have resulted form social isolation are important to note as they increase the dependency of survivors of domestic abuse on their abusers. In order to empower those who have been abused to separate from their abusers and align with the social work values of competence, justice, and integrity, they will need to have access to resources.

Since social isolation has led to many new challenges for domestic violence survivors and advocates, the writer of this article suggests that “Community organizers, faith-based leaders and elected officials should coordinate with mental health clinicians, social workers and counselors to conduct virtual check-ins with high-risk families, something that’s already being done to some extent in New York City” (Time). A maintaining of communication with existing clients is imperative based on social work ethics. She also argues that the current situation “revealed gaps” in the way our current system functions. The writer insists on looking at this crisis as “an opportunity to use new tools to ensure” the safety of those who have been abused (Time). This reflects the way that social workers should be innovators, looking for new policy and practice solutions to help remedy existing problems.

While social isolation is the best move for the general population in terms of physical health, it complicates the lives of many by leading to economic instability, fear of spreading or catching the virus, forced social isolation with abusers, increased levels of depression and anxiety, and excess stress on individuals as well as on social institutions. A combination of these factors has also complicated the work of social workers that have never dealt with a pandemic situation such as COVID-19. The current situation has shed light on what social institutions and social workers in particular need to do in order to better serve those who suffer from domestic abuse.

On the basis of social work values (justice, integrity, competence, etc.), social work ethics (Maintain communication with existing clients, keep private and professional life separate) and practice (“policies, practice, and advocacy”, connect victims with resources, Assists clients).

What we are experiencing today is not unknown to anyone.The world is going through an unprecedented year, a year which no one dreamed or thought of.The disease outbreak i.e COVID 19 is travelling so fast and everyone is fighting the battle including superpowers who could not prevent people against it. This novel Coronavirus is spreading faster than fire all over the globe. The Wuhan city of China first experienced this virus in December 2019 and then it had reached and affected the rest of the world.

The World Health Organisation has termed it as a dangerous virus as well as pandemic. This outbreak was declared as “ Pandemic” on march 11 by the World Health Organisation. Nobody knows about this virus, what is its origin, Who created it God or man?

People are sceptic over its emanation and they are not ready to accept that it is an Act of God. While some say that this is an Act of God because there is a trend of disease outbreaks after every century like Plague outbreak in 1720, Cholera outbreak in 1820, Spanish flu in 1920 and COVID 19 outbreak in 2020. But considering this outbreak of 2020 as an Act of God would be inappropriate according to our views and we will try to prove that Coronavirus Pandemic is not an Act of God by giving some facts and reports.

Before coming to our major concern i.e “Is Coronavirus an Act of God”, we must understand What constitutes an Act of God?

An Act of God basically means an act or escape caused directly by natural cause without human intervention and is so unexpected that no human foresight or skill could reasonably be executed to anticipate it. Thus, following are the essentials of an Act of God :

• The Act must have been caused by natural force.
• The Act was without human intervention .
• The Act could not be foreseen and is unavoidable.

The above essentials of Act of God are actually not evident in China originated virus because :

The Act was not caused by natural force

The very first essential of the Act of God that the act must have been caused by natural force is disproved here as the Coronavirus got leaked from Wuhan Laboratory. Following are some of the points to support the leakage theory of the virus :

• i) In China, research on bat viruses began in earnest shortly after the SARS epidemic subsided in 2003 over the past 10 years and Shi and other Wuhan virologists have made numerous expeditions to collect viruses from different bat species, building up Asia’s largest virus bank.
• ii) In 2004, two previous incidents of SARS virus ‘escaping’ from Chinese labs were reported.These two incidents took place at the Chinese Institute of Virology in Beijing, part of China’s centre for Disease Control.3 Also, International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) announced “ severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2( SARS-CoV-2) as the name of the new virus on 11 February 2020. This name was chosen because the virus is genetically related to the Coronavirus responsible for the SARS outbreak of 2003.4
• iii) In mid february, scientists from two of China’s most prestigious polytechnics, including one in Wuhan, circulated a preprint paper, one that has not undergone peer review, detailing accidents involving bats at the lab of Wuhan Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.5
• iv) Moreover, China has rejected calls for an independent international investigation into the origin of Coronavirus.The EU report accuses China of spreading disinformation about the crisis that it emerged from the Wildlife seafood market. Scientists have poured cold water on speculation that the virus could have been engineered in Wuhan Laboratory. On thursday, Australian Prime Minister said that he would push for an investigation at the annual meeting next month of the World Health Assembly .But Ms Chen told BBC that her country could not agree to any international investigation.6

So, it is clear that SARS virus escaped from the China’s laboratory twice in 2004 and since 2004, China’s Virologist were again working on this SARS virus and genomes of SARS Virus are found in Coronavirus .Thus, there is a high probability of virus getting leaked from Wuhan’s laboratory and this probability got higher when China refused to agree for any international investigation related to the origin of this virus.

Act was caused by human intervention

The second essential for an act to be called as an Act of God is that it must be without human intervention and this essential is not fulfilled in this case. Here, we will refer to the statement of Nobel Laureate Luc Montagnier. Luc Montagnier is the nobel prize winner in 2008 and co- discovered HIV ( Human Immunodeficiency Virus). He claimed that the leak of the virus is the result of an attempt to make a vaccine against AIDS virus.1

Luc Montagnier also claimed that within the narrow section of the genome of the new Coronavirus, six fragments of genetic information from HIV were found. The presence of HIV related elements in such a fraction of SARS- CoV-2 ( a virus that caused COVID-19) suggest that these could not have been inserted naturally.

Thus, it is clear from the statements of Nobel Laureate Luc Montagnier that elements of HIV were present in SARS-CoV-2, a virus that caused COVID-19 which suggests that somehow it was human intervention which is destroying the entire world today.

Act could have been foreseen and was avoidable

Another essential of an Act of God is also not present which states that an act could not be foreseen and is unavoidable because this situation, outbreak could have been avoided and one doctor of China tried to alert people about the approach of this deadly virus. His name was Dr. Li Wenliang who sent a message to fellow medics warning of a virus after noticing seven cases of virus that he thought looked like SARS – the virus that led to a global epidemic in 2003.1 On 30 December, he sent a message to fellow doctors advising them to wear protective clothing to avoid infection and four days later, he was summoned to Public Security Bureau where he was told to sign a letter in which he was accused of making false comments that had severely disturbed ‘social order’. In his weibo post, he described how on 10th January, he started coughing and next day he had a fever and on 30th January he was tested positive for Coronavirus.2

Apart from the warning of Dr. Li Wenliang, other people who were posting and exposing the truth about the outbreak and refused to keep quiet were tortured and detained. Mr. Fung Bin and lawyer Chen Quishi were such persons who were tortured for exposing the truth of Coronavirus and death caused by Coronavirus by posting videos.Police Officials went to their homes and took them away for questioning. 3

So, instead of controlling this outbreak and making the world aware of this virus, China suppressed data, blocked several outside teams of public health experts and silenced doctors who tried to warn the people about this epidemic. This pandemic could have been avoided if China had taken the initiative to make the world aware and there was nothing in it which could not have been avoided.

Now, let’s for a while forget and deny about the assumptions of various scientists claiming that Coronavirus leaked that Coronavirus leaked from Wuhan laboratory.And let’s accept the China’s claim that Coronavirus originated from bats but it would still not be conclusive1 to hold that Coronavirus is an Act of God because it emanated in the bats by nature.There are various facts hidden behind the origin of this outbreak

Though Coronavirus originated from bats but it has been identified as third zoonotic coronaviruses after SARS-CoV and MERS-Cov. According to the World Health Organisation, zoonosis is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans. Thus, animals play an essential role in maintaining zoonotic infections in nature. 3 Scientists think it originated in bats and could have been passed on via another mammal like a pangolin which is an endangered species.4. According to the researchers including the University of HongKong ,bats may be the reservoir for the pandemic causing virus and said that Pangolins are the second mammalian host of coronaviruses.

No, Blaming God for the act of humans would not be justified because of the view of some environmentalists that humans are to be blamed for negligence.

According to a report of United Nations Environment Programme, the emergence of zoonotic diseases is often associated with environmental changes or ecological disturbances such as human settlement or encroachments into forests and other habitats.Gwenael Vourc’h of INRAE, a french public research institute also blame human activity for crossover between species.6

The risk of spillover from animal to human populations becomes highest when a species is threatened by over consumption and habitat loss.And, as we will encroach further on their territory, wild animals will be forced into increasing contact with humans, heightening the risk of another COVID-19.

Thus, it is clear that bats were not the only source but pangolins were the intermediaries between bats and humans and Pangolins are endangered mammals that were trafficked illegally in China.8 So, Smuggling illegal and endangered species was itself fault on the part of China which led to this deadly virus devastating the entire world. There are traces of spread of virus from pangolins which indicates it is the negligence of humans and not an act of god.

Introduction

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by Sars-Cov-2 virus known as corona is the newly discovered respiratory disease where it spread person to person through small droplets from nose or mouth of an infected person and it has been declared as pandemic by World Health Organization. Fever, tiredness, difficulty in breathing, runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, diarrhea and dry cough are the sign and symptoms for Covid-19. The total worldwide population that categorized as confirmed case of COVID-19 until today reach about 63.3 million with 1.47 million of death. This disease is worrying as it rapidly transmitted globally and number of cases also had intensely increasing from day to day. Children, pregnant women, elderly and person with serious underlying medical conditions such as Diabetes and Hypertension are among the high risk group to get affected by this virus. Covid-19 in Malaysia reached about 67,000 cases with 363 deaths and this pandemic had severely effecting the public daily life, economy and employment aspect.

Challenges faced by employers for the implementation of OSHA 1994 during Covid-19

Covid-19 pandemic had change the normal living situation of people and due to it occurrence, new life norms had being introduced and being practiced which purposely to control the transmission of the virus. Talking about employment aspect, Covid-19 had cause large, medium and small businesses and companies in Malaysia to face big challenges and issues to sustain their growth. Tourism, food supplies, travel, retail and also manufacturing are among the business sectors that highly affected as people are being advised to stay indoor which make their business become slow and some of them also need to halt due to many factors which mainly associated with financial. The employers and employees are both affected as they have connection and benefit each other in term of income and business continuity.

As stated in Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA 1994) under Section 15 (1), every employer and self-employed person are responsible to ensure the safety, health and welfare of his employees at the workplace, so far as is practicable. Due this pandemic occurrence, one of the challenges is the assurance of employee safety where employers were required to assess the risk exposure in workplace to Covid-19 before preventive measures can be implemented. Exposure risk level might be different depend on type of occupation which can be categorized as low (job with infrequent physical contact like office workers), medium risk (occupation with frequent contact such as retail workers) and high risk (job which have contact with people who likely to have Covid-19 such as healthcare workers). The risk exposure assessed by employers with the help of Safety Health Officer (SHO) or Occupational Officer support can guide employers of what control measures must be implemented in order to guarantee the safety of working environment from health risk due to transmission of virus to fellow employees. Stated under Section 18 (a) in Occupational Safety and Health (Safety and Health Officer) Regulations 1997, SHO are responsible to advise the employer or any person in charge of a workplace regarding the control measures to be taken for the assurance of the safety and health aspect of employees.

Additionally, employers are required to develop Covid-19 response plan, implement the plan which also involved of communication regarding workplace hazards, flexibilities and protections to workers and related information such as Covid-19 way of transmission together with its sign and symptoms. The occurrence of disease pandemic had led to the absence of employee which might be because of fear to being exposed in workplace or having at home commitment such as taking care of children since day care centers were being closed. This will impact the working productivity, income and also affecting the other employees. Therefore, the most common control measure that being taken to prevent the spreading of virus in the same time to enable workers to present in the workplace is through the wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Employers should provide and train their employees regarding the PPE on how to use, dispose and disinfect it. Employers of sectors which do not required the use of PPE such as retail sector before disease occurrence should provide their employees with PPE include of gloves and 3-ply surgical face mask. Some employees include of doctors, nurses, soldiers, Environmental Health officers and other healthcare workers and others who associated in combating the Covid-19 transmission, they need to be provided with full set of PPE include of gloves, respirator, disposable face shield, goggles, gown and even shoes cover. The full set PPE are essential for them as they may have contact objects and surrounding surfaces that harbor the virus. The PPE given by employers should not be charged on expenditure employees as stated in OSHA 1994 under Section 26.

Additionally, the other basic prevention measures to combat Covid-19 infection at workplace is through the development of health standards and guidance prepared by employers to employees. To ensure the effectiveness of this strategies, employees are responsible in following the good hygiene and work practice control as being designed. The elements that involved are consist of promote employees to frequently and thoroughly washing their hands with anti-bacterial soap and also hand sanitizer with 70% alcohol, practice covering etiquette when sneezing and coughing and thermal screening to measure the body temperature. The other most crucial method to avoid of virus spreading in workplace is employers should instruct their employees to practice social distancing and avoid physical contact with each other. Employees must take care of themselves in term of safety and health aspect, give cooperation to employers, wear PPE provided by employers and comply with instruction given by employers are included under duties of an employer in workplace in OSHA 1994 under Section 24 (1), and employers who violate these provisions is considered guilty of an offence, liable to fine and imprisonment.

Subsequently, Covid-19 had caused workers for most of occupation were being advised to work from home due to Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) in included area. Temporarily, employees who required to present in the workplace such as manufacturing factory workers and armed forces, their working hours must be shorten by employers to reduce the exposure risk to the virus infection. As precautionary measures, employers must establish workers’ flexible working hours which is by scheduled them to have staggered shift days or job rotation and this action will downscale work activities for relate occupation. Next, employers must actively instruct their workers to stay at home and take a leave if they are sick which considered as administrative control. Another actions that can be taken into account is employers shall limit access in some company areas, restrict employees who had close contact with infected person or employees who come back from travelling to high risk areas. Other than that, employers should also develop procedures for employees to inform if they are sick or experiencing symptoms and self-monitor of themselves if they suspect possible exposures.

In regards of Covid-19 pandemic, termination of workers due to company loss is also one of the challenges faced by employers especially in most affected sectors such as travel sector. For some cases which Covid-19 were confirmed to happen and transmit in workplace among the employees such as in Top Glove factory, it is consider as occupational disease and relates with Section 2 (1) of Occupational Safety And Health (Notification Of Accident, Dangerous Occurrence, Occupational Poisoning And Occupational Disease) Regulations 2004. Employer should take immediate action by reporting the disease occurrence by using JKKP 7 form to Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) as stated in Section 5 (1) of NADOPOD regulations. The next step to be taken when transmission happened in workplace is employer must provide information to Ministry of Health to detect close contact with positive employees which must undergo Covid-19 test. It should then be followed by employer must carry out cleaning and disinfection in all workplace areas and the workplace cleaning should follow the guidelines set by Ministry of Health.

Conclusion

To conclude, Covid-19 pandemic that happened in Malaysia had put many of its employers to deal with various responsibilities in order to implement the requirements under Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 and its subsidiary regulations for the assurance of workplace health and safety from the virus. Employers had to face many challenges include of develop Covid-19 response plan, establish workers’ flexibility hours, communicate the disease pandemic to workers, provide PPE to employees which consumed great deal of expenses and required to inform DOSH if transmission happened in workplace. Therefore, as changes and new norms had being introduced in workplace, employees must fully cooperate by complying every order given by employers. Mental health and psychosocial support between employers and employees are required during Covid-19 pandemic.

Alliance 8.7 published the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery in 2017 in which it confirmed there to be approximately 40,000,000 people who were believed to be affected by modern slavery in 2016. There is currently thought to be 152 ,000,000 children suffering from exploitation. Modern slavery is the term referred to when discussing exploitation whereby the victim is unable to say no to what is being demanded of him or her, or cannot leave due to the exploiter threatening them, deceiving them, being violent towards them, using their position of power against them or coercing them. This definition includes exploitation with the private economy sector, including forcing the victim into marriage, child exploitation and sexual exploitation of children and adults for money.

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a real impact on people’s lives and their livelihoods as a result of the effect it has had on the economic and labour market. This is reportedly the worst global crisis since the Second World War. The International Labour Organisation estimates that almost half of the worldwide workforce is at risk. Workers in the informal sector have been hit the hardest, suffering huge limitations on their capacity to earn a living. This has resulted in an increase in people’s vulnerability be exploited. Migrant workers, women and children are in the highest risk categories.

Focusing on child exploitation, the United Nations General Assembly declared that 2021 is to be the year by which child exploitation will be eliminated. Point 8.7 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals aims to immediately put in place provisions to end human trafficking, forced labour and modern slavery and to prohibit and eliminate the severest forms of child exploitation, to include recruiting children as soldiers, and to eradicate child labour entirely by 2025

What types of child exploitation fall within the definition of modern slavery?

Exploitation of children by forced labour is “work which deprives children of their childhood in general, their potential and dignity and which is harmful to both their mental and physical health”. It refers to work which is mentally, physically, morally or socially dangerous to children and/or interferes with their schooling by denying them the opportunity to attend school, forcing them to leave school early; or obliging them to combine attending school with unreasonably hard work or long hours.

The severest types of child exploitation, according to the ILO, Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), Article 3 are slavery including treating the child as though they were property, selling and/or trafficking, serfdom, debt bondage where the child is given to an exploiter to settle a debt, sexual exploitation of children through prostitution or pornography, forced labour, or using the child for illicit activities such as drug trafficking

Exploitation by organised criminal networks is emerging, such as using children in forced begging. There are street children , those who have run away, and children living in poverty who are used by organised gangs too. Another form of emerging exploitation of children is orphanage trafficking where criminal networks set up orphanages as a front to obtain profits and the children are taken from their family, potentially sexually abused or forced to work or beg. Some may be sold for illegal adoption.

Covid 19 has had a real impact on those who are subjected to human trafficking. There is also the impact of quarantine and the risk of re-victimisation.

There are undocumented migrants living in informal settings with no access to social services or healthcare who are unable to protect their own health and that of their families. More important than the social consequences of Covid 19, since the opportunities to earn money are decreasing, exploited people are no longer able to meet the expectations of their exploiters who are turning to more violent methods to coerce them, especially where the abuse is sexual, where women and girls are the most likely victims.

Due to the quarantine, many victims were trapped in countries where they were exploited without the chance to complete the migration efforts they had embarked on, which is also the case for many youngsters trying to reach their families, caught up in transit countries and being exploited sexually, made to work or engage in criminal pursuits or obliged to partake in organised begging..

What should governments do to address child labour after the pandemic?

The formula used in trafficking against persons is one of protection, prevention and prosecution. When the government is addressing the question of modern slavery after the pandemic, the formula should be reflected in their deliberations. In terms of protection more should be done to identify victims, more support should be made available and more robust systems need to be put in place to protect children.

With regard to prevention, there should be measures in place to increase awareness of children’s rights in our society and the school curriculum should include education about issues such as modern slavery. In respect of prosecution, we need to have more vigorous systems of investigation, there needs to be better training of police officers and sentences that would be more of a deterrent.

Finally, there should also be the introduction of corporate criminal liability where the exploiters are hiding behind a corporation which uses child exploitation in their supply chains.

Between the discovery of a virus and the development of a vaccine, it usually takes several years. But the health emergency can speed up the process. Eighteen months: this is the time evaluated and hoped for by the researchers for the development of a vaccine against the new coronavirus. This period may seem long for a confined population, prohibited from leaving for lack of treatment. However, the health emergency of the situation has meant that this period has been greatly shortened: normally, it generally takes around ten years to create a vaccine.

Why so long? How do researchers work? Why can we go faster today? Why is a vaccine needed to stop the pandemic? Our reporter contacted Odile Launay, an infectious disease specialist and director of the Clinical Investigation Center (CIC) at Cochin Hospital, to find out more. If you want to discover all our decryptions on the new coronavirus, it’s here.

The treatment of Covid-19 patients with respiratory failure due to pneumonia is based on respiratory assistance in approximately 5% of cases. In severe forms of the disease, respiratory involvement can indeed lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a pathology which is responsible for 30%, even 50%, mortality in patients on artificial respirators ( invasive ventilation).

It quickly became apparent that the acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with Covid-19 does not resemble the majority of conventional ARDS. While in half the ARDS cases the lung loses some of its elastic properties, the lung remains distensible at the initial stage of Covid-19 pneumonia. It retains its ability to normally vary its volume as a function of the variation in intrapulmonary pressure. Specialists speak of preserved ‘compliance’. In other words, the lung retains its elasticity. Consequence: the lung remains ventilated: the amount of intrapulmonary air is normal or close to normal.

In fact, Covid-19 pneumonia can present clinically in a very heterogeneous way. For the same degree of hypoxemia, some Covid-19 patients have more or less significant difficulty in breathing, a more or less rapid respiratory rate. Thus, Covid-19 patients with very low levels of blood oxygenation (deep hypoxemia) may experience very different symptoms. Some may have normal breathing. Their hypoxemia is said to be ‘silent’, while others have pronounced difficulty in breathing. Likewise, some patients are improved by lying down, others are not. Some respond positively to the inhalation of nitric oxide [1], a gas that causes vessels to dilate, others do not. Finally, some patients have a significant decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the arterial blood (‘hypocapnic’ patients) while others have a normal or abnormally high level of carbon dioxide (normo or ‘hypercapnic patients). ‘).

Lung anomalies on CT scan: “frosted glass” opacities (arrow on photograph a) with parenchymal condensations (arrow on photograph b). Grillet F, et al. Radiology. 2020 Apr 23: 201544.

The treatment of Covid-19 patients with respiratory failure due to pneumonia is based on respiratory assistance in approximately 5% of cases. In severe forms of the disease, respiratory involvement can indeed lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a pathology which is responsible for 30%, even 50%, mortality in patients on artificial respirators ( invasive ventilation).

The diagnosis of an ARDS is conventionally based on well-defined parameters. Resuscitation doctors speak of the ‘Berlin criteria’, the city in which experts met in 2012 under the aegis of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) to define the clinical, ventilatory, gasometric parameters (analysis of blood gas) and radiological tests to establish the diagnosis of this serious pulmonary syndrome and to best adapt the ventilatory management.

It quickly became apparent that the acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with Covid-19 does not resemble the majority of conventional ARDS. While in half the ARDS cases the lung loses some of its elastic properties, the lung remains distensible at the initial stage of Covid-19 pneumonia. It retains its ability to normally vary its volume as a function of the variation in intrapulmonary pressure. Specialists speak of preserved ‘compliance’. In other words, the lung retains its elasticity. Consequence: the lung remains ventilated: the amount of intrapulmonary air is normal or close to normal.

To this characteristic, not usually observed in most ARDS, is added another parameter, clinical this time, in relation to what specialists call hypoxemia, a term used to designate the decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood. . ‘Many Covid-19 patients with pneumonia have been found to be surprisingly tolerant of the low level of oxygenation of the blood associated with pulmonary involvement. This extreme tolerance to hypoxia in many patients is a real peculiarity of Covid-19 pneumonia ‘, says Thomas Gille, pulmonologist at Avicenne hospital (Bobigny, Seine-Saint-Denis) and researcher at Inserm unit U1272 ‘Hypoxia and Lung’ (University of Paris 13).

In fact, Covid-19 pneumonia can present clinically in a very heterogeneous way. For the same degree of hypoxemia, some Covid-19 patients have more or less significant difficulty in breathing, a more or less rapid respiratory rate. Thus, Covid-19 patients with very low levels of blood oxygenation (deep hypoxemia) may experience very different symptoms. Some may have normal breathing. Their hypoxemia is said to be ‘silent’, while others have pronounced difficulty in breathing. Likewise, some patients are improved by lying down, others are not. Some respond positively to the inhalation of nitric oxide [1], a gas that causes vessels to dilate, others do not. Finally, some patients have a significant decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the arterial blood (‘hypocapnic’ patients) while others have a normal or abnormally high level of carbon dioxide (normo or ‘hypercapnic patients). ‘).

‘Many Covid-19 patients, however very hypoxemic, express themselves normally, calmly watch television or play on their smartphone, without experiencing any particular difficulty in breathing or without having a high respiratory rate’, points out Damien Barraud, doctor resuscitator at the CHR of Metz-Thionville (Grand Est). However, given their low level of oxygen in the blood, doctors would expect them to go wrong, in other words that they present clinical signs suggestive of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ). ‘It shows that you shouldn’t just base your attitude on blood gas results. It is ultimately the clinical condition of the patient that counts, ‘said Damien Barraud.

It is likely that this diversity of pulmonary clinical presentation in Covid-19 patients hospitalized in emergency is due to the interaction of many factors: the severity of the viral infection, the immune response, the physiological reserve (in other words the capacities of adaptation to the effort of the patient’s lungs), the presence of pre-existing pathologies (comorbidities), the time between the onset of symptoms and admission to hospital.

All the clinical, radiological and histological data accumulated over the past few weeks show that the understanding of pulmonary involvement linked to Covid-19 is constantly progressing, sometimes thanks to unexpected clinical observations or surprising data. Understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the onset and course of this pneumonia is crucial in deciding the most appropriate treatment for each patient in intensive care. ‘In times of health crisis, and perhaps even especially in such circumstances, it is important to produce robust scientific data in order to better understand the pulmonary pathophysiology of Covid19’, insists the pulmonologist Thomas Gille. And all the more so as it is becoming increasingly clear that in hypoxemiant pneumonia (with low oxygenation in the blood), that associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection is truly unique.

Over the last few weeks, we have all been trying to find the positive side to the pandemic; academics and leaders have also joined this trend in an effort to provide us all with inspiration and positivity. For example, Marc Andreessen an entrepreneur, investor, and software engineer advocates for building something — anything — that moves society forward from here. In his essay, he says that to “reboot the American dream” we need to “demand more of our political leaders, of our CEOs, our entrepreneurs, our investors. We need to demand more of our culture, of our society. And we need to demand more from one another. We’re all necessary, and we can all contribute, to building.” He mentions that much of the technology has already been developed and is readily available; for example in areas such as housing, education, manufacturing and transportation, many of the tools needed to accelerate into a bright new future already exist, but that it’s easier to stick with the systems that once served us well than to replace them.

Professor Jonathan Haidt, an American social psychologist, professor of ethical leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business recently gave his very optimistic view, reinforcing the notion that we’ll look back on the pandemic as an inspiration for what was one of the greatest collective efforts, both forming new alliances and innovations such that we could flatten this curve, get past it and hopefully a new generation of leaders and activists and very socially-minded people that realise that obviously we’re much stronger together, in that institutions matter and that we get through this and are much more prepared and more able to face these things with much greater vigour and resilience.

Individually, it is important to adhere to a mindset that allows us to reach the end of this being better off, in some way. However, in a societal level this is much more complicated. Not all crises have always led to positive results, and sometimes, if they did, this took decades and even generations. Human progress’ long and winding road has a tendency to head towards justice. That said, often the process is so long, slow and even confusing that exceeds our lifetime and patience greatly. We are not able to predict nor understand how this pandemic will affect our societies or human history at present, and we probably won’t be able to for at least some years to come, but we can certainly begin by making positive changes to human behaviour, individually and collectively; hopefully generations to come will find the results of our efforts to have positively contributed to human progress.

In the meantime, if you would like to work on your mindset to make sure that you come out of this with the tools to achieve your goals and improve your life, get it touch to find out how I can help you.

Before the pandemic, life was advancing and moving on faster than ever. There was a time and place for everything whether it was attending university lectures or visiting placement. Now that the pandemic has arrived, life changed drastically and it became limiting. Everything outside our homes came to a stand-still and it has completely changed the way society will now work and operate. I have realised because of this pandemic that it will never be the same, and that social distancing has to become a new normal. This new normal is not only to be safe from Covid-19, but to also operate effectively and safely within social institutions of our society.

Many frontline workers have had to re-assess how they work in practice, when out on visits to minimise the risk of catching Covid-19 and also spreading it. Under the Care Act 2014 Social Workers have a duty to provide care, make assessments, meet needs and provide care plans. On March the 31st, 2020 The Coronavirus Act was produced by the Health Secretary. One of the sections from the Coronavirus Act 2020 included some significant changes, to how the local authorities operate under the Care Act 2014. Incite insights.doughtstreet. The Secretary of State released some guidelines on when and how Local Authorities can use the new Care Act adjustments. The Coronavirus Act 2020 postpones majority of the roles and duties which are carried out under the Care Act 2014 during the crisis. This affects how Social Workers comply with The Care Act when it comes to assessing and planning appropriate intervention for adequate protection and support. (Care Act 2014, 2020) (Care Act easements: guidance for local authorities, 2020).

The Coronavirus Act responds to the difficulty within the health sector of the rising demand and reduced capacity’ management that the virus can cause. This is because more individuals are falling ill, therefore there are fewer individuals to take care of them and there will be fewer Social workers to fill the essential roles. (The Coronavirus Act 2020 and Social Work Practice – A Briefing, 2020). This causes a direct impact on the legal changes which will have an effect on social work practice. For example, some legal changes are being made to increase the number of social workers into the occupation, as crucial roles need to be filled.

Under section 9 of the Care Act 2014 local authorities must assess if any adult appears that they may have needs for care and support. (Care Act 2014, 2020). (McCabe, 2020). Many Social Workers may struggle with this, as to physically investigate clients on what needs they have, would be extremely difficult in order to maintain safe social distancing and some may not be able to carry out a proper assessment as a result of not being able to go out on visits to initiate these assessment. Furthermore, the assessments aren’t communicated in face to face manner with service users as much as before. Pysically assessing people’s mental and physical state, wellbeing would be very limiting as to how much a social worker can review. The usage of electronic means of communicating would instead rely more on word of mouth from the service users through using digital ways to communicate. This could negatively affect some clients if they are unable or struggle to speak as honestly and openly about their wellbeing, safety, health, mental and physical state as they could miss something crucial out that the social worker can’t notice if they were physically there.

This would affect how reliable the assessments made are, and the flexibility to do follow ups. It must be difficult for social workers to see if their clients are being looked after properly and if basic needs are met, due to the restriction when out on visits in the community. As a result some Social Workers may feel, limited, restricted and unable to give full attention and support in their work and with their clients.

As part of section 18 under the Care Act 2014 it enforces a duty on local authorities to meet an eligibility criteria. Under section 18 they also have a duty to prepare a care and support plan including details about how the service user’s needs will be met. All care plans must be preserved under analysis by local authorities and adapted if an individual’s care and support needs have changed. (McCabe, 2020), (Care Act 2014, 2020).

As Social Workers work for the Local Authority they will be greatly affected when applying some of these key core duties from the Care Act 2014. (McCabe, 2020). Some Social workers may experience some changes in the work place and may feel fearful as there is a lack of information and confusion as a result of how rapidly things are changing. Social Work practitioners will find that it is essential to adapt agreed assessment arrangement to prioritise care so that most urgent needs are met. (Care Act easements: guidance for local authorities, 2020). This has made me realise under the powers of the Act it is a matter of what is necessary rather than what is possible under the Care Act as meeting care needs is now only a matter of priority and urgency for needs to be met effectively and safely.

Some Social workers may feel under pressure and stress because they may not able to go deep into their work. This could lead to lack of fulfilment that enough has been done when carrying out their work to help clients, especially when attempting to comply with assessments and applying government changes under restriction of Covid-19 guidelines as well as requirements from the Care Act.

This could make it tough for social workers when dealing with lack of resources and restriction or feeling less useful because due to not able to work as effectively with the community in the same way as before the pandemic. Social distancing is very important in the long run but it is important to understand what is in the best interest of our communities and their clients. It is a matter of supporting others enough to feel secure and supported to connect as social workers normally would with their clients.

Social Work uses theory to recognise the perplexity of human interaction and their surroundings as well as the quantity of individuals who are most likely to be affected by and what would change and adapt. Social Work as a profession, relies on theories of human behaviour and development and social structure to evaluate complex situations; to improve individual, social, cultural and organisational changes. (5 Social Work Theories That Inform Practice, 2020)

Systems theory describes how behaviour is influenced through a range of factors that work together as a system. An individual’s friends, school, parents, home environment, social class and other factors influence how an individual acts, thinks and behaves. The role of a social worker would be to seek to help, correct missing or inefficient parts that can affect positive behaviour. In a school setting, a Social Worker can visit the child for a 1 on 1 session to assess how their systems are working together, observing and analysing what needs to change, improve and what is going well to continue that support. School can be more of a safe space for the child to be open and honest about their how each of their systems are affecting their situations such as school and home life. (Directed Study, 2020)

Targeting elements of a system within the child such as learning, and physical welfare needs being met reinforces positive change and behaviour. For example the social worker may ensure that the child is aware of Covid-19 advice and guidelines to keep them safe and protected from the virus to learn and apply at home as well. Positive interactions between the child, the social worker and social environments at school affects the cognitive ability which increases positive social stimulation with peers and staff and encouragement when accomplishing tasks in these settings will enable the child to reach their potential through aspiration and value.(5 Social Work Theories That Inform Practice, 2020) (Directed Study, 2020)

Social learning theory explores how an individual learns and behaves through imitation or modelling. It is a way of learning complex sequences of behaviour through observation of others and imitating them. This is most important for children learning specific behaviours. In Social Work practice, strategies can be put in place to aim at changing a behaviour. For instance, a family social worker advising a child’s carer/parent to teach children to copy and imitate good behaviour such as washing hands to prevent the Coronavirus infection and to reward the behaviour to promote it more, i.e washing hands means they have done a good job. As well as decreasing bad behaviour to change it such as; instructing the child to not touch the face and mouth and to be careful to ensure they aren’t standing too close to people when outside. (Cognative and behavourial theories, 2020)(5 Social Work Theories That Inform Practice, 2020)

This relates to BASW PCF knowledge section 5-Knowledge which states to develop and apply relevant knowledge from research, social work practice, which includes theory. Developing professional knowledge and maintaining interest is key throughout social work careers. I can see through studying theory, that it is necessary to develop a core knowledge that relates to purpose, ethics and values. Specific knowledge from a theorised approach is needed during practice to develop my roles throughout social work. I aim to use my knowledge from theory to apply it in social work practice to meet the PCF where it states knowledge comes from practice and theory amongst other things. The PCF that has helped me to understand how distinctive knowledge, through theory compliments other disciplines to provide effective services. (BASW PCF 2020).

I aim to demonstrate original understanding when it comes to applying research, knowledge and evidence from theory, and others relevant fields, how it effects human growth and development and the relation to experiences of people who use services. The PCF also states the importance of demonstrating initial understanding of theories and models for social work intervention. This includes required knowledge specific to practice during placement through work-based learning.

From studying theory such as systems theory and how that affects service users; I can challenge my understanding of how each one relates to another, in practice during placement. (BASW PCF 2020)

Because of Covid-19 there are many vulnerable victims of domestic abuse who are highly impacted in terms of their safety and wellbeing, due to becoming socially isolated. The Coronavirus pandemic is concerning for victims and vulnerable people. This is because of the stay-at home measures having a serious impact on domestic abuse victims and increased liability for perpetrators.(Tackling domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020)

Isolation guidelines for families could increase the severity of domestic abuse, because perpetrators are highly likely to be alone with the victim in the home and usual measurements that provide vital support and a safe space for help such as schools, workplaces and GPs may be closed. This makes it harder for Social Workers to communicate with other professionals from Schools, GPs and workplaces to access any alarming information that may be crucial to vulnerable victims like they normally would before the pandemic. (Tackling domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020)

As a result, there is risk of miscommunication and poor use of working in partnership. This relates to Values and Ethics as part of BASW PCF Framework Social Workers must demonstrate skills in the sensitive exploration of issues of privacy, confidentiality and sharing information in unsafe complicated situations and have a duty to offer advise and to assist colleagues when managing these issues. It is important for all Social Workers to promote human rights and social justice to oblige and conduct themselves in decisions according to the Code of Ethics in order to fully support all people that they work with. (BASW PCF 2020).

Isolation has meant that there have been less opportunities for vulnerable citizen’s that display early warning signs of domestic abuse. As a result of the emergency response to the pandemic of Covid-19, this has increased and worsened the rate and severity of domestic abuse. Social Workers are likely to be affected by this and how they operate in practice when on duty to visit vulnerable individuals whether it’s children or adults. I can imagine that it would be more difficult to manage the impact domestic abuse has on victims for social workers as they always have a duty to protect and safeguard all individuals that they work with.

The BASW Framework PCF section 7 for Skills and Interventions states that initial awareness of risks and safeguarding are to be demonstrated and experienced Social Workers must undertake assessment and planning for safe-guarding in difficult cases, and helping other professionals with safeguarding skills. (BASW PCF 2020).