Category: COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed many inadequacies of healthcare management worldwide. For example, increased working hours and sleep deprivation among nurses during the pandemic were reported to affect their performance (Kim-Godwin et al., 2021). Hospital management can be improved by evaluating the existing problems that include lack of job satisfaction, burnout among healthcare workers, and the country leaders delayed response to the dynamic changes during the pandemic.

Nurses job performance is the primary determinant of patient health outcomes. Kim-Godwin et al. (2021) aimed to determine the effect of nurses sleep quality on their job performance. The authors conducted an online survey among 215 nurses during the pandemic (Kim-Godwin et al., 2021). The paper reports poor sleep quality among the participants, with an average Sleep Quality Index of 9.85 (Kim-Godwin et al., 2021). Lack of sleep among nurses results in increased medical errors, putting patients health in danger. This article is credible because it was published in 2021 in a peer-reviewed journal by authors experienced in nursing research. This information will help develop a proposal for improving staffing in healthcare facilities.

Lack of leisure is another contributor to job dissatisfaction among healthcare workers. Wu et al. (2021) examined the association between leisure constraints and job satisfaction. There was a statistically significant correlation between reduced job satisfaction and personal and structural obstacles; a p-value was less than 0.01 (Wu et al., 2021). This source is credible because it was published last year in a peer-reviewed journal by experienced authors. The article helps demonstrate the significance of appropriate staff management on job satisfaction.

Inefficient country governance is a confounding factor that affects hospital management statistics. Ibrahim et al. (2020) determined that almost 90% of the investigated countries took incompetent pandemic control measures, and 80% used ineffective treatment. Still, the outcomes of this global health crisis depend more on prevention (Ibrahim et al., 2020). This paper is credible because it was published in 2020 in a peer-reviewed journal. This article shows the importance of preventive methods during this pandemic.

To sum up, staff management should consider various factors that can affect job satisfaction and performance among healthcare workers that can worsen patient outcomes. Two articles were discussed to elucidate the influence of sleep disturbance and lack of job satisfaction on healthcare workers productivity. The third article was essential to highlight the vitality of public health measures for combatting the pandemic and decreasing the strain for healthcare organizations.

References

Ibrahim, M. D., Binofai, F. A., & MM Alshamsi, R. (2020). Pandemic response management framework based on efficiency of COVID-19 control and treatment. Future Virology, 15(12), 801-816.

Kim-Godwin, Y. S., Lee, M. H., Logan, J. G., & Liu, X. (2021). Factors influencing sleep quality among female staff nurses during the early COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 1-10.

Wu, C.-H., Lin, H.-H., Lai, S.-Y., Tseng, K.-C., & Hsu, C.-H. (2021). A study of leisure constraints and job satisfaction of middle-aged and elderly health care workers in COVID-19 environment. Healthcare, 9(6), 11-18.

Scientists and health experts worldwide are working together to speed up research and development to create new norms and guidelines to help stop the transmission of the CoV-2 virus and care for those infected. For more than a year, epidemiologists, virologists, and immunologists from across the world have worked together and separately in different labs to create vaccines against COVID-19 disease in order to provide the population with immunization to avoid or delay severe forms and deaths and to prevent or delay severe forms and deaths.

Though vaccines have been well-received in general, some populations are not likely to support vaccinations. There are many explanations for this, according to the literature. The global public has concocted numerous conspiracy theories and conspiracies against vaccines, which are split into benefits and drawbacks of vaccination due to psychological, socioeconomic, and spiritual/religious factors. Unfortunately, many healthcare staff has not had the opportunity to be immunized, at least with the first dose of anti-Covid-19 vaccines. Some people want to delay or reject vaccines, while others choose to wait for a high-quality vaccine.

Throughout recent years, healthcare professionals, including scholars and scientists, have played a significant role in advancing research related to the manufacturing of vaccines and their active involvement in population vaccinations. I decided to investigate the adoption of Covid-19 vaccination among academics and resident doctors at the University of Drugs and Pharmacy Nicolae Testimitanu in Moldova, who work in healthcare science and practice. In the current political and economic situation in Moldova, lawmakers and the general publics attitudes about such vaccines and their procurement are polarized. Vaccines have been imported in limited quantities and often from donations from various countries under the names Pfizer, Oxford AstraZeneca, Moderna, Sinopharm (BBTBP-CorV), and Sputnik. Although Moldova is a small country, the Republic of Moldovas current population is 4,026,912 as of Friday, 2 April 2021, according to Worldometers analysis of the most recent United Nations numbers.

The essence of the report is to examine the level of use of the Covid-19 vaccine and the factors influencing hesitation about vaccination among employees and students of the Medical and Pharmaceutical University in Moldova. Moreover, to determine how many employees and students have got, postponed, or declined the Covid-19 vaccine; to determine the reasons for vaccine deferral or refusal; to determine the causes for vaccine acceptance. Different engines for medical studies of vaccines for Covid-19 will be used for the literature review: different reviews and abstracts archive, statistical records international and national WHO, Governmental, Moldova University), informal services, University library (e-journals).

The study will be conducted as a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. The survey will be created using the Monkey Survey Software. Academics, masters, and Ph.D. students in drugs and pharmacy at Moldovas Nicolae Testemitanu University will participate in the study. The university also has many colleges, including a hospital-based school of drugs for area students pursuing a public health specialty. For international students, the second school of drugs includes dentistry, pharmacy, and a fifth unit that can include a combination of educational courses such as pre-university remedial training and post-graduate specialty training. The university uses new international teaching approaches and academic principles to educate its students, focusing on didactic and advanced analysis and synthesizing concepts. Within the Nicolae Testimitanu Moldova Medicine and Pharmacy University, 1200 physicians, academic/researchers, 182 MSc doctors, and 383 Ph.D. doctors are working (USMF 2021).

The information about the thesis will be shared with all healthcare university academic medical personnel physicians, masters, and Ph.D. within the Medicine and Pharmacy University Nicolae Testemitanu Moldova using a contact list issued by the university after obtaining gatekeeper approval. The details will be disseminated through the following platforms: the university website, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Viber, Telegram, and others. Inside the information sheet, there will be a connection to the survey. Doctors and healthcare professionals older than 18 are required. The participants will fill out the questionnaire online and send it back to email address. The statistical software will be used to conduct the research. The frequency and measurements: mean, median, and mode will be used for descriptive statistics. Sorting, grouping, summarizing, interpretation, and reporting will analyze and verify the data. Quantitative data will be collected through surveys and analysis. The data will be shown in the SPSS version. Permission from the university for the research of university doctors would be received.

The surveys will be anonymous, and users who complete the survey will be considered to have given their permission. Please read and fill out this form entirely. If you agree to take part in this report, check the appropriate boxes and sign and date the agreement at the end. If there is something you do not understand and would like to know more about, please inquire.

Reference List

USMF 2021.

Introduction

Background of the Problem

The novel coronavirus pandemic has put the world to an ultimate test. These challenges encompassed an array of spheres, as no corner of the planet remained unaffected by the outbreak. In addition, the pandemic had a strong impact on most spheres of human activity. Entertainment facilities, schools, universities, and stores had to be closed, as billions of people remained confined during lockdowns. The normal ways of living became disrupted, and the worlds infrastructure had to readjust. Under such circumstances, the global frameworks of education, economy, trade, and communication could no longer remain the same. Furthermore, while the pandemic has lasted for a considerable period by now, its effects are likely to persist even when the threat is over. As a result, the impact of the outbreak on society has become an area of intense interest for researchers across the globe.

Statement of the Problem

While the global effect of COVID-19 is observable and undeniable, its exact characteristics may vary depending on the context. In this regard, the concept of a smart city acquires additional importance. In its general understanding, a smart city is an urban territory, which utilizes the modern expertise and technological capacity of humanity in order to become adjusted to the current demands of their communities. In other words, smart cities represent a new step of the urban evolution in the spirit of the time. As such, it can be expected that the exact way in which the pandemic affected these territories may prove to be highly particular. Smart cities are characterized by the extended application of modern technological advancements, which suggest that they may have a better potential in terms of the response to the pandemic. Moreover, implementing these smart ideas requires a certain degree of flexibility and adaptability to current challenges by default. Therefore, the transformational capacity of smart cities becomes an area of further interest in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research Objectives, Questions, Hypotheses

The proposed project will explore the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak on the worlds leading smart cities, as per the global index. More specifically, it will distinguish the particular spheres in which this effect was most observable. Next, it is envisaged that the project will analyze the exact technology-based measures that were implemented in response to the new, pandemic-conditioned reality. Considering the scale of the problem, an extensive body of knowledge has been developed in regards to the pandemic across spheres and industries. However, as the situation progresses and the initial, most serious stages of the outbreak are passed, it will be valuable to summarize and analyze the observations.

Hypothesis: Smart cities are better suited to handle the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research Question: How have smart cities dealt with COVID-19?

Research Objectives: Determine the exact spheres in which the impact of the pandemic can be observed. Analyze the technological response to the challenges of the COVID-19 era in the context of smart cities.

Significance of the Study

Most of the current studies focused on the pandemic in general, which is logical, as the phenomenon is new and unprecedented in modern history. Nevertheless, the circumstances point toward the necessity of more profound research of the specific areas of COVID-19s impact. This project will provide insight within the framework of a highly specialized yet important topic of smart cities functioning in the 21st century.

Limitations

Evidently, the study is expected to have certain limitations based on objective factors. First of all, while the pandemic has become better known to humanity, the threat still persists. In other words, the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to affect the world, including smart cities, meaning that the opportunities for the analysis of the pandemic in its entirety are yet to arise. Accordingly, the proposed research is unlikely to provide a definitive review as long as the issue continues to develop. Next, the project is envisaged to concentrate on a selection of several smart cities, and it may be unwise to extrapolate its results on the whole concept of smart cities.

Definition of Terms

1. Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19): an infectious respiratory disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus (WHO, 2021, para. 1).
2. Smart city: an urban concept dictating an active use of information technology and digitalization in urban planning with the purpose of making the city more efficient and convenient (Caragliu & Del Bo, 2018).

Preliminary Review of Related Literature

The proposed research will provide a more in-depth insight into the way smart cities responded to the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020. However, at the current stage, it appears possible to summarize the preliminary data obtained through the review of the literature. From a general perspective, the pandemic became a challenge of unprecedented magnitude for humanity. At the same time, evidence suggests that smart cities proved a higher level of preparedness to address the emerging issues (Costa and Peixoto, 2020). Such a potential is enabled by the increased technological capacity of such agglomerations. Most smart cities managed to exploit modern advancements in the age of COVID-19 in order to prevent the infection from spreading via enhanced monitoring. In addition, many of them relied on technology in order to help residents overcome the adverse implications of the pandemic while drafting the plans for transition back to normal life. In this context, it appears possible to distinguish four key sectors in which the transformational capacity of smart cities became particularly important.

In order to discuss the most relevant facts in the context of the research agenda, the current proposal relies on a selection of academic literature. During the initial stages of the study, a set of key verbal identifiers was determined, as well. The phrases COVID-19 smart cities, pandemic in smart cities, and related equivalents were used in the search process. Such search phrases returned a sufficient number of relevant research materials, in which the authors discuss the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on lives in cities traditionally viewed as smart. As for the exact selection criteria, it was nearly impossible to categorize the findings based on the time factor. Evidently, COVID-19 is a new phenomenon, and the most relevant studies appeared in 2020.

At the same time, the core of the references was expected to be published in English, thus representing the international body of knowledge. The studies were to be published in respected, peer-reviewed journals. Finally, once the selection procedure was completed and returned ten sources, the findings were examined and synthesized based on specific categories. In order to showcase the global varieties of the response, the research relied on the examples of three smart cities. Considering the location of the study, the city of Dubai became the first choice of a smart city. Next, informed by the 2020 IMD Business Schools Index of Smart Cities, the researcher selected the cities of Singapore and New York, occupying the 1^st and the 10^th places of the index, respectively (IMD, 2021). The subsections below provide a preliminary review of the literature pertinent to the discussion.

Impact of COVID-19

Interestingly, most of the sources reviewed in the course of the study do limit their scopes in terms of geography. Instead, the authors of the articles prefer to discuss the entity of smart city infrastructure in the broad context of the global pandemic. One of such articles was prepared by Allam and Jones (2020). The study describes the early stages of the pandemic, taking into account the initial response of smart cities. As the outbreak gained momentum on the global scale, more cities began to implement strict lockdown protocols to prevent it from spreading further. Allam and Jones (2020) acknowledge the strong economic and social impact of such measures. At the same time, comparisons are drawn between COVID-19 and previous pandemics, including SARS-CoV and the Ebola. In this context, research suggests that the needs of urban safety and health outweigh the costs paid by the financial and educational sectors. However, smart cities appear to be in a more favorable position. These territories utilize their advanced technological capacities in terms of data sharing in order to facilitate the exchange of relevant health-related information and accelerate the termination of lockdown protocols.

The subsequent studies explore the high-tech instruments of smart cities in the face of the pandemic on a more profound level. For example, Tan Lii Inn of the Penang Institute begins the discussion with the early stages of the pandemic. At that point, an advanced Artificial Intelligence-based algorithm was able to predict the negative development of the unusual pneumonia outbreak in China (Inn, 2020). According to the author of the study, smart cities are able to handle such cases in a more effective manner. They possess an arsenal of valuable instruments, such as thermal cameras, facial recognition software, and Internet of Thing sensors. Interestingly, once the population started wearing masks, the efficacy of facial recognition dropped by more than a half. However, smart cities are able to readjust this equipment to control whether their residence adheres to the safety protocols in public spaces. Thermal sensors also found a new way of practical application, checking peoples temperature, as fever is one of the first signs of coronavirus disease. Ultimately, the general trends suggest that smart cities were able to reorient their technological means and adjust them to the new reality.

In certain articles, the authors emphasize specific spheres of human activity. For instance, Olmos-Gómez et al. (2020) acknowledge the role of COVID-19 in changing the patterns of education in smart cities. According to the authors of the study, the worlds leading cities remain in a state of constant development, which is instigated by external factors. The pandemic placed urban territories under immense stress, prompting them to undergo new transformations. Olmos-Gómez et al. (2020) write that the common understanding of a smart city implies a nexus between human capital development and technology for better economic and social policies. In such environments, the Internet of Things has become the new reality, as most of the population has gained stable access to the Web via various multimedia devices. The pandemic has taught policy-makers to utilize the capacity of smart cities for uninterrupted yet safe education. Olmos-Gómez et al. (2020) conclude that online learning environments enable a strong positive effect when they are utilized correctly, promoting social interaction and collaborative teaching. Therefore, the pandemic prompted smart cities to a more profound engagement with advanced technology in education, promoting digital literacy among students and faculties.

The next articles review the application of smart city technology in the context of the pandemic. Sonn, Kang, and Choi (2020) rely on the evidence from the Asian region in order to highlight the opportunities present by modern advancements in the age of COVID-19. According to the authors of the study, smart cities demonstrated a better level of preparedness to track and eliminate the threats posed by the new virus. The transportation system is said to be one of the crucial elements of smart city infrastructure. In such territories, policy-makers were able to trace the movements of confirmed COVID-19 patients using the data obtained from their electronic transportation cards. At the same time, mobile service providers provided sufficient resources as well through the dense distribution of transceivers across smart cities. Sonn, Kang, and Choi (2020) note that in the past, the corresponding infrastructure used to be devised in the aftermath of pandemics as a part of lessons learned. Today, smart cities possess a valuable technological arsenal, which means that the required infrastructure is already implemented. However, the key challenge consists of utilizing it correctly in order to ensure the survival of vital spheres.

Dubai

Within the framework of the proposed research, it appears valuable to examine the specific examples of smart cities approach to dealing with the challenges of the pandemic. For instance, Dubai is universally recognized as one of the worlds leaders in terms of its high-tech development. Haak-Saheem (2020) writes that this city can be characterized by the extreme diversity of its population, as over 90% of the residents are expatriates. Simultaneously, COVID-19 had a strong impact on international connections, virtually paralyzing global travel. According to the article by Haak-Saheem (2020), the secret to Dubais success lies in its ability to attract foreign direct investments while developing its international talent pool. In the age of COVID-19, these objectives became more difficult to attain. In response to the emerging challenges, local policy-makers resorted to smart city opportunities. For example, the year 2020 saw the creation of Dubais Virtual Labor Market that helped expatriates remain employed in this difficult time. This initiative is central to the article, and it serves to highlight the ability of Dubai to adjust to new circumstances through the prism of smart city technology.

On the other hand, as serious as the pandemic is, it will not last forever. Accordingly, policy-makers are required to seek effective ways of returning to normal life. Mataruna-Dos-Santos and Hamed (2020) discuss the pivotal role of parks in Dubais plans for the post-pandemic transition to the regular lifestyle. Technology is said to be the cornerstone that can unite people of different backgrounds and ages. As such, the augmented reality (AI) demonstrates immense potential in this context. According to Mataruna-Dos-Santos and Hamed (2020), Dubais post-COVID plans involve the development and distribution of AI-based applications, which would prompt residents to go to the parks. Thus, the population will be able to begin the process of social link rebuilding in a safer environment where the risks of contracting the virus are lower. Local authorities will be able to monitor the activity of the population via the applications user map, as well. This article highlights a particular instance of smart city technologys usefulness in adapting to the pandemic and life after it.

Singapore

Singapore remains one of the leading smart cities in the world. In fact, the 2020 IMD Business Schools Index of Smart Cities put it in 1st place (IMD, 2021). In their article, Costa and Peixoto (2020) review a range of smart urban territories, but Singapore holds a place of special significance within the research. According to the authors, such smart cities possess strong tools, which help mitigate the impact of the pandemic while helping people live as normally as possible. Costa and Peixoto (2020) trace Singapores technological resilience to the 2003 SARS outbreak, after which the city made major improvements in its smart infrastructure. As of now, Singapore boasts its Smart Nation program, which aims to increase the perceived quality of peoples lives through technology. Such products enable access to a wide variety of services via the Internet, which is both safe and convenient for people. As a result, residents remain content and become more collaborative in terms of following COVID-related protocols. Moreover, the popularity of Smart Nation allows local authorities to use the affiliated apps to keep records of people in contact with COVID-19.

Considering its status within the global smart city framework, Singapore naturally attracts scholars attention in the context of COVID-19. Das and Zhang (2020) praise the citys efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the vital spheres of society. According to the article, Singapore managed to maintain a sufficient quality of residents lives through the effective combination of human capital management and technology. Supporting the citys economy became the most serious challenge for local authorities. Das and Zhang (2020) explain that foreign worker dormitories were the epicenter of the subsequent COVID-19 outbreaks, but this workforce was necessary to keep the key sectors of the economy alive. Ultimately, Singapore relied on smart city means of communication in order to build a coordination network for local organizations helping trace and detect new cases of the disease. Trace Together, Safe Entry, and other applications established a safer framework in Singapore, simultaneously contributing to a higher level of community engagement.

New York City

New York represents one of the worlds most important cultural, economic, and educational centers. The article by Gupta et al. (2020) examines the case of New York City in the context of smart cities adaptation to COVID-19. As a matter of fact, this city became one of the worlds epicenters of the outbreaks, as the death toll reached critical levels. In this regard, local authorities had to rely on New Yorks technological potential in order to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, at least to some extent. As in other cases, the role of public transportation control became pivotal. According to Gupta, Abdelsalam, and Mittel (2020), over 60% of the citys population regularly use public transport, which is why high-tech means of transport supervision were valuable. At the same time, local authorities used drones and video surveillance to monitor large gatherings of people. However, unlike Dubai and Singapore, New York laid little emphasis on other aspects than control. There appear to be few instances of using smart city technology to support people during lockdowns, which may have found a reflection in the elevated death toll.

Other articles devoted to New Yorks response to the pandemic confirm the assumption described above. Costa and Peixoto (2020) review this city among other smart agglomerations of the world in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. The article states that most of New Yorks smart city policies aimed directly at the sphere of healthcare. For example, the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) organization has established a statewide framework for rapid information exchange between healthcare facilities. Similar programs facilitate medical teams access to their patients records from other institutions in order to improve the quality of the direct response to COVID-19. However, while the emphasis on healthcare capacity is natural and indispensable, the city could benefit from a more profound implementation of smart technology in other spheres.

Education

Education is one of the pillars upon which well-functioning societies are based. It lays the foundation for the future generations of specialists, without whom a nations sustainable development may become unattainable. However, the COVID-19 pandemic became a major stressor for the global education system. Following the safety measures that aimed to contain the outbreak, institutions were no longer able to function in traditional formats. As a result, a sudden shift toward the online learning environment occurred on a global scale. Consequently, participants of the educational systems experienced serious issues caused by a general lack of digital literacy (del Carmen Olmos-Gómez et al., 2020). Indeed, maintaining the required level of learning quality demands sufficient skills with digital technology, which is not always the case. Nevertheless, del Carmen Olmos-Gómez et al. (2020) confirm that the residents of smart cities demonstrated a higher potential in terms of the proper use of technology. Overall, the exact enablers and impediments of this correlation deserve additional exploration in subsequent research.

Finance

The financial aspect of human activity also experienced a strong impact because of the pandemic. In a global sense, COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns disrupted normal economic processes established by centuries of development. Furthermore, the pandemic prompted cities and nations to halt entire industries that were deemed non-vital. As a result, multiple enterprises had to stop their operations, thus not accumulating income for the local economy anymore. Consequently, the financial sectors of most nations experienced shocks of previously unseen magnitude. Wojcik and Ioannou (2020) expect that the impact of COVID will be even stronger for smaller financial firms, but larger players have also been experiencing considerable challenges. Overall, the response of smart cities in this sector appears underrepresented within the current body of knowledge. Therefore, a profound examination of the financial measures will be required for the subsequent research.

Retail

The next industry of interest comprises the retail sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the safety measures implemented by most governments was to minimize direct human contact, thus preventing the infection from spreading. Evidently, normal retail operations became complicated under such circumstances. Bhatti et al. (2020) state that coronavirus disease had a profound impact on global retail trends. In this scenario, electronic commerce opportunities became a necessary, rather than mere convenience, for customers and sellers alike. Following the anti-pandemic procedures, both sides quickly came to realize the value of e-retail in the 21^st century. Naturally, the implementation of electronic commerce networks was significantly simpler in smart cities, where digital literacy and technological capacity are increased. The proposed research will discuss the exact subcategories and trends of e-retail in smart cities during the pandemic.

Communication

Effective communication is the cornerstone of modern professional and personal relationships. In fact, the feats of human civilization are primarily enabled by peoples ability to communicate their ideas. Similar to other important sectors, this concept experienced a strong influence on the coronavirus pandemic. First of all, as observations suggest, online communication is no longer seen as inferior to in-person interaction. Instead, it became a necessity during lockdowns, as larger social groups came to realize the potential of this format. In addition to the shift toward the Internet, the sphere of communication underwent other major transformations. According to Lovari, DAmbrosi, and Bowen (2020), the pandemic revealed the publics demand for more transparent interaction with the authorities. In other wants, residents want to receive honest and precise information from policy-makers, especially in regard to topical issues. The envisaged project will review how these trends are implemented in practice in technologically advanced, smart cities.

Table 1. Preliminary Research Data

Research Design and Methods

The proposed research will address the implementation of smart city technology outside the healthcare framework. In order to capture the essence of relevant policies to the full extent, a qualitative approach is envisaged for the study. First of all, a systematic review of the global academic data is proposed. When implemented, the research procedure will comprise a broad selection of primary and secondary sources reporting smart cities policies in response to COVID-associated challenges in education, communication, finance, and retail sectors. The project will review a range of evidence-based opinions, synthesizing the data. Next, a practical dimension is to be added to the research. The proposal consists of a qualitative survey design, which will allow respondents to express their views on the cities policies in the aforementioned sectors at length. As suggested by the topic, the surveys will be distributed via the Internet. This phase requires a selection of 40-60 adults over the age of 18 who live in the top 10 areas of the smart city index. Their responses will be analyzed and compared with the systemic review data in order to synthesize a common conclusion.

Ethical Considerations

The proposed study is not expected to yield any kind of ethical issues or dilemmas. As per the projects design, it will review a generalized perspective of the pandemic-related measures across smart cities of the world. The discussions with the residents are to be held via the Internet and each participant will have a chance to remain anonymous at all stages. They will be informed of the studys scope and purpose, thus being fully aware of the process. No personal data will be recorded, as the emphasis will be laid on the content of the opinion and not the respondents personality.

Expected Results

The discussed research is expected to bring positive results in terms of both theory and practice. From the theoretical perspective, the study will establish a clear framework of the smart cities potential in the face of the pandemic. In this regard, a range of high-quality academic resources will be analyzed for a better theoretical representation of the key areas and measures present within the discussed context. From a practical point of view, the study will evaluate the effectiveness of these policies based on the personal opinions of people directly involved with them. Ultimately, the project has the potential to create detailed guidelines in regards to the smart cities response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Timeline

Conclusion

Ultimately, COVID-19 has become a challenge of unprecedented magnitude for the global community. The pandemic disrupted the majority of normal processes across industries, prompting policy-makers to seek new solutions. As the research shows, smart cities showed a better degree of resilience under such difficult circumstances. These qualities are enabled by the advanced technological and social development of the areas. At the same time, the exact manner in which smart city policies contributed to the resilience in the face of COVID-19 deserves additional exploration. Most studies in this sphere of knowledge focused on the healthcare aspect of the situation. While this sphere is of undeniable importance in the current environment, it is also required to review other directions in which smart cities were able to counteract the pandemics impact. The proposed research will extend the academic understanding of smart cities education, finance, retail, and communication in the age of COVID-19. As of now, a certain gap in knowledge is observed within the academic environment. The execution of the envisaged research plant will help bridge this gap, providing valuable insight into the smart cities potential in the time of crisis.

Preliminary Working Reference List

Allam, Z. and Jones, D. S. (2020) On the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the smart city network: universal data sharing standards coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit urban health monitoring and management, Healthcare, 8, pp. 19.

Bhatti, A. et al. (2020) E-commerce trends during COVID-19 pandemic, International Journal of Future Generation Communication and Networking, 13(2), pp. 1449-1452.

Caragliu, A. and Del Bo, C. F. (2018) Smart innovative cities: the impact of Smart City policies on urban innovation, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 142, pp. 373-383.

Costa, D. G. and Peixoto, J. P. J. (2020) COVID-19 pandemic: a review of smart cities initiatives to face new outbreaks, Smart Cities, 2(2), pp. 6473.

Das, D. and Zhang, J. J. (2020) Pandemic in a smart city: Singapores COVID-19 management through technology & society, Urban Geography. Web.

Del Carmen Olmos-Gómez, M. et al. (2020) Validation of the smart city as a sustainable development knowledge tool: the challenge of using technologies in education during COVID-19, Sustainability, 12(20).

Gupta, M., Abdelsalam, M. and Mittal, S. (2020) Enabling and enforcing social distancing measures using smart city and its infrastructures: a COVID-19 use case. Web.

HaakSaheem, W. (2020) Talent management in Covid19 crisis: how Dubai manages and sustains its global talent pool, Asian Business & Management, 19, pp. 298301.

IMD. (2021) Smart City Index 2020. Web.

Inn, T. L. (2020) Smart city technologies take on COVID-19. Web.

Lovari, A., DAmbrosi, L. and Bowen, S. A. (2020) Re-connecting voices. the (new) strategic role of public sector communication after the COVID-19 crisis, Partecipazione e Conflitto, 13(2).

Mataruna-Dos-Santos, L. J. and Hamed, H. A. (2020) Augmented reality at Dubai parks: a gaming approach to curb COVID-19, Information Technology Innovations in Economics, Finance, Accounting, and Law, 1(7), pp. 18.

Sonn, J. W., Kang, M. and Choi, Y. (2020) Smart city technologies for pandemic control without lockdown, International Journal of Urban Sciences, 24(2), pp. 149151.

Wojcik, D. and Ioannou, S. (2020) COVID19 and finance: market developments so far and potential impacts on the financial sector and centres, Journal of Economic and Human Geography, 111(3), pp. 387-400.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2021) Coronavirus. Web.

Introduction

The COVID-19 global pandemic placed significant pressure on the U.S. health system due to a rapid increase in cases and a need for protective measures. Almost immediately it became clear that hospitals around the country were facing shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare personnel, necessary when providing care to protect themselves and patients (CDC, 2020). Such shortages placed healthcare professionals in situations of ethical dilemmas as PPE is critical to care provision and safety of everyone, but amid a pandemic, more patients than ever require medical attention. This paper will attempt to explore the ethical considerations of PPE shortages during COVID-19 and potential steps to action that reflect the ethical and professional responsibilities of nurses.

Interpretation of the Situation

Healthcare professionals on all levels are taught a patient-first philosophy in their practice, and any decision made poses the question of implications for the patient. However, the public health crisis with COVID-19 has shifted priorities for the healthcare system towards more utilitarian principles of making the moral choice of maximizing doing the greatest good. Vital healthcare resources including hospital beds and PPE are tightly managed as demand has increased. Any crisis which leads to rising demand requires a rational method of prioritization and allocation of these resources. Locations, where there is a surge of COVID-19 cases and shortage of PPE, may fare differently where the case number is relatively small. Regular standards of disposing of PPE after each patient is the professional and safe aspect. However, when there is a shortage, nurses are faced with the dilemma of providing care with suboptimal PPE (American College of Surgeons, 2020).

Most healthcare professionals want to provide competent care for the patient that they are currently treating, and not think about the hypothetical future. However, this forces nurses to an ethical decision of whether to serve the patient or think of future patients that may have greater needs. As medical professionals, nurses have a moral obligation to provide care to those in need. Nevertheless, the status quo of the pandemic has strongly shifted the dynamics of care, including the shortages of PPE, and nurses must consider their risks as well. In some circumstances, provision of care without adequate PPE may cause more harm. Such as when a nurse is a caretaker of a high-risk individual or they are at high-risk themselves, thus potentially requiring an ICU bed that could be needed by others, as a consequence of an avoidable situation (Brown, 2020).

Morally Ideal Action

Healthcare professionals also have a duty of care for patients. However, in the context of the pandemic, there is an ethical complexity in balancing professional duties and demands with the need for self-protection. Professional codes of conduct may offer guidance, often suggesting that healthcare professionals ensure the personal safety and safety of others when providing clinical care. Healthcare provision follows the four core principles of biomedical ethics that guide decision-making which include respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Non-maleficence in particular is a critical consideration since no practitioner wants to harm patients, their families, or themselves. The scarcity of PPE significantly undermines the ability to respect this principle. As for justice, from a material perspective, the principles of need suggest that social resources, including those in health care, must be distributed according to need. Since PPE is fundamental to the protection of frontline medical workers and their patients or families, the principle of justice indicates that PPE is required in the context of the pandemic (Maguire et al., 2020).

The AMA has released guidance on the Code of Medical Ethics in this situation. Opinion 8.3 suggests that health professionals in dire situations such as a pandemic must provide urgent care, even in the face of greater than usual risk. However, it is also recognized that the healthcare workforce is not an unlimited resource, thus should be considered in the context of the ability to provide care in the future. Although not specific, the Medical Code of Ethics does discuss the allocation of key healthcare resources based on the urgency of need, such as the role in the institution and degree of contact. Practitioners can decline to provide care with suboptimal PPE based on several considerations discussed above such as risk factors. Therefore, according to the AMA efforts must be made to protect or reduce risk to healthcare personnel to the greatest extent possible when PPE is limited since benefits accrue to the public at large (AMA, 2020).

Deciding What to Do

Amid the SARS epidemic, Thompson et al. (2006) developed a framework for ethical decision-making in the context of a pandemic. The ethical processes consist of:

1. Accountability  mechanisms in place to oversee ethical decision-making throughout the pandemic.
2. Openness and transparency  the decision must be open to scrutiny, public, and defensible
3. Reasonableness  decisions should be based on rationality such as evidence, values.
4. Responsiveness  provide opportunities to revise decisions or mechanisms to address disputes as new information emerges during a crisis (Thompson et al., 2006).

Thompson et al. (2006) also identify duty to provide care as a key ethical value, arguing that in the context of a pandemic where resources are overwhelmed, providers have to consider the demands of their professional role to other obligations to own health and those of family and friends. If the circumstances are that all safety procedures are followed but there is not enough PPE, the health professional has the right to consider their duty. Accountability is followed since this approach is recommended by the AMA and other medical organizations. It is a transparent decision that is made public, and others are aware of ongoing circumstances. There is rationality to the decision if the nurse in question or her immediate family member is at-risk for COVID-19. Responsiveness is an element that can be considered once greater PPE resources are present or in the case of a vaccine being developed when it becomes safer to work with suboptimal PPE.

Implementation and Perseverance

From an organizational perspective, proactive conserving critical resources such as PPE while ensuring fair distribution is the best utilitarian approach to creating the greatest good for all patients served. Limited PPE would be distributed in a manner that protects the greater number of healthcare workers based on factors such as the minimal level of protection necessary given the risk of contact, setting, and procedure as recommended by scientific guidelines. Unnecessary PPE use should be minimized by focusing on high-acuity procedures and reducing staff in settings where protection is required. Another, more difficult and controversial approach, likely to be used in most desperate situations, is to provide PPE to those healthcare workers who can provide the most care to the patients. This will likely cause moral distress but will provide PPE to those clinicians who can work rather than those who are at-risk or absent to treat the greatest number of patients. Provided the urgency in making the critical decisions regarding resource distribution, hospitals must develop and implement policies on allocation of PPE, particularly to at-risk healthcare workers. The policies should be scientific and ethical, considering the moral consequences of overarching decisions. No system will be universal or perfect, but elements that consider utilitarianism, reciprocity, and protection of the vulnerable can be inherently ethical (Binkley & Kemp, 2020).

In terms of individual perspective, it is evident that the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged social and professional expectations along with the extent that healthcare workers have a moral obligation to provide care. Although some risk is always integrated into the concept of healthcare provision, there needs to be a distinction between reasonable risks and risks that are outside professionally enforceable obligations. Virtually all health organizations emphasize that healthcare workers, particularly nurses or lower-level support staff are under no ethical obligation to accept unreasonable risks. If circumstances are such that there is good evidence that a nurse should not participate in the provision of care due to serious risk, no matter the good intentions, it would be unethical for them to endanger their welfare and potentially that of others around them such as co-workers and family (Ethical considerations, 2020).

Conclusion

The ethical dilemma of PPE availability to healthcare workers during the pandemic is challenging and unprecedented on many scales. Medical ethics views the situation from primarily a utilitarian point of view. Treatment of patients is vital during a health crisis, but medical workers should protect themselves. Having suboptimal PPE provides a strong justification for refusing to provide care, particularly if a nurse is at-risk due to personal health or that of family members, as it would both cause harm, a violation of a principle of biomedical ethics, and would be unjust. Healthcare workers will continue to conserve PPE while supplies are strained, attempting to minimize risk to themselves and patients while providing the best treatment possible in these conditions. Ultimately, it is an individual choice of practitioners as COVID-19 poses risks beyond expected professional obligation and duty, it is necessary to respect the autonomous decisions of individuals. Ethically, the acts are supererogatory, and choosing another course of action to avoid risk would be morally acceptable.

References

AMA. (2020). AMA Code of Medical Ethics: Guidance in a pandemic.

American College of Surgeons. (2020). Ethics of PPE allocation.

Binkley, C. E., & Kemp, D. S. (2020). Ethical rationing of personal protective equipment to minimize moral residue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 20(6), 1111-1113.

Brown, B. (2020). Are clinicians without PPE morally obligated to care for COVID-19 patients?

CDC. (2020). Strategies to optimize the supply of PPE and equipment.

Ethical considerations for PPE use by health care workers in a pandemic. (2020).

Maguire, B. J., Shearer, K., McKeown, J., Phelps, S., Gerard, D. R., Handal, K. A., Maniscalco, P., & ONeill, B. J. (2020). The ethics of PPE and EMS in the COVID-19 era. Journal of Emergency Medical Services.

Thompson, A. K., Faith, K., Gibson, J. L., & Upshur, R. E. (2006). Pandemic influenza preparedness: an ethical framework to guide decision-making. BMC Medical Ethics, 7(1), 1-12.

Introduction

The source is a podcast from The American Public Health Association. The podcasts title is Katrina, Flint, COVID-19, the root changes public health needs. The date of the podcast episode is October 2020, and the speakers were Joe Kanter, Bob Kim-Farley, Wendy Parmet, and Alfredo Morabia. The three issues addressed by the podcast include the effectiveness of the US in response COVID- 19 pandemic, the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether the CDC played its role as expected.

Discussion

During the entry of COVID19 into the US, there was less effectiveness in response to the pandemic by the federal Administration. During the first spike, it was every individual for himself or every state for itself and a lack of coordination precisely for vital materials. & we really felt that it was every person for themselves& (Flint, 2020, 2). There was a poor organization in effective control and response to the pandemic leading to a drain of resources.

The lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic included that the federal government ought to come into work and back states in obtainment and impartially to those most out of luck (Flint, 2020). Another lesson is that a robust effort has been put in place to develop vaccines quickly to combat pandemics before causing much harm. The United States failed to learn from Hurricane Katrinas issue in preparedness for pandemics, which is why the nation was unprepared for COVID-19 (Raker, Zacher, & Lowe, 2020). CDC did not play its role well as expected by the public and the states. The institution lacked credibility, starting from failing tests to inferior coordination of significant research during pandemics &the test CDC distributed was ineffective& (Flint, 2020). Hence, not only the federal government was ineffective in fighting COVID-19, but also the CDC.

Covid-19 is important to discuss because it is an international disaster. Additionally, COVID the daily routines of the world, affecting almost every aspect of life. Interestingly, the pandemic took the whole world unawares, and its effects were immense. More specifically, everyday activities that people engaged in, for instance, schooling, work, and traveling, were halted temporarily as people started to look for ways to survive. The powerful nations of the Globe lacked the best coordination to control the virus, and it took them months to develop vaccines. The episode relates to my life experience due to the side effects the pandemic caused. During the pandemic, I lost a couple of friends due to the US hospitals having fewer ventilators and PPEs. The episode aroused sad and fearful emotions in me due to many close friends and relatives who had perished during the pandemic and the fear of a strong wave re-emerging.

Conclusion

The podcast episode has elaborated on many points I learned in class discussions, textbooks, and lectures. Among the points are how the federal government is expected to respond during pandemics, the role of the CDC in fighting diseases, and the impacts of COVID-19 on the entire world. The episode increased my understanding of COVID-19 and why it persisted so long, even in first-world countries. I came to an understanding that poor coordination by the federal government of the US contributed to an ineffective response to the pandemic. I would recommend the podcast to others as it is rich with information about COVID-19 and where we failed as a state in fighting the pandemic. The podcast is also educative and contains concerns and ideas we learn in class.

References

Flint, K. (2020). COVID- 19 the root changes public health needs. Web.

Raker, E. J., Zacher, M., & Lowe, S. R. (2020). Lessons from Hurricane Katrina for predicting the indirect health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(23), 1259512597. Web.

Introduction

The current Covid-19 response has been a slow, painful process, and the lack of information from officials only makes it worse. The spread of COVID-19 has affected all facets of life for people, whether they are in their homes or crowded shelters. The universal character of the problem and the fact that COVID-19 affects millions of people worldwide explains the need to discuss this topic. The main reason is that the discussion of the issue increases public awareness of the essence of the pandemic, its causes, consequences, and ways to protect own self. The lack of information has created a state of panic for many people, especially those most vulnerable to disease and injury, as well as those who are elderly or young children. Low public awareness about the virus contributed to a sense of helplessness among people, especially those who do not have reliable Internet connections or cannot read in English. It is possible to hypothesize that the most adequate and effective human response to COVID-19 is launching public information campaigns that contribute to most individuals understanding of the situation.

Discussion

Avoiding Panic

In No Mans Land Facing Disaster, part 4, chap 17, the authors shared several guidelines and practices that could be used to respond to disasters. One of these guidelines was to avoid panic. It is possible to find similar recommendations in scholarly articles on the same topic, which makes it a versatile piece of advice. James writes that this practice can be difficult for many people to follow without constant reminders (James, 2013). Many people are at risk of being overly anxious and overreacting in response to the virus. Le et al. explain this situation with the prevalence of misinformation about what it means for someone to contract COVID-19 or how long it will take to recover from it (Le et al., 2019). Many believe they have little time before becoming infected and must prepare for death. It can cause them to be more fearful than they should be, making it more difficult for them to focus on taking care of themselves and their family members.

It is possible to find parallels between the discussed chapter and the academic articles on the same topic. Shi et al. (2020) claim that panic happens due to parents lack of awareness on how to protect their kids from being infected with the COVID-19 virus, especially if they do not know how to vaccinate against the COVID-19 virus. The authors acknowledge panic as the side-effect of the pandemic, which makes it similar to the chapter by James. It happens because they never received any information on how to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus until now even though there. The human response to COVID-19 is complex: on the one hand, some want to take action, while others want to stay home, which is valid for both individuals and governments.

Inequality and COVID-19

COVID-19 is a global pandemic that has impacted the lives of millions of people. One of the key concepts shared in No Mans Land Facing Disaster is that not all people are equal (James, 2013). It is often true that some people have more privilege than others do. This concept is relevant to COVID-19 as it relates to peoples responses to the pandemic. For example, some people may access medication and other healthcare services while others do not. It means that some people will be able to respond better than others when trying to deal with COVID-19. One way this could play out during COVID-19 is how people respond to their health and well-being during the pandemic. Suppose someone has been able to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In that case, they can continue doing so even when they face obstacles like power outages or limited transportation options due to traffic jams caused by closed roads due to heavy snowfall during winter months in some areas.

In the current situation, people are still facing the consequences of Covid-19. Le et al. emphasize the same hypothesis in their article, stating that people need more access to facilities and services than they usually do. It is shown in their reactions and thoughts about this event. For instance, they have been tested in many ways for the virus, but the contamination rate is still high, and the most vulnerable categories of people suffer from it. They have to learn how to live with it and cope with tithe central government has put out much information regarding how they would handle this situation (Le et al., 2020). However, we have seen that they need to be able to provide more assistance to the people affected by COVID-19 (Le et al., 2020). They need to provide more information regarding what they could do for the people still suffering from this disaster. Their lack of knowledge about what is happening around them, especially in remote areas with no electricity or running water, has caused many problems for those who need help most urgently.

Understanding Human Responses

No Mans Land Facing Disaster describes peoples responses to disasters and the theories behind human behaviors. The situations in the books and those people are facing in the current times are similar. For example, in times of the COVID pandemic, people often resort to their default behaviors, the behavior they fall back on when faced with a situation they are unfamiliar with or unable to deal with effectively. It is also true for group dynamics and organizational dynamics. It is one reason people do not make good leaders in times of crisis; because they are not flexible, adaptive, or resilient enough to deal with the situation at hand effectively (James, 2013). In order to better understand human response patterns and underlying assumptions concerning them, we need to understand some of the basic concepts behind them and the terminology used by behavioral scientists.

This shift in human behavior can be explained from the rational perspective of the fear of the unknown. Similar information is presented in the article by Moriarty et al., who writes that people are very concerned about their health and well-being because they are not vaccinated yet (Moriarty et al., 2020). They are afraid of getting infected with COVID-19 disease, and they do not feel safe at home because of the virus infection because they cannot go out to work or school (Moriarty et al., 2020). They are worried about their children getting infected with COVID-19, especially if they have no protection against this virus. It can be fatal for children, especially those under five years old, including infants and children below five years old who were not vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

Personal Reflection

The most important thing learned is that people will do whatever it takes to protect themselves and their families. It is much work, but keeping safe can be done. People are taking more precautions than they have been in the past. The most significant change seen is that people spend more time in the open than in their homes. It is surprising because there are still some areas where it is dangerous to be outside, and people still feel uncomfortable going outside at all times unless they have to do so for work or school. Another shift in behavior noticed is that people are now looking for ways to stay connected with family members who live far away and might not have heard from them in a while. They are also using social media platforms more frequently than before COVID-19 hit; maybe this will help them keep up with each other when they cannot talk on the phone or Facetime-time each other as often as they used to. The human response has been challenging at times, but overall, it is encouraging that so many people are working together towards common goals like staying safe and staying.

No Mans Land Facing Disaster raised many questions about how people should respond to a crisis like COVID and whether or not they should be prepared for it. One of the exciting things is how people are so worried about their health at this Time (Shi et al., 2020). It seems like they are worried about getting sick and dying, but they also seem affected by the fact that they cannot access healthcare when they need it most. People have adapted their lifestyles and routines to survive during Covid-19. For example, many people have started farming to grow their food and do their cooking instead of relying on fast food restaurants. Others have changed their diets to eat less meat and more fruits and vegetables, which help protect against diseases that may be spread through food production or consumption during Covid-19.

Conclusion

Therefore, taking action is the best way to deal with this disaster. In this paper, three sub-topics were discussed, including the need to avoid panic triggered by COVID-19, reducing inequality of people in the face of the pandemic, and discussion of human reactions to this situation. People need to ensure that they are not just dealing with this in isolation; instead, they need to take steps toward recovery as a whole. It is essential to increase public awareness of the virus and how to cope with it to change human reactions for the better.

References

James, R. K. (2013). Chapter 4. In Crisis intervention strategies. Essay, Thomson Brooks/Cole.

Le, T. T., Andreadakis, Z., Kumar, A., Román, R. G., Tollefsen, S., Saville, M., & Mayhew, S. (2020). The COVID-19 vaccine development landscape. Nat Rev Drug Discov, 19(5), 305306. Web.

Moriarty, L. F., Plucinski, M. M., Marston, B. J., Kurbatova, E. V., Knust, B., Murray, E. L., & Richards, J. (2020). Public health responses to COVID-19 outbreaks on cruise shipsworldwide, FebruaryMarch 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(12), 347. Web.

Shi, Y., Wang, G., Cai, X. P., Deng, J. W., Zheng, L., Zhu, H. H., Zheng, M., Yang, B., & Chen, Z. (2020). An overview of COVID-19. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B, 21(5), 343-360. Web.

Argument

The covid-19 is a nowadays life-threatening virus that can severely harm human health. The topic of using precautionary measures to prevent the virus from spreading is highly debatable due to the creation of an anti-covid vaccine.

Some assume that right after the vaccination is complete, the means for personal safety are out of necessity. People stop using masks on the streets while shopping and even at the workplace. However, this is a misbelief, which can cause harmful consequences for the people and those around them. The most dangerous atmosphere implying to the virus spreading is the working place because of the closed space and the massive concentration of people in the one place. Thus, to avoid spreading the covid-19 in the workplace atmosphere, employees must wear masks even after being fully vaccinated.

Key Points

Even though the anti-covid vaccine is a helpful tool to defeat the virus, people should stay conscious about their safety. The vaccine has its limitations, which are essential to take into consideration. People should wear masks after being vaccinated because the human body needs two to five weeks to synthesize the anti-bodes, which will protect a person from getting infected with covid-19. The second reason is that even if vaccinated people are protected from the virus, they can be the vector of the infection, thus run a risk of contaminating others. The third reason is that the vaccine does not help in all cases.

Even vaccinated people can fall ill again because of the different peculiarities of the bodys working process. To ensure the workplace safety required by human resource practices, the employer should make sure that all the employees wear masks.

Audience

The essay is directed to both employers and employees to remind them about the necessity of exercising human resource practices and ensure workplace safety, and preventing covid-19 measures. Wearing masks is essential even after being fully vaccinated, and people must remember that. The audience will definitely claim that the percentage of infected after being vaccinated is relatively small. Therefore, wearing masks at the workplace is not a crucial factor for their health. Also, the opposition will point out that it is next to impossible to wear a mask all day long because it causes difficulties in breathing.

Goal

The essay strives to achieve peoples awareness and understanding of the problem connected with the anti-covid vaccine effects. The primary aim is to reduce the number of the infected due to providing information about the vaccine and protective means. Thus, the increasing safety and the health of the people throughout the awareness. In order to be successful, this essay needs to be persuasive and analytical. It also requires supporting evidence, such as statistical data of infected people before and after getting the vaccine. The paper should also be precise, well structured, and free of any emotional evaluations.

Evidence

The point that the anti-covid vaccine requires a particular time to produce the guarding antibodies has been scientifically proved in recent research. Providing quotes from the articles and academic papers will support the prominent position of the essay and make it more persuasive. The fragments of speeches of leading vaccinators and doctors who work with infections will also be profound evidence for the essays main argument. The statistical and factual data can support the mentioned fact that many people fall ill after being fully vaccinated.

The emergence of the Coronavirus pandemic has brought numerous effects to individuals globally, with many individuals being forced to readjust to the new norms. At the onset of the disease, there were many uncertainties regarding its origin, nature of transmission and spread, the effects, and other of its general morphological aspects (Bowdle et al., 2020). However, recent researchers have identified and clearly explained, with evidence, robust information concerning the novel coronavirus disease. Also, medical practitioners have learned that the virus undergoes mutations, with its complexities getting worse (UNICEF, 2020). As a respiratory infection, coronavirus is transmitted when one comes into contact with the droplets released during coughing or sneezing. Current evidence indicates that the primary transmission media for covid-19 is through the respiratory droplets; only on rare occasions is the disease spread through the air as per the analysis conducted in China.

Transmission through droplets usually occurs if the victim is close to other healthy individuals, usually a meter or less distance. With the tremendous effects and health complications, it is potentially risky to engage closely with individuals showing respiratory symptoms such as sneezing and coughing (UNICEF, 2020). Being in close contact with the infected persons exposes them to touching or inhaling harmful substances in the form of droplets released to the environment by the victims of the disease (Modes of transmission of the virus causing COVID-19: Implications for IPC precaution recommendations, 2020). Droplets released by covid-19 contain notable amounts of aerosol content, a potential carrier of the virus. Droplets are the most prevalent form of transmitting the virus from the victims to other individuals (UNICEF, 2020). Curbing the spread through that medium calls from proper hygiene of surfaces, maintaining social distances beyond a meter, and ensuring strict and proper use of masks.

Transmission through fomites in the environment of the victim is also evident regarding coronavirus spread. Fomite transmission is associated with the substances formed on surfaces whenever particles are expelled from an infected person through uncontrolled coughs and sneezes. The deposited substances on the surfaces could stay for hours and even days, and they are significantly contaminated by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and RNA that RT-PCR usually detects (Bowdle et al., 2020). Even though nature and spread depend on ambient environmental factors such as humidity and temperature, the virus can survive on long-term surfaces. Transmission through contaminated surfaces has not been thoroughly researched; hence there is limited information supporting its dominance (How does coronavirus spread?, 2020). It is also difficult to discern the difference between the transmission that occurs through the droplets and fomites since the droplets engulf the surfaces to constitute fomites (Bowdle et al., 2020). Objects such as stethoscopes or telescopes act as potential carriers of the virus since medical officers often use them in their daily interactions with the covid-19 patients. The speculation that only some surfaces have the potential of sustaining the virus for more extended periods is evident. However, research has not yet revealed any surface that cannot act as a transmission media for the virus.

Though not common, airborne transmission of covid-19 has also been evident in the recent past and with the new developments of the pandemic. Airborne transmission is associated with infectious microbes released into the environment and is often embodied in the droplet nuclei that are about <5¼m in diameter (Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)  Transmission, 2020). It is worthwhile noting that a nucleus with such a diameter stays longer in the atmosphere and can be transmitted over distances that surpass one meter. Concerning covid-19, transmission through air occurs only in specific settings (Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)  Transmission, 2020). For instance, in a scenario where treatments involve the release of aerosols into the atmosphere. Endotracheal intubation or nebulized treatments are often characterized by a patients disconnection from the ventilator machine (Fabella, 2021). The intubation process requires the random turning of the patient to various positions for the medical procedures (Nikhra, 2020). Scientific findings have also attempted to provide evidence on whether the particles can be detected in the air. Also, in a recent study in England, published in the Journal of Medicine, it is proven how staying in poorly ventilated rooms increases the chances of contracting the virus from the potentially suffering victims (Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)  Transmission, 2020). The physics surrounding the spread of the virus through the air has also attempted to explain the mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 gets transmitted through aerosols.

The symptomatic period of the disease goes for about two weeks, increasing the chances of the diseases spread amongst gathering. The concerned authorities have held various campaigns and group meetings to create awareness on how individuals can protect themselves from contracting the virus (How does coronavirus spread?, 2020). However, most sensitization revolves around people avoiding gatherings and unnecessary group meetings, which would otherwise expose them to potential risks since they may interact with the infected (Nikhra, 2020). Coronavirus is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has numerous ways of manipulating itself in human beings (Transmission of COVID-19, 2020). In gatherings, when a victim coughs and sneezes without following the set protocols and protection procedures, the released droplets may fall on surfaces or be absorbed in the atmosphere (How does coronavirus spread?, 2020). Eventually, other individuals may access and breathe such contaminated air, leading to complications with the virus, touching the contaminated surface with unprotected hands, and touching the nose or mouth with the infected hands (Modes of transmission of the virus causing COVID-19: Implications for IPC precaution recommendations, 2020). In essence, gatherings are potential grounds for spreading the virus and an active transmission medium since aerosols usually get suspended in the air and stay active for quite a more extended period and travel beyond one meter.

Coronavirus is a pandemic that has left many individuals affected in various ways based on its mysterious ways of spread and its potential effects on the victims. As established in the essay, the virus is spread faster in social gatherings, congested, and fails to observe a one-meter apart rule. The latter is because the disease is actively spread through the air, droplets, contact with contaminated surfaces in fomites, and poorly ventilated rooms. It is also evident from the essay that the virus causing the disease has numerous ways of manipulating itself to human beings, of which some have not been scientifically proven. The identified transmission media can be controlled majorly through maintaining proper hygiene of surfaces, maintaining distance, and avoiding close contact with the infected.

References

Bowdle, A., Jelacic, S., Shishido, S., & Munoz-Price, L. S. (2020). undefined. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 131(5), 1342-1354. Web.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)  Transmission. (2020). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.

Fabella, F. (2021). How individualism affects the spread of COVID-19. Academia Letters. Web.

How does coronavirus spread? (2020). WebMD. Web.

Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-19: Implications for IPC precaution recommendations. (2020). WHO | World Health Organization. Web.

Nikhra, V. (2020). COVID-19: Exploring the disease transmission dynamics. Annals of Immunology & Immunotherapy, 2(2). Web.

Transmission of COVID-19. (2020). European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Web.

UNICEF. (2020). WHO | World Health Organization. Web.

Monitor on Psychology Article on Research Topic

In my paper, I address a global topic in nature: binge drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-isolation can lead to increased consumption of alcoholic beverages. Humans are now surrounded by potential stressors that can foster more reliance on alcohol (Huff, 2021, para. 2). In addition, often various traumatic events and natural disasters lead to an increase in overall alcohol consumption in the population. On the other hand, restrictions during a pandemic can help limit drinking alcohol as many restaurants are closed. In any case, these things are personal and depend on the individual, their mental health, willpower, and surrounding circumstances.

Assumptions Made in Research Sources

The central assumption is that the increase in alcohol consumption is related to the COVID-19 situation. The pandemics uncertainty and stress, combined with disrupted routines, may have encouraged some people to progress into heavier drinking habits (Huff, 2021, para 1). Working remotely online is also conducive to alcohol consumption. People may assume that they can return to their previous routines when concerns about the coronavirus are gone, but it wont be that easy.

Thoughts About Assumptions Identified

In my opinion, the assumptions are valid because they have some research basis behind them. The constant background presence of stress encourages people to look for ways to relax. However, such a remedy can quickly turn into an addiction. People are now in a difficult situation that puts them before a choice. Nevertheless, despite the statistics and data, much depends on a particular issue, a particular person, his principles, and behavior.

Initial Thoughts and Views on Researched Subject

My thoughts on the subject were almost the same as the assumptions put forward. I also thought that alcohol consumption had increased during the pandemic, and it was noticeable. However, more interesting to me was that there is a more excellent dynamic of increased drinking in families with children: significant stressors can explain this phenomenon. One of the research I studied states that the presence of children in the home during the pandemic is related to increased drinking behavior among American adults (Rodriguez et al., 2020, para. 5. Discussion). At the same time, I did not encounter any cases of specific alcoholism because of the COVID-19 situation.

Thoughts and Views on Researched Subject and Their Influence on Behavior

My behavior and alcohol consumption during the pandemic has not changed in any way. As for interpersonal relations, I have heard many stories from my acquaintances about how they now can drink a glass of wine or a bottle of beer while working remotely at home. For them, it is not something outrageous; on the contrary, it is like a nice bonus in the current environment. I cant say that my attitude has changed towards them, but personally, it is unacceptable. I can assume that if these were my close friends or relatives, I would be wary and take appropriate measures to convey my thoughts on the matter to them.

Thoughts and Views on Researched Subject After Reading Monitor on Psychology Article

Reading the article and the study made me think again about how stressful situations and unfamiliar circumstances can affect a persons behavior and habits. I became convinced that alcohol addiction is a dangerous problem that can manifest itself in varying degrees. It is essential to have self-control and awareness and the courage to admit the existence of such a problem.

Monitor on Psychology Articles Influence on Behavior

The knowledge I have gained will help me take this issue more seriously. I will follow the same behavior in the future as I did before: not abusing alcohol during the workday and controlling the amount I consume. An article from the Monitor on Psychology mentions Cathy Witkewitz, an addiction researcher and professor in the psychology department at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She gives some advice on overcoming the urge to drink alcohol. I can use this information for myself in the future and recommend this source to my friends and acquaintances to read.

Monitor on Psychology Articles Influence on Professional Activities

The information I receive will not have a significant impact on my personal life or professional activities. I had prior knowledge of the problem, so I was responsible for my alcohol-related decisions. I can say that the new information from the sources I read only confirmed my beliefs and my desire to respect my life in different areas of activity.

References

Huff, C. (2021). Drinking, coping, and COVID-19. Monitor on Psychology, 52(1), 20. Web.

Rodriguez, L. M., Litt, D. M., & Stewart, S. H. (2020). Drinking to cope with the pandemic: The unique associations of COVID-19-related perceived threat and psychological distress to drinking behaviors in American men and women. Addictive Behaviors, 110. Web.

According to the speaker, even the most honest, truthful, and ethical person will find himself or herself in a full-blown ethical crisis at some time in their career; no one escapes it. This claim is not supported by any solid research yet it affirms this is bound to happen. One can go through their career without facing full-blown ethical dilemmas. Although individuals may find themselves in ethical dilemmas, it is not correct to authoritatively state everyone will be involved in a full-blown one.

Definition and types of ethics

Ethics refers to the basic moral ground rules by which people live. One can have good or bad ethics, both of which are influenced by our conscience (self-awareness of behavior). This claim is accurate because every decision a person makes is out of their consciousness. Unconscious decisions are likely to be unethical while conscious ones are likely to be ethical.

Escaping ethical dilemma

To deal with an ethical dilemma, the speaker notes that one must be aware and equip themselves with knowledge and skills to deal with the dilemma. This is true because every ethical dilemma needs one to make a choice and this is influenced by ones knowledge and skills. These skills can be obtained through training and reading literature.

Ethics at the workplace/employer expectations

Certain expectations at the workplace emanate from ethics and include observing rules, obeying the law, honesty in behavior and speech, putting company interest in mind, and respect for people and property. The statement is true because ethics are ground moral rules followed by a group of people. Organizations, therefore, develop their unique rules based on a code of ethics. While observing ethics, one may find themselves in an ethical dilemma.

Ethical dilemma at the workplace

According to the speaker, an ethical dilemma at the workplace is measured by the way a person:

• delivers on expectations.
• responds to a crisis.
• reacts to company policies/practices.
• makes decisions in person and in groups.
• fulfills his/her obligations to colleagues and customers.
• presents the company or its products to consumers.
• deals with external agencies, contractors, and vendors.

These measurements are applicable because they are a result of a decision made and can be seen as a reaction, an outcome, or any of the measurements stated. The speaker also states that one must be careful about how other people perceive their actions. This is in order because perception creates reality; people create understanding from perceptions and the understanding influences their actions. This means ones action(s) has a bearing on others actions and therefore the need to care about how others perceive our actions.

Ethical dilemmas of conscience

According to the speaker, ethical dilemmas are categorized into two:

1. Issues that have to do with ones conscious where they have to choose from two or more alternatives where one or more stakeholders are involved. For example, a dilemma on whether or not to report harassing or intimidating supervisors. The action taken may or may not be right/ethical but one has a right to make a choice which also comes with consequences like being jailed for unethical actions or rewarded for an ethical one.
2. Issues outside ones sphere of influence and where one needs to make a choice, for example, covering up mismanagement by the supervisor, working with dishonest people, or sexual advances by the boss.

In these ethical dilemmas, one requires strategy and a system to help. People have different strategies for getting out of ethical dilemmas and which are determined by ones ingenuity, experience, and character. While making choices to do with ethics, one must consider stakeholders to succeed in making the right decisions/choices. Stakeholders include receivers (those directly affected by the decision), third parties, workplace environment and culture, and you as a person.

The categorization of ethical dilemma is accurate because issues that confront a person and on which a decision must be made are either a result of an individuals actions or actions of other people. Also, because a decision has to be made in the dilemma, knowledge, and skills are utilized. The knowledge and skills help one to develop strategies to deal with the dilemma.

Patent Waiver for COVID-19 Vaccine by the US

The Biden administration stated it would waive intellectual property patents for COVID-19 vaccines. This, it says, is because the vaccine supply for the US is secured and the need to boost vaccine production and supply in hard-hit countries, most of which are developing nations. The Biden administration stated that while it recognizes the need for intellectual property protection, COVID-19 presented a global health emergency that needed extraordinary measures such as the waiver. The US offered to supply raw materials needed for the production of the vaccine. The director general of the WHO termed the move as one that presents a monumental moment in fighting the disease and an indication of moral leadership. Moral leadership dictates that it is better to save lives first than allow a few companies to make profits and therefore the need for the waiver.

The Patent Waiver by the US government is necessary

In the article, it is stated that the waiver announcement by the US coincided with a surge in COVID-19 cases in nations struggling to procure and distribute COVID-19 vaccines. From this statement, it is expected that the mortality rate from COVID-19 in the countries would rise. The US is among the few countries in the world manufacturing the vaccine, at least early into the pandemic. Waiving the patent protection for the vaccine manufacturers means many other companies would manufacture the vaccine, increasing the availability and use of the vaccine in most affected areas. This would increase the number of people vaccinated against the disease, reducing the mortality rate. The Biden administrations main objective, therefore, is to ensure many people are vaccinated and consequently reduce deaths. This is moral leadership, even though the move could hurt manufacturers in terms of profit margins.

The vaccine manufacturers such as Moderna and Pfizer are established companies already making profits. Continued patent protection does not make much meaning to the governments revenue than if the government allowed more companies to manufacture the vaccine, sell, make profits, and pay more tax. The US government will therefore make more revenue by doing away with patent protection. Will it, therefore, make meaning that the government should allow a few companies to continue making profits at the expense of saving lives and collecting more taxes? The answer, to me, is it would be better for the government to waive the patent enabling it to collect more taxes and save more lives. If the spread is not curbed, more productive people would be affected, negatively impacting the economies of many nations around the world.

One of the claims made by the manufacturers is that the waiver would cause confusion between public and private partners, undermine global response and lead to the emergence of counterfeit vaccines. These claims are far-fetched because allowing more manufacturers around the world will ease supply logistics, making the vaccine more accessible. Further, public and private manufacturers of the same products have been in existence and measures have been put in place to avoid confusion and this will be extended to vaccine manufacturing.