Disease outbreaks advantages and disadvantages to society when it comes to epidemics

Original Post Post must be substantial and informative.

Throughout this course we have looked at various outbreaks caused by a variety of organisms as well as throughout different time periods. Our society has changed drastically and this results in numerous advantages and disadvantages when it comes to epidemics. For this discussion I would like you to discuss these. Please be sure to include references. Not all the advantages and disadvantages will be found in scientific literature so for this discussion you may include popular sources but you must include at least one scientific reference for full credit.

Response 1   (Response to this post must be conversational and respectful to the students views, add reference, must have substance behind it)

Disease outbreaks

The way that our society has changed and adapted after various disease outbreaks do have both advantages and disadvantages. In terms of advantages, I think our society has an advantage over previous societies because of the advancement in biomedical technology and the understanding of disease causes and transmission. This puts our society at an advantage when it comes to disease outbreaks because of the extensive knowledge and resources that have been developed. The use of the internet and social media can be both an advantage and disadvantage depending on the information that is being relayed during an epidemic. Public health officials can use social media to inform and educate the public on disease prevention. Social media and the internet can also put our society at a disadvantage which is something we have witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the internet and social media can be a place for people to share misinformation concerning a disease outbreak. This puts out society at a disadvantage because many people do not know how to differentiate between reliable information and false information leading to the disruption of social distancing measures and distrust among the public. Our society is also disadvantaged during disease outbreaks because the United States does not have universal healthcare. Not having universal healthcare in the country may be putting out society at a disadvantage because people who are ill may refuse to be treated or seek medical attention because they cannot afford the medical expense. This is damaging to our society because it may allow for the disease outbreak to spread worse.

Simpson, D. M. (1996). Microbiology and Epidemiology in Foodborne Disease Outbreaks: The Whys and When Nots. Journal of Food Protection, 59(1), 93-95. doi:10.4315/0362-028x-59.1.93

Peter Frankopan Professor of Global History. (2020). Past pandemics exacerbated disadvantages – what we can learn from them about the coronavirus recovery. https://theconversation.com/past-pandemics-exacerbated-disadvantages-what-we-can-learn-from-them-about-the-coronavirus-recovery-141254

Response 2       Response to this post must be conversational and respectful to the students views, add reference, must have substance behind it

Pros and Cons on Society – results from Epidemics and Pandemics in History

These are some of the most notable (in my opinion) advantages and disadvantages to how society changes after a healthcare crisis:

Advantages to changes in society resulting from epidemics:

1. For the COVID-19 pandemic specifically, I think an advantage of it had on society was that it shed light on overall racism in healthcare all over the world, and racial disparities, economic disparities, etc. people face in the U.S. (Moore, 2020). It became evident, even to those who did not know that a healthcare crisis disproportionately affects low-income, minority populations (Moore, 2020). This is also not something that exist in the U.S., but all over the world. While this is generally a disadvantage, the advantage is that people now have the knowledge after light has been shed on this pressing issue that has persisted throughout all of history (Moore, 2020). My hope as a progressive nation, and hopefully as some countries become more progressive in time, is that we eradicate such disparities in healthcare. We need better systems.
2. It’s not new that climate change can result in emerging infectious diseases (Moore, 2020). I do want to highlight the positives epidemics and pandemics have on the climate (Moore, 2020). When social isolation/quarantine procedures set in large regions, the world begins to see cleaner air, less greenhouse gas emissions, more wild animals, cleaner water, less waste, etc (Moore, 2020). I hope the world is more aware and starts to become proactive in mitigating climate change, before another disaster (even worse) occurs.
3. I read an article that one of the results from the Spanish Flu (1918 Influenza) actually gave women the ability to enter the workforce because more men were killed during the Outbreak and there was a worker shortage (Rodriguez, 2020). Not too long after, women were fighting for the right to vote and equal pay, so the Spanish Flu helped change the role women play in society in the U.S. (Rodriguez, 2020)! Pretty awesome!
4. The Bubonic Plague (Black Death) led to a large number of laborers to die from infection, which resulted in an increase in wages, which ended Serfdom (Feudal laborer in debt/bondage) (Rodriguez, 2020).

Disadvantages to changes in society resulting from epidemics:

1. Epidemics and pandemics shed light on the gaps and challenges exist in preparedness and response to pandemics/epidemics (Madhav, 2017). Gaps in preparedness and response are greater in countries with limited resources and countries who do not fund the public health infrastructure (Madhav, 2017). This includes time it takes to detect diseases, care and treatments available such as space and equipment, contact tracing, quarantine guidelines, a united health sector and government, and response mobilization (Madhav, 2017). ***This can become an advantage if some countries learn from others who handle epidemics/pandemics well and from a historical standpoint (Madhav, 2017).
2. Epidemics and pandemics can amplify political tensions (such as the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa) (Madhav, 2017).In countries with  preexisting polarization of the government, or are war-torn, weak, outbreaks can worsen and lead to more political unrest (Madhav, 2017). They can also further divide countries on views and how to handle outbreaks (Madhav, 2017).

References:

Madhav, N., Oppenheim, B., Gallivan, M., Mulembakani, P., Rubin, E., & Wolfe, N. (2017). Pandemics: Risks, Impacts, and Mitigation. Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 9): Improving Health and Reducing Poverty, 315-345. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-0527-1_ch17

Moore, K. A., Lipsitch, M., Barry, J. M., &Osterholm, M. T. (2020, April 30). COVID-19: The CIDRAP Viewpoint Part 1: The Future of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned from Pandemic Influenza. Retrieved May 05, 2020, from https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/sites/default/files/public/downloads/cidrap-covid19-viewpoint-part1_0.pdf

Rodriguez, A. (2020, April 14). Outbreak Uptake: Amazing Positives from Pandemic History. Retrieved August 06, 2020, from https://news.ucdenver.edu/outbreak-uptake-amazing-positives-from-pandemic-history/