Question

1. When it comes to disease, what responsibilities does the United States Government have, if any, towards its citizens? What about state and local governments?

2. Why should government officials avoid calling COVID-19 by other names?

Answer 1

Answer 1

The national government is the natural leader for overall coordination and communication efforts. In its leadership role, the central government should:

• identify, appoint, and lead the coordinating body for disease preparedness and response; enact or modify legislation and policies required to sustain and optimize pandemic preparedness, capacity development, and response efforts across all sectors;
• prioritize and guide the allocation and targeting of resources to achieve the goals as outlined in a country's disease preparedness Plan;
• provide additional resources for national disease preparedness, capacity development, and response measures; and
• consider providing resources and technical assistance to countries experiencing outbreaks of COVID with pandemic potential. Health sector
• The health sector (including public health and both public and private health-care services), has a natural leadership and advocacy role in disease preparedness and response efforts. In cooperation with other sectors and in support of national intersectoral leadership, the health sector must provide leadership and guidance on the actions needed, in addition to raising awareness of the risk and potential health consequences of a disease. To fulfil this role, the health sector should be ready to:
• provide reliable information on the risk, severity, and progression of a pandemic and the effectiveness of interventions used during a pandemic;
• prioritize and continue the provision of health-care during an pandemic;
• enact steps to reduce the spread of disease in the community and in health-care facilities; and
• protect and support health-care workers during a pandemic.

  Non health sectors

• In the absence of early and effective preparedness, societies may experience social and economic disruption, threats to the continuity of essential services, reduced production, distribution difficulties, and shortages of essential commodities. Disruption of organizations may also have an impact on other businesses and services. For example, if electrical or water services are disrupted or fail, the health sector will be unable to maintain normal care. The failure of businesses would add significantly to the eventual economic consequences of a pandemic. Some business sectors will be especially vulnerable and certain groups in society are likely to suffer more than others. Developing robust preparedness and business continuity plans may enable essential operations to continue during a pandemic and significantly mitigate economic and social impacts. In order to minimize the adverse effects of a pandemic, all sectors should:

• establish continuity policies to be implemented during a pandemic;
• plan for the likely impact on businesses, essential services, educational institutions, and other organizations;
• establish pandemic preparedness plans;
• develop capacity and plan for pandemic response;
• plan the allocation of resources to protect employees and customers;
• communicate with and educate employees on how to protect themselves and on measures that will be implemented; and
• contribute to cross-cutting planning and response efforts to support the continued functioning of the society.
• Civil society organizations, families, individuals, and traditional leaders all have essential roles to play in mitigating the effects of a pandemic. Non-governmental groups should be involved in preparedness efforts and their expertise and capabilities harnessed to help communities prepare for and respond to a pandemic. Answer 2: It is necessary to name and cal the virus in internationally accepted way.The corona virus name started as wuhan virus then officially it was named as CoViD 19 COrona VIrus Disease.The virus capable to create this disease is SARS CoV 2.But it is only being called as COVID 19 or Corona virus. According to WHO,it steers clear of SARS-CoV-2 because “using the name SARS can have unintended consequences in terms of creating unnecessary fear for some populations, especially in Asia which was worst affected by the SARS outbreak in 2003.”