COVID-19: Global Preparedness, Challenges and Impact

Abstract

Corona virus COVID-19 is a pandemic whose devastating effects were felt in all corners of the world and by all humanity of whatever age, gender, economic and social status from the beginning of January 2020 and the intensity increasing day-by-day. The patients that had symptoms were isolated while waiting for results. In some countries, self-isolation was encouraged while in others, people had to be put in quarantine facilities to cut down the spread chain immediately. Different countries identified quarantine centers where individuals were quarantined for 14 days upon which they would be tested. A philanthropist Bill gates, the Microsoft billionaire, committed himself to donating resources for developing a vaccine. Research centers directed their focus to establishing a cure or a vaccine for the killer virus.  After four months of trials and tests, there was no sign of a cure. Many governments in the world applied a partial or full lockdown guided by the rate of infection and death. China was the first to call for a complete lockdown as it struggled with the new pandemic. The CoVID 19 pandemic has affected every facet of life; social, economic and mental. This has placed a lot of strain on governments and individuals. The economic status of many countries and individuals has been adversely affected and may take a long time before recovery.