Gatan, Lyca Mae B.

 
The COVID-19 pandemic is plunging the world into a crisis that affects every
sector of society. Governments around the world have taken extraordinary measures to
contain the further spread of the disease, closing schools, churches, stores, restaurants,
theaters, and other public places where people meet and spend their time. Travel and
economic activity are limited and physical interactions are severely restricted, limiting
them to the very essential. Never before has a health issue had an unprecedented
effect on society, thus questioning our perceptions on what a safe society entails.
Unfortunately, this pandemic also has devastating effects on the wellbeing of families
and communities. For lower-income families, they are less equipped to prepare for and
respond to COVID-19 because they have reduced access to healthcare services,
especially in health and sanitation, and even lack of knowledge on how to prevent the
spread of this infection. Doing this case analysis made me realize how very important to
create a health education program for lower-income families. 
As the virus continues to spread, so does the possibility of misinformation which
the WHO described as “infodemic”. If there’s a lot of inaccurate information about the
virus, its origin, and its effects, as well as the authorities’ actions to tackle the pandemic,
it is difficult for many individuals to find credible sources of information and advice that
they will need. So it is necessary to protect the general public from misinformation
regarding COVID-19. Developing a health education program is very essential to
promote the health and well-being of people in our communities. I agree that all
healthcare workers are the real heroes in the fight against COVID-19, and even if many
of the actions taken serve a preventive purpose, their focus is on disease prevention
rather than health promotion.  In doing health education, information must not only be
available, but also understood, accepted, and applied. We must provide understandable
information because people with low incomes may need more explanation so we can
provide different communication formats such as video presentations that explain the
virus, the cause, its transmission, and preventive measures. 
 Lastly, every crisis is an opportunity as well. Indeed, dealing with COVID-19
poses some unforeseen opportunities. Families spend more time together and may
discover that quality time is something to be cherished. In the long term, digital solutions
that have been created to allow work from home will most likely to be embraced and
used more frequently. Similarly, the advice to maintain physical distance and to
separate vulnerable people from infection, to protect them warrants the creation of
compensatory measures,  and to ensure that we do not worsen the sense of loneliness
and social distance.