Research consultancy
CHAPTER TWO
LITEATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction
This section presents discussion to the study topic in line with the view of other scholars.
2.1 The role of self-management among community members in minimizing the spread of COVID-19
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is need to advocate and support healthcare professionals to continue promoting mental health care and healthy lifestyles, the Individuals who live a healthy life styles have been found to be able to minimize the risks of spread of COVID-19.
Health professional have encouraged physical exercise, daily walks, and access to family-friendly community spaces, while maintaining social distancing measures. The promotion of healthy eating is to be emphasized, considering the reduction in energy expenditure and physical activity that has occurred due to confinement. At the same time, warning the population not to overdo physical activity is also essential. As for the management of chronic diseases, we must urgently ensure that patient contact is not lost. This can be achieved by promoting the use of remote consultations and seeking additional strategies to accompany patients in their care, such as family involvement (da Silveira et al., 2021).
Epidemiological data has shown that older patients with chronic conditions are at high risk of severe and critical illness from COVID-19, resulting in high mortality (Ying yang, 2020). Therefore, it is even more important to highlight the need for effective communication with patients while providing adequate self-management support, including advice on self-monitoring and early detection of worsening symptoms, as well as establishing point of contact for any health need. These measures could contribute to reducing exacerbations, avoidable hospitalizations, and associated healthcare costs (Khoramipour et al., 2021). This will be also important during post-confinement periods to avoid symptoms of post-traumatic stress and the progression of the severity of chronic diseases (Ismail et al., 2021).
The is substantial evidence from hundreds of systematic reviews supporting the effectiveness of different types of remote interventions for several types of outcomes. Many of these describe positive results in short-term interventions that can be of value in the context of COVID-19 (Prostep, 2015).
2.2 Roles of Putting on a mask, washing Hands among community members on minimizing the spread of COVID-19
Masks and face coverings can prevent the wearer from transmitting the COVID-19 virus to others and may provide some protection to the wearer. Multiple studies have shown that face coverings can contain droplets expelled from the wearer, which are responsible for the majority of transmission of the virus. This therefore indicates that using masks protects both the wearer of the mask and the community members from, preventing the virus from spreading to the community members (Cohen, 2021).
Many people with COVID-19 are unaware they are carrying the virus. It is estimated that 40% of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic but potentially able to transmit the virus to others. In the absence widespread screening tests, we have no way of identifying many people who are silently transmitting the virus in their community (Ita, 2021).
Universal mask use can significantly reduce virus transmission in the community by preventing anyone, including those who are unwittingly carrying the virus, from transmitting it to others. Disease Modelling suggests masks worn by significant portions of the population, coupled with other measures, could result in substantial reductions in case numbers and deaths (Mudenda et al., 2021).
Wearing a mask isn’t a restriction of our freedom. Rather, it helps us to regain freedom by reducing virus transmission in a community and making every interaction safer. Freedom for people to go to work, attend school, interact with others, and most importantly freedom from illness and fear. The best solution for the pandemic is a safe and effective vaccine, and the biopharmaceutical industry is working closely with governments, regulators, the scientific community and non-governmental organizations to develop vaccines at unprecedented speed (Wright et al., 2021.).
The important value of private pharmacies was further highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. However, pharmacies were unable to fulfil their classic role in healthcare as a source of medication, as pharmaceutical measures such as a COVID-19 vaccines and antiviral medicines were not available at time of writing and will not be widely available for a long time. In the current absence of medical treatment and vaccination, the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic can only be brought under control by significant, rapid and widespread behavioral changes and of which watching hands with soap water has been observed as having the ability to reduce the spread of CORONA Virus in the community.
2.2 Influence of culture of the community on minimizing the spread of COVID-19
The spread of COVID-19 has left countries hit by the pandemic little choice but to shut down their economies. To “flatten the curve” ad preserve hospital viability, many countries have imposed lockdowns and strict forms of social distancing. Additionally, they have launched vast media campaigns aimed at alerting citizens about the risk of contracting the virus, but also to persuade them to consider the negative impact of their own mobility on others in the case of being asymptomatic carriers (Greenstone and Nigam, 2020; Stock, 2020).
Isolating the effect of culture is difficult due to potential local confounding factors that may also have an independent effect on compliance and mobility. To tackle this, we control for cantonal demographic, health, and socio-economic characteristics prior to the pandemic and interact them with time dummies to address their effect on the evolution of mobility patterns beyond that of culture. Public health is an inter-disciplinary field which is informed by academic research in medical, educational, economic, political and cultural areas and therefore culture has to be added in the fight against COVID-19 because people respect their culture.
It is critical that medical services, epidemic specializations and community awareness efforts work together in understanding the epidemiologic triangle. This need is especially urgent in times of rising threats, such as infectious diseases, that deeply affect lifestyles and threaten human survival. Combining comprehensive risk management, all-hazards, multisectoral and multidisciplinary approaches can establish trust based on cooperation and effective communicative systems that empower community awareness. With people-centered communal engagement, we can allocate and make efficient use of local resources in carrying out the risk assessments and establishing community resilience (Out et al., 2020).
Without vaccines or effective drugs, measures based on biological safety, such as quarantine, sanitation, and sterilization, are the prevention strategies currently available. Preparedness towards any form of disasters is vital to reduce their impact. As the global situation related to COVID-19 is changing rapidly each day, ‘Community Based Disaster Preparedness’ (CBDP) is perhaps the method of management. CBDP is a response mechanism in an attempt to save the maximum and effective community triage (Troy et al., 2008).
The World Health Organization has standard protocols during periods of epidemics and pandemics which work the best in accordance with the set rules of any country, but the focus remains that for a long period of time various administrative agencies have not implemented or modified the strategies to suit the crisis needs (Melnychuk and Kenny, 2006).
2.4 Justification of choice of selection
The study has chosen the research questions of self-management in minimizing the spread of COVID-19, since the key practices of controlling the spread of COVID-19 are individual based like staying at home and avoiding unnecessary movement all these are key in minimizing the spread of COVID-19 and therefore it is imperative to analyze how self-management is imperative in management the spread of COVID-19.
The researcher also chose to use the research question of the roles of Putting on a mask, washing Hands on minimizing the spread of COVID-19, this research question was imperative in understanding how putting on masks is imperative in controlling the spread of COVID-19.
The study was also imperative in analyzing how the cultural practices like hugging, hand shaking contribute towards the spread of COVID-19. The WHO,2021) Indicates that the cultural practices of handshaking, gathering together , kissing, hugging , generally any personal contact were risk factors leading to the spread of COVID-19.
2.5 Summary
The study has been based on the fact that some of the practices of self-management is imperative in the fight against COVID-19. Since COVID-19 calls for self-responsibility, if each person is responsible enough therefore the whole community will be healed and the battle against COVID will be warned.
The study also analyzed the fact that putting on mask by the community members is imperative in the fight against Community members if the community members are aware of the benefits of putting on masks it is therefore imperative in management in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study also analyzed that the cultural practices of the community members has to evolve in order to fight against COVID-19 when the culture if the community members evolves are they stop key practices like Handshakes, hugging and kissing and gathering in groups the fight against COVID-9 will be warn by the residents of Nakawa Division, Kampala.
