Health

Why the US has the highest COVID-19 death toll

Published

3 years ago

February 23, 2021

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The United States crossed the grim milestone of 500,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Monday, a year since announcing its first known death from the virus on February 29, 2020 in the Seattle area.

Why does the world’s leading power have the highest death toll and what lessons are American health specialists learning from the past year?

Here, infectious disease experts Joseph Masci and Michele Halpern provide answers to some of the key questions.

Masci, 70, is one of the leaders of Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, which was at the heart of New York’s epidemic.

Halpern is a specialist at the Montefiore hospital group in New Rochelle, a New York suburb where the epidemic arrived in force in February 2020.

– Why has the United States been hit so hard? –

Prior to this pandemic, the United States observed coronaviruses “from a distance,” explained Masci.

“There was SARS in Canada but very little or none in this country. There was no MERS here at all,” he said.

“There was a lot of preparation made for Ebola coming to the United States, and it never really did.

“Suddenly this (coronavirus) was a problem where the United States was the epicenter.”

Masci said it was difficult to compare the United States with other countries.

“I think smaller countries that had structured health care services had a good chance of bringing things into play quickly.

“In a country like ours, with 50 independent states, and a huge landmass, with largely a private hospital system, it is always going to be difficult to get everybody on board with one particular set of strategies,” he explained.

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Masci added that Donald Trump’s administration had a “haphazard approach”, which did not help.

“The fact that hospitals were competing with each other to get personal protective equipment didn’t make sense. They had to centralize all of that very quickly and they didn’t.

“It was a struggle to try to deal with those obstacles that were put up,” he said.

Masci and Halpern rue that mask-wearing was politicized.

“It’s purely a health care issue,” said Masci, adding that it is going to be difficult for the federal government to “reframe” that message.

Halpern insists that people should not see mask-wearing as “infringing” on their freedom.

“There are other things we do routinely that you could say infringe our liberties like wearing a seatbelt or running through a red light,” she said.

According to the Johns Hopkins University tally, another 1,297 virus-related deaths were reported on Monday in the United States.

– What are the main lessons to be learned from the crisis? –

For Masci, the most important lesson was to learn how to reconfigure hospitals to make them able to cope with a sudden influx of patients.

“Now… instead of 12 hot ICU beds, you have to have 150. Where do you get them? Who do you staff on with? So now we’ve learned this lesson.” he said.

Masci said the group of public hospitals of which Elmhurst is a part found strategies to distribute the burden among NYC’s 11 public hospitals by transferring patients very quickly.

“We’ve turned from one hospital with 500 beds, to 11 hospitals with about 5,000 beds. It’s worked very nicely.”

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More generally, Halpern says the pandemic has made everyone realize that “hospitals need resources.”

“You have to invest in research, but you also have to invest in hospitals, in nursing homes. They have to have enough staff, they have to have the equipment that they need and the personnel has to be happy,” she added.

The epidemic has also sharply exposed inequalities, not just in health care but also in housing, with Black and Latino communities dying in disproportionately high numbers.

“We have to look at housing, and how it can be better suited to handling future epidemics. There are others coming,” said Masci.

– Will we still be wearing masks in December? –

Vaccines are rolling out but health experts are cautious due to uncertainties surrounding the British and South African variants of the virus.

Masci says that if the variant strains don’t turn into a huge problem and once we’ve reached the point where 70-80 percent of the population is vaccinated then “there’s a good chance” we won’t wear masks anymore.

“(But) suppose these variant strains do take hold, become more of a problem, are vaccine resistant, and we’re all closing schools and putting masks and locking down again in a few months, (then) it’s a lot harder to say by December, ‘We’ll be out of the woods.’”

Halpern says it’s reassuring that the second wave was largely controlled, in New York at least.

“I have hopes that the vaccines will be effective and will tamper future waves. But it’s hard to be sure whether our vaccines will be effective in the longer term, or on new variants. I don’t think anyone knows that.

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“So we have to be prepared that we’re in this for a while,” she said.

In the long term, Masci says countries must not “fall into the trap” of forgetting about the pandemic once it has passed.

“It is unnerving to think that this came without warning. It’s caused so much restructuring of everything.

“We have to have a more meticulous global search for new pathogens because we’re living in a time now where there is no, ‘Something is happening in Asia and it’s not going to happen in America.’”

Related Topics:Covid 19 United States of America Why the US has the highest COVID-19 death toll?

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Ondo Resident Doctors Begin 14-Day Warning Strike

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April 3, 2024

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Resident doctors at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) in Ondo State have initiated a 14-day warning strike, as confirmed by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

The strike action, led by the association’s President, John Matthew, highlights various grievances, notably the non-payment of seven months’ salaries to new members.

Matthew added that the strike also addresses the non-payment of palliative to House Officers since February, the failure to disburse the February Hazard Allowance despite prior assurances from the state government, and the ongoing shortage of staff due to resignations.

Matthew lamented the drastic decrease in resident doctors, citing a decrease from 150 doctors to a mere 26 in recent months.

In response to the situation, he urged management to prioritise the full payment of arrears owed to members, immediate payment of the February 2024 palliative to house officers, and prompt disbursement of the February hazard allowance.

The association further called for urgent measures to address the critical shortage of clinical manpower within the institution.

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FG Okays N25bn Disbursement to Enhance Healthcare Delivery

Published

3 weeks ago

April 2, 2024

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File photo of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate,

The Federal Government has greenlit the allocation of N25 billion to bolster the efforts of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in advancing healthcare accessibility and quality across Nigeria.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, made this known, stressing the steadfast commitment of the current administration towards revamping the healthcare system to achieve Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) for all Nigerians.

In a statement by Deworitshe Patricia, a spokesperson for the ministry, Pate emphasised that the government’s strategy for health sector transformation involves the implementation of a Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) and the Health Sector Renewal Investment Programme (NHSRIP).

Addressing the imperative for reforms in Nigeria’s primary healthcare delivery, Pate highlighted the significance of revising the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) and its associated programmes.

Pate outlined the objectives of the revised guidelines, which include expanding healthcare services for underserved populations, particularly women and children, reducing maternal mortality rates, alleviating out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, and standardizing healthcare quality across primary healthcare facilities nationwide.

“The Ministry, in collaboration with development partners, is dedicated to ensuring equitable access to healthcare services for all Nigerians, with a special focus on vulnerable groups,” stated Pate. “Through initiatives like NHSRIP, we aspire to minimize the need for long-distance travel for medical care, thereby improving the overall health outcomes and well-being of our citizens.”

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Photos: Saudi Medical Team Make History, Separate Nigerian Conjoined Twins

Published

2 months ago

March 1, 2024

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In a monumental achievement for medical science, a team of Saudi professionals at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital has completed the separation surgery of Nigerian conjoined twins, Hassana and Husaina.

The directive for this historic achievement came from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, demonstrating the Kingdom’s commitment to advancing healthcare.

The complex procedure, initiated on Thursday morning, was the result of meticulous planning and execution by a dedicated team of 38 medical experts. This group included consultants, specialists, technicians, and nursing staff, all working in harmony to address shared areas in the lower abdomen, pelvis, lower spine, and lower spinal nerves of the twins.

The surgery, unfolding in nine carefully planned stages, lasted approximately 14 hours. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), and head of the medical team, expressed confidence in the success of the procedure, citing a noteworthy 70% success rate.

“This is a momentous occasion that showcases the Kingdom’s commitment to advancing medical science and providing compassionate healthcare globally,” he said.

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The successful separation of Hassana and Husaina commemorates the 60th operation conducted by the Saudi programme for separating conjoined twins. Over the past 34 years, this programme has offered care to 135 conjoined twins from 25 countries.

Dr. Al Rabeeah expressed heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the Saudi leadership for their steadfast support of the programme.

He said, “The successful separation of Hassana and Husaina exemplifies the Kingdom’s dedication to humanitarian causes and its role as a leader in global healthcare.”

The Press Attaché at the Saudi embassy in Abuja, Mohammed Alsahabi, remarked on the accomplishment, stating, “This remarkable feat underscores the strong collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria in healthcare. We take pride in contributing to the improvement of these twins’ lives and their families.”

The separation of Hassana and Husaina represents not just a medical triumph but also serves as a symbol of hope for numerous individuals confronting similar challenges globally.