The social consequences of microbial epidemics
can result in temporary collapse of societal order. Three phases typically
occur: fear – rationalization – action. Civilized behavior, pain-stakingly
learned over millennia, is easily cast aside, resulting in selfishness,
persecution, stigmatization, avoidance and segregation.
Fortunately, at least in the past, things have returned to normal quite rapidly,
after the epidemic disappears. Existential threats such as pandemics can also
generate positive consequences such as speedy clinical trials
Smallpox, malaria,
cholera, tuberculosis, typhoid, the black plague, yellow fever, influenza, HIV,
Ebola, Zika and corona viruses. Microbial pests are nothing new to humankind.
Societal reaction has also stayed the same. According to Philip Strong (1990),
a microbial epidemic results in the psychological plagues of fear, panic,
suspicion and stigma. This initial phase is followed by explanation and rationalization.
The third phase is characterized by action.
Fear
The
psychological consequences of epidemics are strikingly similar to the actual
epidemic. In our current age when information is available ubiquitously,
without any delay or filter, fear and panic spread even faster than the
microbe. Fear leads to stigmatization, avoidance and segregation, all of which
have already been seen with corona.
Rationalization
The second psychological
phase, the explanation for the pandemic, appears straight-forward once the
causative microbe has been identified. However, there are many things which remain
unclear in the current corona pandemic. How contagious is the virus and for how
long? Can symptom-free people spread the virus? What is the death rate? How
many people die with corona instead of because of corona? Why does the virus
seem to spread more in some countries than others? Will there be second, third
and fourth waves like with the Spanish flu?
All kinds
of explanations and theories are abundant. Many people are unable to decide how
they rate the importance of the pandemic and which restrictions on our freedoms
they consider acceptable. How much economic punishment and social problems can
be tolerated to fight or delay the epidemic?
Unbelievers
and pandemia cynics can suddenly become messianic, rushing out to warn and
convert others.
Rationalization
can have a metaphysical aspect. Who is to blame? God? People from some country?
Society?
All kinds
of moralization is also seen. Initially, China was blamed. Then, Europe was
blamed. Smokers deserve some blame if they get the disease? Old and ill people
are to blame because they burden health care?
Action
The third
phase, action, was initiated with different speed in different countries. In
some East Asian countries, rigorous action was taken rapidly, resulting in fast
control of the first wave of the pandemic. In many Western countries, the virus
was able to spread more widely before countermeasures were implemented. Many
political leaders displayed plenty of initial self-deception. Also, the degree
of the measures taken varied. For example, geographical quarantine, closing of
schools, restaurants and services varied between countries.
Just like
corona is able to infect almost anyone, also the psychological consequences –
fear, explanation, action – have been seen in all levels of society. Anyone can
panic, then rationalize and then call for action. Terror and irrational
behavior can occur despite a person’s education or experience.
Why do epidemics cause so much anxiety
Why is
corona feared much more than cancer or cardiovascular diseases, which kill up
to 10 and 20 million people every year, respectively? One obvious reason is
contagiousness - no one can feel safe. However, seasonal influenza kills
hundreds of thousands each year, and in bad years the death toll goes up to millions.
As of 6 Apr 2020, corona has killed about 70 000 people in the first 5 months
of the pandemic, and some of these deaths might have been with corona instead of due to
corona.
Admittedly, the corona death toll is still on the increase and we don’t
know yet how high it will rise. Nevertheless, keeping in mind that 160 000
people die each day from different causes, and corona currently causes about 3%
of these deaths, mortality alone does not seem to explain the magnitude of anxiety
seen.
Another
reason is that the newer the disease, the bigger the fear, and the more
dramatic the call for action. With new diseases there can also be a feeling of
helplessness, as there are no vaccines or proven drugs.
In an amazing
contrast, underlining how we become tolerized to older threats, each year
hundreds of thousands of doses of influenza vaccine go unused. Even among risk
groups the coverage of influenza vaccination is frequently less than 50%,
depending on the country. Well known killers such as smoking and alcohol use
are allowed in most countries. Consumption of red meat, fat and sugar is
allowed despite known increases in risks of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Contributing
to anxiety about new diseases, there is the media-propelled fear of the
unknown. The disease has spread rapidly; how many people will eventually die?
Will health care systems be able to cope? At what price? In developed
countries, health care has already been under increasing pressure because of
aging populations. Which diseases will be de-prioritized to deal with corona?
Positive aspects
Are there
any good sides to a pandemic like corona? It is part of human psychology to
think that whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. That something good will
arise from something bad. Perhaps globalization and unnecessary travel will be
reduced, resulting in benefits to the environment? Perhaps people and systems will
be more aware of infectious agents and try to avoid spreading them? Microbe
awareness is the only way to reduce the frequency of future pandemics and infectious
diseases in general. Otherwise, problems caused by microbes will just keep on
increasing, because the population of the world is still going up and the
amount of travelling has also grown constantly. The more contacts between
people from different regions, the more fertile ground for microbes to spread.
We have
already seen some positive aspects developing. Increased caring has emerged in
many people. Neighbors have started helping each other. Teddy bears line
windows. Citizens are collecting money to buy new respirators for the local
hospital.
From a
scientific and medical perspective, perhaps the most striking phenomenon has
been the extremely rapid initiation of clinical trials with both new and old
corona drugs and vaccines. This is in sharp contrast to the usual pace of
clinical trials. It can take years to set up clinical trials in oncology, despite
the huge unmet clinical need in most metastatic types of cancer (Hemminki 2015).
In many metastatic tumors, the death risk is nearly 100%, which is much higher
than with corona.
Summary
The
psychological consequences of pandemics are fear, rationalization and action.
The newer the disease, the more profound these reactions are. Despite
improvements in medicine and hygiene over centuries, psychological reactions to
epidemics have remained unchanged. Threat of contagion generates a
psychological flight-or-fight response, often bringing out the worst in
humankind, underlining evolutionarily conserved survival mechanisms.
Akseli
Hemminki, MD, PhD, eMBA
Professor
of Oncology
References
Hemminki A.
Crossing the Valley of Death with Advanced Therapy. Published by Nomerta,
Turku, Finland, 2015. Available at http://www.nomerta.net and several e-book
stores globally
Philip
Strong. Epidemic psychology: a model. Sociol Health Illness 1990. Vol 12; No 3:
249-259. Free on the web.
Hello everyone , I was totally broken when the love of my life left me it was so hard for me and I almost gave up if not for a friend who directed me to a very good and powerful man called Dr Ralph who helped me bring back the love of my life and now he treat me with so much love and care. I don’t know what kind of problem you are passing through but with what he did for me I know he can help you. So try and talk to him on WhatsApp on: +2347037816417 Or email at: Ralphspellsolution@gmail.com. He has a permanent solution to any type of problems such as: Lottery Spell, Love Spell, Power Spell, Psychic reading, Success Spell, Cure of any sickness, Pregnancy Spell, Marriage Spell,Job Spell, Protection Spell,Win court Case Spell, Luck Spell and many more.
ReplyDeleteGood news this is to everyone out there with different health challenges, as I know there are still a lot of people suffering from different health issues and are therefore looking for solutions. I bring you Good news. There is a man called Dr Emmanuel a herbal practitioner who helped cure me from HSV (2), i had suffered from this diseases for the past 5 years and i have spent so much money trying to survive from it. I got my healing by taking the herbal medicine Dr Emmanuel sent to me to drink for about 14 days . 3 days after completion of the dosage, I went for a medical checkup and I was tested free from HSV. all thanks to God for leading me to Dr Emmanuel who was able to cure me completely from this deadly diseases, I’m sharing this so that other people can know of this great healer called Dr Emmanuel because I got to know him through elizabeth who he cured from HIV. I was made to understand that he can cure several other deadly diseases and infections. Don’t die in ignorance or silent and don’t let that illness take your life. Contact Dr Emmanuel through his email traditionalherbalhealingcentre@gmail.com You can also whatsapp/call him on:+2348140033827 .He cure all forms of disease {1}HIV/AIDS {2}DIABETES {3}EPILEPSY {4} BLOOD CANCER {5} HPV {6} BRAIN TUMOR {7} HEPATITIS {8}COPD{9} SICKLE AND ANAEMIA.etc Be kind enough to share as you received.
DeleteHello everyone, my name is Alfreed siang i am here to say a big thank you to my doctor DR OLU who helped me enlarge my penis.i have never had a happy relationship in my life because of my inability to perform well due to my small penis, due to frustration,i went online in search of solution to ending my predicament and than i came across testimony on how DR OLU has helped them, so i contacted him and he promised to help me with penis enlargement,i doubted at first but i gave him a trial and he sent me the product which i used according to his prescription and in less than a week,i saw changes in my penis and it grow to the size i wanted and since then,i am now a happy man and no lady complains again about my penis.if you also need the services of my doctor,you can also contact him on his email.. drolusolutionhome@gmail.com or his whataspp is +2348140654426
DeleteHello everyone, my name is Alfreed siang i am here to say a big thank you to my doctor DR OLU who helped me enlarge my penis.i have never had a happy relationship in my life because of my inability to perform well due to my small penis, due to frustration,i went online in search of solution to ending my predicament and than i came across testimony on how DR OLU has helped them, so i contacted him and he promised to help me with penis enlargement,i doubted at first but i gave him a trial and he sent me the product which i used according to his prescription and in less than a week,i saw changes in my penis and it grow to the size i wanted and since then,i am now a happy man and no lady complains again about my penis.if you also need the services of my doctor,you can also contact him on his email.. drolusolutionhome@gmail.com or his whataspp is +2348140654426
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHumankind often seems to learn only the hard way. Hopefully the massive action taken to respond corona epidemic will open the eyes, and the wallets, to tackle other pressing danger with the same urgency.
ReplyDeleteMY TESTIMONY ABOUT HOW DR IMOLOA HERBAL CREAM ENLARGE MY PENIS FROM 4 INCHES TO 8 INCHES
ReplyDeleteHello everyone here i want to share a marvelous testimony oh how Dr Imoloa HERBAL MIXTURE CREAM saved me from shame and disgrace .So Many Women Today Cheat On Their Husband All Because Of The Poor Performance Of Their Husband In Bed,I Have Come To Know That Women Love Men Who Last Long In Bed And Also Has That Big Dick That Can Make Them Scream And Also Make Them Rich Their Climax,Women Truly Love Good Sex. I Have Been Passing True Sexual Problems For The Past Six Years Now All Because Of The Size Of My Penis And My Poor Performance In Bed I Caught My Wife With A Man On Our Matrimonial Bed I Was Heart Broken And Confused When I Asked Her Why She Did All What She Did She Told Me I Was Not Good In Bed That I Can Not Satisfy Her That She Needs A Man Who Can Satisfy Her That Was How She Broke Up With Me At That Moment. I Told My Self I Was Never Going To Have Any Thing To Do With Any Woman Again I Started Going To The Club Sleeping Around With Different Girls at a Point I Got Tired Of Living That Kind Of Life Because That Was Never Part Of Me I Was On Line Last Month When I Came Across so many testimonies On Dr imoloa, How He Made their Sex Life Come Back To Life And That He Had Giving Them The Real Size Of Penis A Man Suppose To Have I Got Interested And I Contacted Him At Once Luckily For Me He Was Online After About 30 Minutes He Replied Me And Then He Told Me Every Thing I Needed To Do After Every Thing He Sent Me A herbal cream Package True The DHL courier Service Which I Received The Next three Days And Then I Started Using Them As Instructed By Him After About 2 Weeks I Started Seeing My Penis Got to 8 inches And i Felt So Many Changes Inside Of Me And Today I Am Happily Married With 2 kids And Last Up more than 1 Hour On Bed and can go up to 10 rounds with my wife All Thanks To Dr imoloa For Making Me Feel Like A Man Once Again.note he also have cure for..PENIS ENLARGEMENT, BREAST ENLARGEMENT, DIABETES 1/2,HIV/AIDS,HERPES,CANCER,PREMATURE EJACULATION,WEAK ERECTION,ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION ,LOW SPERM COUNT PREGNANCY HERBAL MEDICINE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE LOW SPERM COUNT LYME DISEASE many more.. Contact Via drimolaherbalmademedicine@gmail.com or whatssapp--+2347081986098
My name is hoover, my 18 year old daughter, Tricia was diagnosed with herpes 3 years ago. Since then, we have moved from one hospital to another. We tried all kinds of pills, but every effort to get rid of the virus was futile. The bubbles continued to reappear after a few months. My daughter was using 200mg acyclovir pills. 2 tablets every 6 hours and 15g of fusitin cream. and H5 POT. Permanganate with water to be applied twice a day, but all still do not show results. So, I was on the internet a few months ago, to look for other ways to save my only son. Only then did I come across a comment about the herbal treatment of Dr Imoloa and decided to give it a try. I contacted him and he prepared some herbs and sent them, along with guidance on how to use them via the DHL courier service. my daughter used it as directed by dr imoloa and in less than 14 days, my daughter recovered her health. You should contact dr imoloa today directly at his email address for any type of health problem; lupus disease, mouth ulcer, mouth cancer, body pain, fever, hepatitis ABC, syphilis, diarrhea, HIV / AIDS, Huntington's disease, back acne, chronic kidney failure, addison's disease, chronic pain, Crohn's pain, cystic fibrosis, fibromyalgia, inflammatory Bowel disease, fungal nail disease, Lyme disease, Celia disease, Lymphoma, Major depression, Malignant melanoma, Mania, Melorheostosis, Meniere's disease, Mucopolysaccharidosis, Multiple sclerosis, Muscular dystrophy, Rheumatoid arthritis Alzheimer's disease, parkinson's disease, vaginal cancer, epilepsy Anxiety Disorders, Autoimmune Disease, Back Pain, Back Sprain, Bipolar Disorder, Brain Tumor, Malignant, Bruxism, Bulimia, Cervical Disc Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Neoplasms , chronic respiratory disease, mental and behavioral disorder, Cystic Fibrosis, Hypertension, Diabetes, Asthma, Autoimmune inflammatory media arthritis ed. chronic kidney disease, inflammatory joint disease, impotence, alcohol spectrum feta, dysthymic disorder, eczema, tuberculosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease. and many more; contact him at drimolaherbalmademedicine@
ReplyDeleteGood news this is to everyone out there with different health challenges, as I know there are still a lot of people suffering from different health issues and are therefore looking for solutions. I bring you Good news. There is a man called Dr Emmanuel a herbal practitioner who helped cure me from HSV (2), i had suffered from this diseases for the past 5 years and i have spent so much money trying to survive from it. I got my healing by taking the herbal medicine Dr Emmanuel sent to me to drink for about 14 days . 3 days after completion of the dosage, I went for a medical checkup and I was tested free from HSV. all thanks to God for leading me to Dr Emmanuel who was able to cure me completely from this deadly diseases, I’m sharing this so that other people can know of this great healer called Dr Emmanuel because I got to know him through elizabeth who he cured from HIV. I was made to understand that he can cure several other deadly diseases and infections. Don’t die in ignorance or silent and don’t let that illness take your life. Contact Dr Emmanuel through his email traditionalherbalhealingcentre@gmail.com You can also whatsapp/call him on:+2348140033827 .He cure all forms of disease {1}HIV/AIDS {2}DIABETES {3}EPILEPSY {4} BLOOD CANCER {5} HPV {6} BRAIN TUMOR {7} HEPATITIS {8}COPD{9} SICKLE AND ANAEMIA.etc Be kind enough to share as you received.
ReplyDeleteOMG!! This is certainly a shocking and a genuine Testimonies. I visited a forum here on the internet on the 20TH OF OCT 2020, And I saw a marvelous testimonies of this powerful and great Doctor called PRIEST AZIBA on the forum. I never believed it, because I never heard nor learnt anything about Natural Enlargement Products. Nobody would have been able to influence me about Natural Enlargement Product not until PRIEST AZIBA did it for me and restored my Penis to a Normal size which i was very ok to have(11inch) he ask if I want to increase it further more i told him am ok with this I have now, so I’m recommending y’all in same situation to contact DR AZIBA via Email: PRIESTAZIBASOLUTIONCENTER@GMAIL.COM and also Contact him on his whatsApp +2348100368288 I am really short of expressions, and i don’t know how much to convey my appreciation to you PRIEST AZIBA you are a God sent to me and my entire friends whom has also use your product.. And now I am a joyful man with my family. here is DR Email and WhatsApp contact below Email: priestazibasolutioncenter@gmail.com & WhatsApp:+2348100368288
ReplyDeleteOMG!! This is certainly a shocking and a genuine Testimonies. I visited a forum here on the internet on the 20TH OF OCT 2020, And I saw a marvelous testimonies of this powerful and great Doctor called PRIEST AZIBA on the forum. I never believed it, because I never heard nor learnt anything about Natural Enlargement Products. Nobody would have been able to influence me about Natural Enlargement Product not until PRIEST AZIBA did it for me and restored my Penis to a Normal size which i was very ok to have(11inch) he ask if I want to increase it further more i told him am ok with this I have now, so I’m recommending y’all in same situation to contact DR AZIBA via Email: PRIESTAZIBASOLUTIONCENTER@GMAIL.COM and also Contact him on his whatsApp +2348100368288 I am really short of expressions, and i don’t know how much to convey my appreciation to you PRIEST AZIBA you are a God sent to me and my entire friends whom has also use your product.. And now I am a joyful man with my family. here is DR Email and WhatsApp contact below Email: priestazibasolutioncenter@gmail.com & WhatsApp:+2348100368288
ReplyDeleteOMG!! This is certainly a shocking and a genuine Testimonies. I visited a forum here on the internet on the 20TH OF OCT 2020, And I saw a marvelous testimonies of this powerful and great Doctor called PRIEST AZIBA on the forum. I never believed it, because I never heard nor learnt anything about Natural Enlargement Products. Nobody would have been able to influence me about Natural Enlargement Product not until PRIEST AZIBA did it for me and restored my Penis to a Normal size which i was very ok to have(11inch) he ask if I want to increase it further more i told him am ok with this I have now, so I’m recommending y’all in same situation to contact DR AZIBA via Email: PRIESTAZIBASOLUTIONCENTER@GMAIL.COM and also Contact him on his whatsApp +2348100368288 I am really short of expressions, and i don’t know how much to convey my appreciation to you PRIEST AZIBA you are a God sent to me and my entire friends whom has also use your product.. And now I am a joyful man with my family. here is DR Email and WhatsApp contact below Email: priestazibasolutioncenter@gmail.com & WhatsApp:+2348100368288
ReplyDeleteI really like reading through an article that can make people think.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thanks for allowing me to comment
PALS Ontario CA | PALS Online Ontario CA
Hello, everyone! I'm here to explore blogs and forums about the wonderful and most safe cure for (Herpes Virus). I was positive about the deadly virus called herpes and I lost hope because I was outcast and rejected even by my closest friends. I searched on-line to know an enquirer cure for Herpes and I read someone's testimony on how he was cured from Herpes so I decided to contact the same herbalist because I know that nature has the power to heal everything. I contacted him to know how he can help me and he told me never to worry that he will heal me with the natural herbs from God! After 2 days of contacting him, he told me that the cure has been ready and he sent it to me via DHL and it got to me after 3 days! I used the med as he instructed (MORNING and EVENING) and i was cured! it's really like a dream but I am so happy! That's the reason I decided to also add more comments on Him so that more can be saved just like me! and you can get in touch with him via email chiefdrlucky@gmail.com WhatsApp +2348132777335
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteExcellent composition posted by the author instructional and knowledgeable post thanks for posting such a nice composition
Deletemyers cocktail
Stay hydrated with CNA in Idyllwild-Pine Cove.
ReplyDelete