The Broad Impact of Infectious Disease Epidemics on Human Civilization: A Public Health Perspective

ABSTRACT

Slow acceptance and delayed response of the state/public have been a common feature in the history of infectious disease pandemics. Globalization affects both the genesis and the control strategies of the pandemics. The general public, health professionals, political leaders as well as administrative authorities, all have shown some or other changes in their routine working or living style while handling the COVID-19 situation. Gradually, the new ways of living ‘the new normal' have transformed into new behaviour. The response of different sections of society has also been different. The bulk of the changes was linked to the fear and panic about the chances of spread/catching of infection which brought the world to its knees. The second wave of the Corona pandemic in 2021 saw shortage and black marketeering of medical supply essentials. Vaccination has emerged as the dominant strategy this time. In the atmosphere of too many rumours, fake news, disinformation and so on, a third wave has now been predicted. There is a significant role of public health discipline in controlling any pandemic like Corona. Generic, age-old preventive measures are the only way out for the infections which spread through the respiratory route, with a fast person-to-person spread. Corona pandemic has provided a lesson for us that for communicable disease control, there is a need to inculcate a nature-friendly responsible behaviour to ensure peaceful co-existence between people and microbes. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.