Whether in terms of money or time and effort of all kinds, is the pandemic receiving the appropriate resources? When I say appropriate, I mean what is optimal, knowing that what is spent on the pandemic is taken away from something else. When we are focused on the pandemic, we pay less attention first to other health problems (accidents, cancer, smoking, chronic diseases...), then to other areas of life in general (education, infrastructure, poverty...). According to which criteria should we decide on the intensity of our investment on this problem? The question arises all the more since the number of deaths caused by covid-19 becomes comparable or even lower than that caused by other problems that do not seem to be receiving as much attention and are beginning to be neglected.
Prof Rim Lahmandi-Ayed
Yes, it seems that resources are being deployed in the fight against COVID-19, sometimes to the detriment of other problems where resources would previously have been used.
COVID-19 is so new that we don't know whether this attention is good or bad. Only history will be the judge of this, when we look back in time to come.
But I agree with your concern and will be interested to see how other researchers respond.
Thank you Zorica Popović
and Mary C R Wilson for your contributions.
Rim Lahmandi-Ayed
Dear Professor,
This is a brilliant topic for a discussion.
I fully agree with the views of Professor Mary C R Wilson and Professor Zorica Popović
.To add to this discussion, I want to say that I don't think that we are employing enough resources to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. For the time being, let us please consider that "unity" is also a resource. It can be called a cultural, social or political resource.
This is a pandemic that involves the whole world. We are trying to fight the battle individually. One country is employing lock down and the other one is lifting it up, thereby displaying classical examples of disunity. I am sorry to say that this way we are never going to win the battle. The problem is that our minds cannot conceive the truth that if the second wave is starting in Europe, even if I am situated thousands of miles away from that place then also I cannot save myself. We, all are tied together and we have to employ cultural resources like "unity" to fight against those virus.
Thank you.
Best regards,
Anamitra Roy.
Thank you very much Anamitra Roy and Nadeesha Sewwandi Abegunasekara for your contributions.
Dear Prof. Lahmandi-Ayed!
You spotted an important issue. I think the psychological impact of this pandemic might stimulate overwhelming attention to this virus at the expense of other health concerns. Finding the right balance is difficult especially on the global scale:
1) Connie L. McNeely et al. (2020). Social Determinants and COVID‐19 Disparities: Differential Pandemic Effects and Dynamics, World Medical&Health Policy Volume 12, Issue 3, September 2020, Open Access, Available at:
Article Social Determinants and COVID-19 Disparities: Differential P...
2) Indranil Chakrabortya, Prasenjit Maity (2020). COVID-19 outbreak: Migration, effects on society, global environment and prevention Science of The Total Environment Volume 728, 1 August 2020, Open Access Available at:
Article COVID-19 outbreak: Migration, effects on society, global env...
Yours sincerely, Bulcsu Szekely
Dear Bulcsu Szekely
Many thanks for your contribution and the very interesting references you suggested.
People need to wear face shields protecting their eyes, nose and mouth and helps them break their unconscious bad habit of self inoculation the major mode of transmission. Face shields also protect you from those who are not wearing masks correctly or at all.
More face shields are needed for the public to stop the spread. Masks (99% compliance)did not reduce COVID-19 in Hong Kong earlier this year, they had to force physical distancing and stay home.