Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged healthcare systems around the world with the large number of hospitalizations and the need for intensive care management. The capacity of healthcare systems to provide adequate treatment and prevent the spread of the virus has become a crucial factor in the fight against COVID-19. The purpose of this study is to assess and contrast the healthcare system capabilities of various countries in handling COVID-19 patients and managing intensive care. The study will use and analyze data to compare the number of intensive care units (ICUs), hospital beds, and healthcare workers in the most affected countries. Through this analysis, the chapter aims to provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of different healthcare systems and identify best practices in intensive care management during the pandemic. The comparison will provide insights into the preparedness of healthcare systems and the effectiveness of the measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
TopIntroduction
Several countries around the world have adopted a variety of measures during a pandemic crisis related to Covid-19. These measures must be adapted to (i) local reality, and (ii) difference in the growth curve. The study of infectious diseases is often based on epidemiological analysis that attempt to emulate the dynamics of the disease and estimate the indicators related to it, such as the reproduction number, growth rate, doubling time, the mortality rate, and more. Due to the difficult situation with Covid-19, all public attention was focused on fighting the transmission of the virus, the number of cases and deaths, but we must not forget the impact of this pandemic on the healthcare systems.
Covid-19’s unforeseen effects have posed problems for many countries, especially the most affected one, and many people around the world have had to resort to the “isolation model” of survival. Similar emergency circumstances like Ebola, SARS, and MERS have already served as a measure of the preparedness of the healthcare system in many countries, despite their low incidence due to the low number of recorded cases. These previous experiences with the fight against viruses show that the rapid implementation of adequate measures can help countries stop the spread of outbreaks like Covid-19. The healthcare system was not allowed to get overloaded, thus containment measures were implemented.
This is the case when too many people with serious symptoms cannot be treated at the same time. That is why the capacity of the health system is a crucial factor.The health system’s capacity, the fundamental goal of the estimation of the previous indicators, will be the deciding factor. Therefore, the healthcare system’s current state and the afflicted population’s demographics are likely to be the most significant factors. The rapid expansion of the pandemic throughout the five continents has put at risk the strength of the health systems of many countries (Vellingiri et al., 2020).
There will be a greater challenge to discover, track, and contain new transmission chains as the healthcare system gets overwhelmed with number cases. In the absence of extreme interventions, this trend was unlikely to increase until the virus affected millions of populations. Therefore, the capacity of countries to provide healthcare is a crucial factor in how they deal with the pandemic (Kandel et al., 2020).
The large number of cases necessitates the hospitalization of several patients, some of whom will require treatment in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), which were at risk of becoming overcrowded as the number of infected people continued to rise exponentially. The capacity of intensive care beds (ICUs) in the countries has a transcendental place in the fight against the new type of coronavirus that has been transmitted to millions of people around the world (WHO, 2020a). Since the spread of the Coronavirus has been global since its emergence, it is important to know how well-prepared health systems are to prevent and track the virus.
In this paper, data analysis will be used to examine how the health services in the most affected countries have proceeded, what is their capacity to respond to such emergency, and how much it has diminished over the past years. To compare countries’ health care systems capacity during Covid-19 crisis, the paper refers mainly to the number of ICUs, hospital beds, and total number of health service workers. The findings of the study are important in understanding the challenges faced by healthcare systems during the Covid-19 pandemic, and can help inform future preparedness plans and interventions.
The paper is organized as follows: Section 1 provides an overview of the Covid-19 and the importance of studying healthcare system preparedness in the face of pandemics. Section 2 discusses previous outbreaks and the role of healthcare system capacity in pandemic response. Section 3 explains data analysis and the factors used to compare health services in the most affected countries. Section 4 discusses the findings and their implications for healthcare system preparedness. Section 5 summarizes the findings, and provides recommendations for future preparedness and response measures.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Pandemic: A pandemic is a worldwide outbreak of a disease that affects a large number of people in multiple countries or regions. The Covid-19 pandemic is an example of a global pandemic that has affected millions of people worldwide and has had significant social and economic consequences.
Medical Equipment: Medical equipment refers to the tools, machines, and devices used in the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of medical conditions. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical equipment such as ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) have been in high demand due to the increased number of patients requiring hospitalization.
Ebola: Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral disease that first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Healthcare Management: It involves the planning, organization, and coordination of healthcare services to ensure the delivery of high-quality patient care.
Case Rate: Is the number of new cases of a disease in a population over a specific period of time, typically expressed as a rate per 100,000 people. Case rate is a crucial indicator for tracking disease outbreaks, monitoring public health interventions, and evaluating disease burden.
Epidemic: An epidemic is the occurrence of more cases of a disease than would normally be expected in a specific area or group of people over a given period of time.
Global Health Security Index (GHS): GHS Index is a comprehensive assessment of global health security capabilities across 195 countries. GHS evaluates countries’ preparedness and capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks, based on a range of indicators, including prevention, detection and reporting, rapid response, health system, compliance with international norms, and risk environment.
Intensive Care Units (ICUs): ICUs are specialized hospital units designed to provide advanced medical care and treatment to critically ill patients. These units are equipped with specialized medical equipment and staffed by highly trained healthcare workers. Patients in ICUs require constant monitoring and specialized care, including mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic monitoring, etc. During pandemics like Covid-19, ICUs play a crucial role in managing patients with severe symptoms and preventing fatalities. The availability of ICUs, the number of ICU beds, and the capacity of the healthcare system to manage critically ill patients are essential factors in determining the preparedness of the healthcare system.
Hospital Admission: Refers to the process of being admitted to a hospital for medical treatment. It is an essential component of healthcare systems and allows patients to receive specialized medical attention, as well as access to necessary medical equipment and technology.
SARS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a viral respiratory disease caused by the SARS coronavirus. The virus was first identified in 2003 in Asia and quickly spread to other countries, causing a global outbreak.
COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019 is an infectious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It was first identified in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has since become a global pandemic affecting millions of people worldwide. The virus spreads through respiratory droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces, and symptoms range from mild to severe, including fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Preparedness of Healthcare Systems: Preparedness of healthcare systems refers to the ability of a healthcare system to plan for and respond to public health emergencies and disasters.
MERS: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is a viral respiratory disease caused by the MERS coronavirus. The virus was first identified in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and has since been reported in other countries.
Spanish Flu: Spanish Flu was a pandemic that occurred in 1918-1919.It was one of the most severe pandemics in human history, affecting an estimated one third of the world’s population.
Healthcare System Capacity: Refers to the ability of a healthcare system to deliver healthcare services and meet the health needs of a population. The capacity of a healthcare system is determined by a range of factors, including the availability of healthcare facilities, healthcare providers, medical equipment, and supplies.
Death Rate: Refers to the number of deaths from a particular disease or condition in a population over a specific period of time, typically expressed as a rate per 100,000 people. Death rate is an important indicator of the health status of a population and can be used to assess the impact of diseases and public health interventions.
Healthcare Workers: Are individuals who provide healthcare services to patients, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals.
Hospital Beds: Are the essential infrastructure of a healthcare system that plays a critical role in providing medical services to patients. They are designed to support and comfort the patient while receiving treatment, and they come in various sizes and types depending on the medical needs of the patient. The number of hospital beds available in a healthcare system is a crucial factor in determining the capacity to provide care to patients during normal times and emergencies.
Healthcare System: A healthcare system is a network of organizations, people, and resources that deliver healthcare services to meet the health needs of a particular population. Healthcare systems vary widely between countries and can include public and private healthcare providers, insurers, and government agencies responsible for healthcare policy and regulation.