coronavirus
The outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 has brought the entire world to a standstill because all sectors have been affected. The highly contagious disease was declared a global pandemic after it spread to all parts of the world and demonstrated the possibility of killing a significant percentage of the world population. The severity of the condition to the world has mainly been influenced by its ease and mode of transmission from one person to another. The virus is passed from one individual to another through close contact, particularly with body fluids from the respiratory system. The pandemic has affected all sectors, and the media has played a significant role in influencing the approaches that nations have implemented to contain the spread of the disease.
The novel coronavirus started in China but has since affected the whole world. The main challenge that the world is currently grappling with is eliminating the covid-19 pandemic that has affected millions of people and hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide. The number of infections in the world is still rising constantly, and a similar trend has been recorded for deaths. Thousands of lives are being lost every day despite the stringent measures that nations have put in place to contain the virus. Currently, the US and Brazil have recorded the highest number of cases, and the number of deaths is also rising constantly, with over two hundred other countries around the world, recording deaths daily. Reports from the World Health Organization have revealed that the number of cases and deaths will continue to rise and advises that coronavirus disease might become part of human life.
The media has played a significant role, particularly in shaping the actions that have been taken to contain the illness. The role of the media has ranged from informing the world about the outbreak of the disease to helping in disseminating important information about measures that are supposed to be taken to manage the condition. Besides, the media reports have also played a fundamental role in informing about infection patterns, which have influenced the measures that countries have put in place. The international media houses have helped in relaying expert advice on what nations ought to do to control the virus.
The primary purpose of the media is to report about important events that are occurring in different parts of the world. The outbreak of the virus was a significant event that was reported, and the media was obligated to pass the message for relevant measures to be taken. One of the measures that were implemented based on media reports to contain the pandemic is restricting all international travels. Following the first media information that there was coronavirus in China, most countries started to take precautionary measures to ensure that the disease does not reach their population. The media was also responsible for reporting the total number of cases that were being reported in every country. International news houses initially depicted China as the epicenter of the virus, and most countries canceled travels to and from China. However, the focus shifted to other countries following media reports that other countries such as Italy, Spain, Iran, and the US have become new epicenters based on the number of infections. As such, countries extended their travel restrictions, and most of them have completely closed their airspaces for all international travels. The media has also helped to justify the effectiveness of the measures with regard to mitigating the spread of the virus.
The media has also played a critical role in reporting about the various impacts that have been caused by the covid-19 pandemic. Reports about the potential effects of the disease, particularly on the economy, enabled many nations to put in place mitigation measures to cushion their population against the looming situation. Despite the preparedness, the economic impacts on countries and their people have been overwhelming. The severity of the disease has been experienced mainly through the impacts on the economy rather than on the health of people. Even though the condition has resulted in millions of infections and thousands of deaths, the main focus has been on its effects on the economy. Millions of people around the world have lost their jobs because of the virus so far, and more jobs will be lost. The aviation and tourism sectors are some of the sectors that have been affected directly by the pandemic. The fact that people can no longer travel from one country to another implies that all international air transport companies have grounded their planes in various airports around the world. Most of such firms have laid off their employees since they are not generating profits and cannot sustain their employees. A similar situation has been experienced in the tourism segment because tourists cannot visit various destinations around the world because of the travel lockdowns. Most hotels that rely exclusively on tourists have also resorted to closing their facilities and dismissing their employees. The outbreak has also affected the global market for various products, and such companies that depend on the overseas markets have also closed their operations, and many employees have been laid off. In the US, the effect of the pandemic has increased the number of applications for government support.
The outbreak of coronavirus disease has also disrupted sporting activities around the world. One of the measures that have been widely implemented to contain the virus is restricting crowds and observing the social distance between people. The need to implement the measures resulted in the cancellation of all sports that were ongoing, as well as those that were to come. Major soccer leagues, particularly in Europe, suspended their matches until the disease is contained. A major global sporting event that has also been canceled by the pandemic is the 2020 Japan Olympics. The events were canceled because allowing people to travel from different parts of the world to converge at one point would have resulted in increased risk for the spread of the virus.
Both the mainstream and social media have played a role in shaping opinions and policies related to the containment measures of the disease. Journalism has played an essential role in ensuring that the world approaches the pandemic as a unit. The World Health Organization recommends most of the measures that are being implemented and the media has been key in ensuring that all countries implement the recommended measures. Effective health communication has been significant for the adoption of sustainable preventive measures.
Media has also helped curtail misleading information about coronavirus. Unreliable social media platforms, particularly Facebook and Twitter, have been channels for misleading information that is likely to affect the fight against the pandemic. However, mainstream international media houses, as well as some approved social media platforms, have been vital in clarifying any misleading reports about the pandemic. Media has also been fundamental in increasing psychological resources and resilience amongst certain populations that seem vulnerable to the condition. The media has also helped to enhance psychological stability for people from nations that have been hit hard by the pandemic such as Italy, Spain, the US, UK, and other nations that have recorded the highest number of deaths. News houses have also been an engaging public health and medical experts who have helped to explain important concepts about the disease and have helped to change behavior patterns among people.
The media has been an essential factor in dealing with the coronavirus disease that started in China and spread to more than two hundred nations. Media outlets have been essential in sharing information about the outbreak since it was first reported in Wuhan, China. The reports have also influenced responses by governments around the world to deal with the pandemic. Disseminating measures recommended by the World Health Organization, such as travel cessations to people, has helped people to support and practice the recommended measures. The media has also been a source of health education by inviting public health specialists who share important information about the pandemic and the roles that people should play at individual levels to manage it. Besides, media houses have also been key in dealing with different kinds of rumors that have emerged about the disease by giving clarifications. The success that has been made so far in fighting the pandemic is slightly attributed to the media.