Connect with us

Health

American COVID Catastrophe: Were We Sick Before the Pandemic? | Coronavirus pandemic

 


Although the United States spends more on medical care than any other country in the world, it still holds the largest share of the world’s more than 5 million COVID-19 deaths.

We haven’t left the forest yet, but the number of new infections has declined in recent months. And experts predict that this may be the beginning of the end of America’s worst health crisis in recent history.

Due to the increasing number of vaccinations and some innate immunity among previously infected people, the virus is expected to become endemic in the coming months. According to polls, vaccine hesitation is declining in the United States. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted an emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer / BioNTech for children ages 5-11, with millions of young Americans vaccinated. I opened the way to receive it. Merck and Pfizer recently applied to the FDA for an emergency permit for antivirals.

This promising scenario is a good opportunity to reflect on what went wrong. Why did so many Americans succumb to the new coronavirus?

There is a clear consensus that by building a resilient society, the recurring tragedy of COVID-19 must be absolutely avoided. Understanding all the factors that led to the catastrophe is the key to our plan to combat the future health crisis. And for that, Americans have to ask one question that they avoided asking for too long – “Are we already sick before the pandemic?”

Public health experts point out many reasons for the COVID-19 catastrophe in the United States, including false information, vaccine hesitation, and inadequate public health measures. However, in addition to these problems, no one admits that we Americans had a weak immune system before the advent of COVID-19. And this caused the problem.

The main factor that left Americans disproportionately vulnerable to COVID-19 is the high prevalence of obesity in the country. When obese, people are at risk of many other serious chronic illnesses, Increases the risk of severe illness From COVID-19 (hospitalization in intensive care unit, ventilator, worst case death). Obese children are three times more at risk of requiring hospitalization after being infected with COVID-19 than their non-obese classmates. Obesity also affects disproportionately to the poor as well as ethnic and racial minority groups. The same group is already facing the increased risk of COVID-19.

Obesity in the United States has become a public health crisis in recent decades. In the 1990s, when I emigrated to the United States, no state of obesity exceeded 14%. In less than 30 years, by 2020, that number had increased to 35% in 16 states.

According to the latest data provided by the CDC, what a 2017-18 year 42.4% It was obesity in the entire American population. Meanwhile, scientists predict that by 2030, at least half of the country will suffer from this debilitating condition. By the turn of the decade, only two in ten Americans will be normal, as 30% of the population is classified as “overweight.” weight.

And the COVID-19 pandemic added more fuel to this raging obesity crisis.

During the COVID blockade, parks and schools were closed, forcing Americans to stay indoors for extended periods of time. All of this has resulted in harmful lifestyle changes. American Psychological Association (APA) Research Of the more than 3,000 people in February 2021, more than 60% of adults in the United States have experienced unwanted weight changes since the pandemic began. Forty-two percent of respondents said they gained about 13 kg (28.7 lbs), and 10% said they gained more than 20 kg (44 lbs). According to the CDC, obesity in children in the United States Increase at unprecedented speed During a pandemic due to an almost complete lack of physical activity.

The CDC estimates that it spends $ 147 billion annually on obesity-related illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, diabetes, kidney damage, asthma, infections, and many other illnesses. But, whether Republican or Democratic, no one in recent memory has prioritized eliminating this major cause of poor health in the United States. Not only the major politicians, but the whole country seems to deny this growing problem. Indeed, other issues that affect American well-being-climate change, access to abortion, gun control, ever-increasing medical costs, etc.-are constantly being discussed by politicians and the media, but the crisis of obesity is at stake. It is rarely mentioned in public conversation.

The CDC recommends a healthy diet and regular exercise to prevent obesity. Obesity is clearly not enough, as more than 40% of today’s population is obese. That’s despite the fact that the United States has the most fitness centers in the world and various diet companies.

The CDC spends $ 1.2 billion annually on the prevention and management of all chronic illnesses, including obesity. This may sound a lot, but fast food companies spend much more than this to ensure that Americans continue to consume their products.

For example, McDonald’s and Domino spent $ 779 million and $ 442 million on advertising in 2019, respectively. Advertising campaigns by these companies often target children and adolescents who lose the most from developing unhealthy eating habits. Many McDonald’s restaurants have playgrounds, and the company also distributes Disney toy figures for children’s “Happy Meal.”

These companies also advertised that African-Americans, who have the highest obesity rates in all US demographics, are designed to consume more products. Black preschoolers, children and teens will be exposed to about 90% more fast food ads than whites in 2019, according to a June 2021 study by the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. rice field.

The food industry must be responsible for promoting high-fat and sugar items to children, including toys in their diets, and seducing them to burn exorbitant amounts of calories on a regular basis. Must be. Parents must also take responsibility and do their best to help their children develop healthy eating habits.

And most importantly, all Americans as taxpayers should call on lawmakers to take the growing obesity problem seriously. Obesity, like climate change, is a major threat to American public health, and our leaders are responsible for treating it that way. If they took action that year ago and took action, many lives would have been saved during the pandemic.

Americans can achieve anything if they put their hearts on it. In 1971, President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act, which led to a national war on cancer. It’s time to declare a similar war against obese drivers. Only then can we Americans build a healthier society and be ready to overcome the next pandemic.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author himself and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

..

Sources

1/ https://Google.com/

2/ https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/11/17/americas-covid-catastrophe-were-we-sick-before-the-pandemic

The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos

ExBUlletin

to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]