Page 30 - IJSA, Vol. 3, No 2, 2020

International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2020

Discussion defend themselves and their surrounding from catching
In the face of the real danger we begin redefining COVID-19.
conceptual bases of mankind, nation, state, family, October 4, 2020, scientists Kulldorff, Gupta, and
individuum in dialectics: democracy – authoritarianism, Bhattacharya (2020) released “The Great Barrington
technocracy – humanism, freedom of movement – Declaration”, that assumed the so-called “Focused
observation, good health – disease etc. Protection”. The authors criticized the current lockdown
In this regard, I would like to note the work by policies, which in their opinion: “… are producing
Kummitha (2020), who compared the Chinese devastating effects on short and long-term public
government “techno-driven approach” to the Western health”. Scientists claim that “The most compassionate
governments “human-driven approach” used to control approach that balances the risks and benefits of reaching
the COVID-19 pandemic. The author noted that herd immunity, is to allow those who are at minimal risk
Western governments were using technologies to of death to live their lives normally to build up immunity
inform, persuade and attain consensus instead of using to the virus through natural infection, while better
them to discipline citizens. protecting those who are at highest risk” (Kulldorff,
Pirtle’s work (2020) deserves attention, in which racial Gupta, & Bhattacharya, 2020). We can discuss for a long
and socioeconomic inequities within the COVID-19 while the human nature of this declaration, norms of
pandemic in the United States have been studied. In this social responsibility etc. But the undeniable fact is that
regard, it should be noted the action of some officials, the world has appeared to be not ready to new
who, realizing the need for urgent action, sign Executive conditions. All countries have suffered: both with a high
Order to protect immigrant and refugee communities and low economy. Health systems of many countries
during COVID-19 (Executive Order, 2020). In this case, have experienced a serious trial concerning efficiency of
we see an example of urgent and adequate measures by their activity, whose performance is indicated by the
the US city authorities caused by COVID-19 in relation death rate of the population.
to the most vulnerable part of the population. As practice I have not made it a point of this article to research and
has shown, immigrants and refugees are a high risk substantiate statistically the data about COVID-19
group, and ethnic minorities “are a third” of patients spread in different countries, but instead have limited
infected with COVID-19 (Butcher & Massey, 2020; purposefully the methodology of this publication by the
Croxford, 2020). Jon (2020) studied the issues of social complex of theoretical and empirical methods for
justice and the different approaches of governments and studying indicators for the dynamics of the COVID-19
city authorities to migrant workers, foreign students, and pandemic in Ukraine, China, and Singapore.
others. Public health policy and opportunities for older Nevertheless, it was enough to identify without any
people in Italian nursing homes was described in the difficulty the difference in indices of infection, recovery
publication by Trabucchi and De Leo (2020). Wenham, and death of the population provoked by COVID-19 in
Smith, and Morgan (2020) explored policies and public these countries for 4 months of the year 2020.
health efforts, as well as gender characteristics of In order to understand the reasons of such dynamics let
vulnerability and mortality from COVID-19. us consider this situation in one of the cities of Ukraine
An important factor and an adequate response is the – Kharkiv. On the 31st of October, 2020 the number of
creation of target groups under the governments of those who caught the disease in the city of Kharkiv,
countries prone to the pandemic, as well as women’s constituted 36,297 people. The quarantine of the
representation in national and global COVID-19 policy maximum level was officially introduced in the city at
spaces, such as in the White House Coronavirus Task that time. Medical establishments are working at the
Force (Press Trust of India, 2020). pick of their capacities, city hospitals are overloaded
I believe that we will still have to get deep with the infected people by COVID-19.
reconsideration over the measures that have been taken The situation of COVID-19 spread is even worsened by
or must be taken by the governments of different recklessness of the municipal authorities, that not only
countries while fighting the pandemic spread, both on are holding general local elections for the authority
the territory of a certain country and in the world scope, bodies at this time, but also clean the city streets, squares
as well as personal responsibility of the population to and parks using air-sweepers (Figures 8, 9).

Figure 8. Ukraine, Kharkiv, the city’s central square Figure 9. Ukraine, Kharkiv, the city’s central park
(October 31, 2020): a – Cleaning of sidewalks and lawns; (October 31, 2020): a – Cleaning of park alleys by a
b – Pedestrians with a child in a stroller. Photo by the communal service worker; b – Pedestrians; с – Child.
author. Photo by the author.
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