The health system needs the assistance of other sectors in counterbalancing the effects of the doubt about the existence of the novel coronavirus. Such assistance could come from state institutions, university teachers or NGOs, which could intensely disseminate information about COVID-19, Adrian Belyi, head of the Clinical Anesthesia and Intensive Care Department of the Emergency Medicine Institute, stated in the public debate “Who is afraid of COVID-19 and why” that was staged by IPN News Agency.
“Left alone as an institution or as a branch, the health system will be unable to counterbalance the effects produced nu such a large number of persons who deny the existence of COVID-19. There are other institutions and sectors that could help. For example, the university teaching staff that is involved in the examination of pure medical aspects could lend a hand. Not so many people are capable of designing documents and conducting research and of formulating conclusions. There is a shortage of persons who could deal with the extensive promotion of scientific aspects and with dissemination,” stated the doctor.
Adrian Belyi noted the state institutions should lay greater emphasis on rather aggressive promotion of scientific perceptions of all the processes related to the virus, should explain to the population in an accessible language not only the anti-epidemic rules, but also why there are so many people who do not believe in the virus, attracting the incredulous persons on the side of science.
The doctor noted there are also NGOs that have very good expertise and material systematization capacity. These could write informative brochures about COVID-19, which could be authorized by the Ministry of Health or the National Public Health Agency and could be then distributed to the population as there are people who do not have access to the media.
The debate “Who is afraid of COVID-19 and why” was the 149th installment of the debates project “Developing political culture through public debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany.
