There have been enormous strides made in the treatment and prevention of HIV, but there are still millions who die each year from HIV/AIDS. As COVID-19 vaccines were being developed in 2020, many health experts warned that vaccines can
take years to come to fruition. The most popular comparison was made with the promised vaccine for HIV many years ago. To this day, there is no vaccine that helps prevent the
virus or treat those infected. Scientists continue to work to develop an
HIV/AIDS vaccine.
According to the WHO, more than 70 million people have contracted the infection since the epidemic first broke out, and about 33 million have died as a result. Today, there are around 38 million people living with HIV who may need support. Approximately 1.2
million Americans are living with HIV in the United States today, and about 14 percent of them – that is 1 in 7 – do not know it and need testing.
According to the American Heart Association’s latest findings,
heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Experts predict that the broad influence of the COVID-19
pandemic will extend that ranking for years to come. Specifically, they anticipate that the global burden of cardiovascular disease will grow exponentially over the next few years,
as part of the evolving long-term effects of coronavirus. Naturally, this means that heart health is among the top public health concerns for physicians and public health workers today.
Much like mental health, substance abuse (e.g, alcohol,
cocaine,
fentanyl,
heroin ,
marijuana, methamphetamine, etc.,) is another growing concern. This
was among the top public health problems before the pandemic started, but it has only been amplified in the days of self-isolation. Studies report that, since the enactment of stay-at-home
orders, suspected overdoses have increased 18 percent. According to the CDC, 40 percent of U.S. adults report struggling with mental health or substance abuse.
Comedian John Mulaney is one example of this growing concern. He made headlines in December of 2020 when he checked into rehab after years of sobriety. The former SNL-writer attributed the recent struggles to the pandemic. Mulaney
is certainly not alone.
The drug overdose epidemic – primarily driven by opioid abuse – has killed more than 750,000 people since 1999.
Two out of three of the drug overdose deaths in 2018 involved an opioid. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid
epidemic a public health emergency and announced a strategy to help combat the problem.
As noted above, experts are seeing a rise in substance abuse and drug overdoses since the COVID-19
pandemic began. Lockdown orders have increased feelings of boredom, which in turn has increased the risk of substance abuse. In addition, with many people at home alone,
there is a higher risk of overdosing without anyone knowing or being there to call for help.
We know that hospitals help patients recover and heal from illnesses and injuries,
but we do not always think about the healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) that can come from
treatment. These can be caused by the devices used in medical procedures , like catheters or
ventilators. They can also happen at surgery sites, known as
surgical site
infections. While significant progress has been made in preventing some of these HAIs, there is much more work to be done. According to the CDC, on any given day, about 1 in 31 patients has at
least one HAI.
Our nutrition and physical activity is another public health issue that has only been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. This was
among the top public health problems before the outbreak of the novel coronavirus – with the CDC reporting obesity effects 93.3 million American adults and more than
13.7 million children – but those numbers will likely grow significantly in the near future. A global study, published in The Journal of Obesity, found that
lockdowns related to the pandemic led to dramatic changes in health behaviors, prompting people around the world to cut back on physical activity and eat more junk foods.
