Standardized health education: A neglected detail in the solution to COVID-19

March 13, 2020. What was supposed to be the beginning of a one-week Spring break escalated into the onset of a 6-month hiatus, which included the abrupt cancellation of the remainder of our Spring semester. I didn’t expect my sophomore year in college to end so quickly and halfheartedly.

March 22, 2020. Governor DeWine initiated a state-wide stay-at-home order for Ohio inhabitants with stringent social distancing guidelines. In an attempt to prevent extensive widespread COVID-19 transmission, Ohio was declared to be in a state of emergency after only 3 confirmed cases and 0 deaths.

DeWine’s message was crystal clear—stay at home and limit social interactions. Yet, I still observed a large disparity of its interpretation in my local Cincinnati suburb. Teenagers still meandered around town in an attempt to discover a hidden party. Adults who challenged the virus’ relevance and range of impact refused to wear masks.

On the other extreme, there are those who ‘sanitize’ groceries in washing machines, ‘eliminate’ the virus by microwaving homemade meals, and ‘protect’ their respiratory tract by wearing masks around the house. Unfortunately, this is my family.

I started to think. Why is there such a large discrepancy in the perception of SARS-CoV-2? I found my answer after one quick Google search: ‘How deadly is the coronavirus?’ From only the first five results, The Wall Street Journal claimed that COVID-19’s mortality rate projection is exaggerated, while LiveScience claimed that it’s more deadly than expected. Who should we trust?

The inconsistency and bias from the media have polarized our society towards the extremes: continue frequent social interactions without necessary precautions or proclaim a strict quarantine. Why didn’t the government quickly end these conflicting sources by directing individuals to credible sources like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC)?

They did. Political officials, especially Donald Trump, have advised citizens to read about COVID-19 from highly credible sources through their social media platforms. This is ineffective for two reasons. First, Trump’s tweets can only reach a small fraction of the total population. Second, CDC and WHO may be too complicated for an average reader. So, the public settles for the most easily accessible and comprehensible alternative—a local or national media platform.

Instead, the United States’ government ought to invest in developing and marketing a mandatory and standardized health education program for all US citizens. This initiative should be implemented as a collaborative effort between national and state governments, WHO, NIH, CDC, FDA, and many more credible institutions. The program should provide information about disease characteristics, preventative expectations for the population, and future outlook, to name a few. News agencies will promote this programming, which can homogenize public knowledge about the pandemic.

Health education is one of the cornerstones of public health and, more specifically, disease prevention. Yet, it’s undervalued in its effectiveness. Take COVID-19 as a prime example. I researched for hours about methods to attenuate the spread of the virus, but I couldn’t find a single article about the importance of public outreach and education to ensure that everyone is informed about appropriate actions to stay safe and healthy.

Of course, this global pandemic extends far past our country’s borders. People living in third world countries are especially at risk of contracting the virus. To make matters worse, their underdeveloped healthcare systems can’t handle this large demand for treatment. These countries should be prioritized in receiving health education in the form of actionable steps that individuals can take to prevent widespread disease transmission.

There is a global fervor for finding the ‘magic bullet’ for eradicating COVID-19—mostly in the form of a vaccine. However, until its discovery, public health measures should be prioritized and health education should not be forgotten. Let’s make sure that teenagers are informed that playing basketball with ten friends risks diffusion of a harmful disease. Let’s make sure that parents, like mine, are informed that it’s safe to take a walk around your neighborhood while following social distancing guidelines. Finally, let’s make sure that impoverished populations around the world are aware of how to stay healthy during this difficult time.