M3D3 Sociology of Illness

M3D3 Sociology of Illness

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M3D3 Sociology of Illness

1.

I think the United States government is ready to handle such a pandemic using its various agencies. Quick response would be necessary for handling the pandemic using a disaster response mechanisms run by the federal government. The federal government plan predicts that a flu pandemic would affect an estimated 30% of the population in the United States. This is significant given that it would quickly spread to the rest of the population in the country and around the world. Similar to the H5N1 influenza virus strain, the Iraqibacter could spread to the rest of population on a short notice (Levin, Gebbie, & Qureshi, 2007).

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) classifies this disease as among the six most dangerous drug resistant diseases. Such a disease would strain the United States healthcare system given the demand for specialized care, isolation and the need to control the spread of the diseases. Furthermore, it would also amount to conducting extensive research as a means of developing solutions to this drug resistant disease (Nettleton, & Gustafsson, 2002).
2.

Research on the evolving strains of drug resistant microbes in both private and government facilities could be termed as the immediate solution towards developing a cure for this dangerous disease. In addition, the advancements in technology play a significant role in providing solutions towards efficient and effective response to pandemics by collaboration between the healthcare system and other governmental agencies such as security agencies (White, 2002).

The cost of research and developing antibiotics is a significant factor that results in barriers towards accessing such medication (Nettleton, & Gustafsson, 2002). This due to the reason that medicine manufacturers are profit making entities that must recover their costs through high drug prices. In addition, location and proximity to medical facilities is also a significant challenge that could undermine the objectives of developing the new antibiotics (Bury, & Gabe, 2004). Location limits access and follow-ups for clients using such medication thus limiting the availability of information on the effectiveness of the antibiotics. This is also essential to understand through evaluations, the reaction of the microbes to the antibiotics. It is noted that drug resistance to a variety of medications was a significant issue for medical professionals treating patients with this disease.

Reference

Bury, M., & Gabe, J. (2004). The sociology of health and illness: A reader. London: Routledge.

Levin, P. J., Gebbie, E. N., & Qureshi, K. (2007). Can the health-care system meet the challenge of pandemic flu? Planning, ethical, and workforce considerations. Public Health Reports, 122, (5).

Nettleton, S., & Gustafsson, U. (2002). The sociology of health and illness reader. Malden, Mass: Polity.

White, K. (2002). An introduction to the sociology of health and illness. London: Sage Publications.