Abstract
It will be remembered in history as the event that brought the world together with science and technology; the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed for decades worth of progression in both healthcare policies and technology development. It has been a show of unprecedented global health policies ranging from the legal requirement for public facemask use to the use of tough movement restrictions that has bought the world’s economy to its knees. Here, we observe the impact of national lockdowns, facemask usage, and their effect on infection rates. It is clear that healthcare policies alone cannot tackle a pandemic. There is a huge pressure to develop personal protective equipment that not only has the capacity to prevent transmission but also has the ergonomics to be worn for long durations. In this work, we reveal our views and thoughts on the healthcare policies and developing materials and technology strategies that have contributed to reduce the damage of the pandemic, coming from the perspectives of materials scientists and a UK National Health Service consultant doctor.
Highlights
It will be remembered in history as the event that brought the world together with science and technology; the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed for decades worth of progression in both healthcare policies and technology development
We see the impact of national lockdowns on the infection rates over crucial timeframes; we see the policing of face coverings with an abundance of research into material selection and novel manufacturing
A recent study has analysed the effect of healthcare policies on the number of Covid-19 cases in the most affected countries in the 3 months leading the start of the global pandemic; it found that lockdown measures were highly effective at suppressing a rise in Covid-19 cases [2]
Summary
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a test of resilience for science and technology; it has put pressure and asserted direction on the development of science and technology with rewarding advancements being made at a rapid pace. We see the impact of national lockdowns on the infection rates over crucial timeframes; we see the policing of face coverings with an abundance of research into material selection and novel manufacturing. Jubair Ahmed and Hussain Alenezi contributed to this work When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of healthcare policies, it becomes almost impossible to de-couple and examine individual policies when numerous are deployed in a short period of time. At least processes using more water-soluble and biodegradable polymers need to be used to mass-produce effective face masks whilst keeping their costs to a minimum. These findings indicate that mask wearing, combined with other scenarios such as social distancing, regular handwashing emergent mater. The speedy tailoring of material morphology and manufacturing to suit is crucial in decelerating the spread of infectious diseases
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
