Unintended Consequences of COVID-19

Unintended Consequences

Stay at home requests, non-essential business closings, and a host of other external factors have come into play as well, with even the healthcare industry experiencing layoffs and a shifting care model on the fly. The unintended consequences are only now being identified, and only on a very limited basis, as the primary focus remains on COVID-19.

Lack of Clarity

Lack of clarity on the virus and fears of dire consequences have dramatically impacted the psyche of the nation, which is compounding by the need and desire to “reopen” without a well-comprehended strategy for reopening businesses while schools remain closed, protecting the most vulnerable when others need to remain socially distant, and bringing back full staffs of employees when business revenues are anticipated to be down 75% for some industries.

When will we see a vaccine?

While a vaccine, or even highly reliable therapy, would put many minds at rest, this is not likely to happen until the end of the year, and even this is being hopeful, if not overly optimistic. But still, the country needs to “reopen”, and to reopen soon, if we wish to minimize the impact of the virus on economic, social, financial, and health-related aspects of the nation.

The Consequences

Despite efforts to address issues related to hospital beds, respirators, and personal protective devices, the healthcare system is suffering from:

Missed appointments, vitals, and lab work
Resulting missed diagnoses, interventions, and therapies
Reduction in ER visits for life-critical events such as heart attacks and strokes
Delays in critical “elective” surgeries (heart stents, bypass surgeries, cancer treatment, to name only a few)
And of course, the mental health issues associated with the fear of the virus, the impact on families, and the massive layoffs and impact to paychecks and/or retirement funds. All leading to potential increases in suicide, drug use and overdoses, domestic violence, and other major issues.

Our Aim

Lifemesh aims to provide insights that inform decision-makers of potential unanticipated effects or “opportunity cost” of disease-related policy and protocols. In this instance, we focus on COVID-19.