COVID-19 and the Environment

This paper reviews the pandemic caused by SARS-Cov-2 virus. It covers the beginning of the spread, the devastating effects on health and wellbeing, the environment and measures taken to prevent further spread by developing coping strategies and control. It also examines the global impact of the pandemic on the short- and long-term as well as the gains and pains. Travel and social distancing have contributed to faster transmission across the continents. The main points emerged from the reports to date which re-emphasized the importance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and the use of soap and sanitizers for hand hygiene, air pollution through aerosols, and contact as the major determinants in the widespread of the infection. The causative agent, the non-living virus has no life but needs a host to replicate as it is short lived in the environment. Lockdown, closure of schools and institutions, social distancing and quarantine protocols generated a variety of wastes; the significant component is more plastics in the form of face masks, face shields, gloves, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other packaging materials. They need to be properly managed through innovative methods and recycling. Due to travel bans and movement restrictions, air pollution considerably reduced impacting a positive gain for climate change. Lessons learnt from the developed countries should guide the low income countries in effectively coping with the pandemic through increased environmental consciousness, ecosystem balance and attitudinal change in our way of thinking and living. COVID-19 pandemic is indeed a wakeup call to improve our environment through ecological balance.