It's not too small a world, after all...

 Megan Javier, Staff Writer

Hearing of other countries can seem irrelevant to some, however, amid an arising global pandemic, it's important we learn from other nations as much as possible. Every country is handling the pandemic in its own fashion, but aren't you curious about what other countries are experiencing at the same time we are? 

Japan's universal healthcare system and culture of considerately wearing masks when one is sick has helped the decline of COVID-19 cases throughout the nation. Scientists are also practicing a "retrospective tracing method" which helps determine how the person affected with the virus may have been infected. By doing so, people will not only be able to know what factors or places caused them to get the virus but how they can avoid them at all costs. A fair amount of people may have contracted the virus from the same place; therefore, retrospective tracing would determine that place as a hotspot to require more restrictions and care to contain the spread of the virus.

Serbia as with Japan has placed mandates implemented on the residents and citizens of its country, but are not so different from the U.S. A few different factors that have improved the decline of COVID-19 cases can teach other countries how to handle the virus more. Serbia has banned gatherings of people 30+ indoor or outdoor and has limited visiting elders in nursing homes to 15 minutes. This helps not only with hotspots and parties being taken out of control but also helps the flow of traffic within certain proximities. The smoother it is, the less likely there will be infections on the rise.

On the other hand, Spain is facing a challenging period currently, and ever since COVID-19 sparked international fear. In August of 2020, Spain had the highest amount of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in all Europe, recently ranging over 3,000 cases per day. The primary cause of the COVID chaos in Spain is the lack of governmental measures being held towards the people living there. A global pandemic requires extensive care and control; therefore, the country’s healthcare system must always be prepared. A few months into the pandemic, some hospitals of Spain even stopped sending ambulances out to those undiagnosed and in need, leaving them extremely vulnerable to death. Countries like Spain in its handling of COVID-19 must learn from others who are advancing quickly and thoughtfully, an unexpected pandemic is no excuse to be unprepared.