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© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
R. Chandrappa, D. B. Das, Environmental Health - Theory and Practice,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64484-0_11
Chapter 11
Living with Environmental Diseases
Abstract Many illnesses may not respond to preventive actions and will be difficult
to anticipate. When the community, nation or world fails to get rid of a health risk,
then people need to live with the disease causative agents and the disease itself.
Effective adaptation methods can greatly help to keep infected and non-infected
people apart, thereby reducing the spread of diseases in the environment. This chapter discusses some of the adaption ideas, practices and strategies the world has witnessed to live with environmental diseases.
11.1 Introduction
Adaptation means getting adjusted to varying circumstances. Many illnesses may
not respond to preventive actions and will be difficult to anticipate (Patz 1996).
When a community, a nation or the world fails to get rid of a health risk, then
people need to live with the disease. The COVID-19 pandemic created huge personal, economic, as well as social damages. It has also ended many lives. COVID-19
pandemic introduced many adaptation techniques to be followed live with disease
that include the following:
• Carry out only urgent work and postpone some work to future, that is when the
risk is lower
• Deliver services by phone or video instead of in person
• Ensure only essential workers at the workplace
• Minimize the presence of third parties
• Reduce physical contact between workers during meetings/breaks
• Eliminate physical interaction with customers
• Place an impervious barrier between workers
• Provide soaps and hand sanitizers at workplace
• Provide all necessary PPE
• Place posters to encourage staying home when sick
• Encourage work from home wherever possible
• Introduce online classes in schools
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
R. Chandrappa, D. B. Das, Environmental Health - Theory and Practice,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64484-0_11
Chapter 11
Living with Environmental Diseases
Abstract Many illnesses may not respond to preventive actions and will be difficult
to anticipate. When the community, nation or world fails to get rid of a health risk,
then people need to live with the disease causative agents and the disease itself.
Effective adaptation methods can greatly help to keep infected and non-infected
people apart, thereby reducing the spread of diseases in the environment. This chapter discusses some of the adaption ideas, practices and strategies the world has witnessed to live with environmental diseases.
11.1 Introduction
Adaptation means getting adjusted to varying circumstances. Many illnesses may
not respond to preventive actions and will be difficult to anticipate (Patz 1996).
When a community, a nation or the world fails to get rid of a health risk, then
people need to live with the disease. The COVID-19 pandemic created huge personal, economic, as well as social damages. It has also ended many lives. COVID-19
pandemic introduced many adaptation techniques to be followed live with disease
that include the following:
• Carry out only urgent work and postpone some work to future, that is when the
risk is lower
• Deliver services by phone or video instead of in person
• Ensure only essential workers at the workplace
• Minimize the presence of third parties
• Reduce physical contact between workers during meetings/breaks
• Eliminate physical interaction with customers
• Place an impervious barrier between workers
• Provide soaps and hand sanitizers at workplace
• Provide all necessary PPE
• Place posters to encourage staying home when sick
• Encourage work from home wherever possible
• Introduce online classes in schools