Introduction
Imagine hospitals run out of vaccines, and there are no other alternatives for combatting the threat of coronavirus infection in the long run. In this case, the situation of humanity is going to be even more tragic, which means that it is critical to consider other options and timely develop new measures to ensure people’s wellbeing. These concerns are expressed in the article “The Plan to Stop Every Respiratory Virus at Once” written by Sarah Zhang, and they correspond to the specified need of the population. The author claims that developing vaccines is not the best solution to eliminating the risks connected to COVID-19, whereas the installation of more advanced ventilation systems can be advantageous for this purpose (Zhang, 2021). She makes a convincing argument by referring to the experience of humanity during pandemics and modern specialists and appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos.
Summary of the Article
The motivation of the author in writing this piece was conditional upon the heavy reliance of present-day specialists on vaccines for eliminating the threat of both COVID-19 and other diseases spread through the air. She narrates about the past experience of London during the times of cholera in the nineteenth century and compares it with the current pandemic (Zhang, 2021). The emphasis is made on the fact that the advanced sewage system in the former case could have been more effective, and the same applies to the latter’s suggestion to install modern ventilation systems (Zhang, 2021). This decision can minimize health risks and stop the spread of infections, and the introduction of such changes is the most optimal solution underpinned by comprehensive research.
Ethos
The first appeal is ethos, which demonstrates the credibility of original data used for analyzing the pandemic. Thus, Zhang (2021) successfully resorts to it and manages to provide a sufficient scientific basis for the approach suggested for eliminating the threats. The main example of ethos is the use of information from multiple reputable sources. It is presented by the research of scholars, such as Catherine Noakes from the University of Leeds, who proved the dependency of the pandemic patterns on air quality in premises (Zhang, 2021). These findings are confirmed by similar results of the study conducted by Lidia Morawska from the Queensland University of Technology (Zhang, 2021). In addition, referring to Donald Milton from the University of Maryland, Zhang (2021) writes that researchers begin to design experiments for verifying the described mechanism of action of diseases. Alongside the lack of data published by credible organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization, the conclusions seem well-justified (Zhang, 2021). Therefore, ethos is a significant appeal for reaching the audience in this case.
Logos
The second appeal incorporated in the text is logos, and it is beneficial for conducting the analysis of the above data. Hence, it efficiently underpins the author’s stance while presenting a well-informed opinion on the matter. First, Zhang (2021) examines the actions of present-day educational institutions and other facilities throughout the country guided by the considerations described in the previous section. According to this piece, they lack unity, and this issue alongside the high costs of initiatives on installing or modifying ventilation systems results in the impossibility of making a global change (Zhang, 2021). Second, the received information allows defining the mechanism of action of spreading diseases through the air and matching it to the proposed solution (Zhang, 2021). In this way, the logical examination of findings from numerous studies emphasized the importance of clean air for preventing health problems and thereby increased the worth of this article.
Pathos
The third appeal supporting the argument is pathos, and it can be seen from the focus on the author’s good intentions and character alongside shared emotions. Hence, the description of people’s neglect of contaminated air and its role in the pandemic emphasized individual responsibility by instilling the feeling of sadness (Zhang, 2021). Referring to the citizens’ emotions was useful for proving the overall worsening of the problem, and it was complemented by the importance of protective measures for every single person (Zhang, 2021). The latter method implied the unity of views related to the emotional aspect contrasted by the lack of agreement between the Americans on the appropriateness of measures for combatting COVID-19 (Zhang, 2021). In addition, highlighting the fact that all the data used for this article was received first-hand enhanced the feedback of readers (Zhang, 2021). Consequently, the feelings of the target audience were crucial for proving the credibility of conclusions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the author succeeded in convincing the readers of the feasibility of improving ventilation systems in premises mostly by using ethos and logos, while pathos successfully underpinned these two appeals. Thus, ethos was presented by numerous credible sources related to pandemics, air quality, and other issues described by scholars and worldwide health organizations. Logos was used for analyzing the suggested solution by referring to the lack of governmental guidance and financial support due to the absence of substantial evidence and synthesizing the facts for providing it. In turn, pathos was incorporated for highlighting individual responsibility through the feelings of sadness and unity while claiming the need for mutual understanding. Overall, the author successfully argues that modifying ventilation systems can prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the long run.
Reference
Zhang, S. (2021). The plan to stop every respiratory virus at once. The Atlantic.