Infectious Disease Threats: A Rebound To Resilience

The US has experienced a series of epidemics during the past five decades. None has tested the nation's resilience like the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has laid bare critical weaknesses in US pandemic preparedness and domestic leadership and the nation's decline in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health affairs (Millwood, Va.) Va.), 2021-02, Vol.40 (2), p.204-3
Main Authors: Daszak, Peter, Keusch, Gerald T, Phelan, Alexandra L, Johnson, Christine K, Osterholm, Michael T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Disease control
Disease prevention
Drug resistance
Epidemics
Global health
Health care
Health care access
Health services
Hospitalized
Infectious diseases
Leadership
Modernization
Pandemics
Partnerships
Political leadership
Public concern
Public health
Public opinion
Resilience
Threats
Viral diseases
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Summary:The US has experienced a series of epidemics during the past five decades. None has tested the nation's resilience like the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has laid bare critical weaknesses in US pandemic preparedness and domestic leadership and the nation's decline in global standing in public health. Pandemic response has been politicized, proven public health measures undermined, and public confidence in a science-based public health system reduced. This has been compounded by the large number of citizens without ready access to health care, who are overrepresented among infected, hospitalized, and fatal cases. Here, as part of the National Academy of Medicine's Vital Directions for Health and Health Care: Priorities for 2021 initiative, we review the US approach to pandemic preparedness and its impact on the response to COVID-19. We identify six steps that should be taken to strengthen US pandemic resilience, strengthen and modernize the US health care system, regain public confidence in government leadership in public health, and restore US engagement and leadership in global partnerships to address future pandemic threats domestically and around the world.
ISSN:0278-2715
1544-5208
DOI:10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01544