COVID-19

Scientists and policymakers all agree that another pandemic is inevitable—and that we are still not prepared. Whether it is a COVID mutation, a bird flu, or something entirely unforeseen, the extent of the dangers we will face depends on public health, clinical capacity, the lethality of a new virus, and the ease of its transmission. Early warning systems and an equitable supply chain can reduce the risks, but the politicalization of science will likely make it harder to shut down the economy or influence individual behavior in the future. How do we overhaul current systems and keep people safe?

The stark differences between the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in high-income and low-income countries underscores the imperative of new approaches to global health equity. Investing in local manufacturing and scientific capacity, bolstering the public health infrastructure, prioritizing community engagement, and developing alternatives to the costly mRNA vaccine are key. Maria Elena Bottazzi, associate dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Peter Hotez, dean of Baylor’s National School of Tropical Medicine, and Priti Krishtel, cofounder and executive director at I-MAK, discuss opportunities to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Helen Branswell, senior writer for STAT, moderates the conversation.

For decades, public health experts warned of a coming pandemic and developed recommendations to prepare for it—yet when it arrived, the response was a catastrophic failure. Now that the world has watched a theoretical risk become real, can we learn our lessons and do better before the next threat inevitably arrives? Neil Vora, policy fellow at Conservation International, Anne Pritchett, senior vice president of policy and research at PhRMA, and Victor Dzau, president of the National Academy of Medicine explore that question. John Torres, senior medical correspondent at NBC News, moderates the discussion.

Despite the swift development of vaccines to combat COVID-19, large swaths of the global population are unvaccinated and the prospect of viral variants remains a deadly threat. Lori Rose Benson, executive director and CEO of Hip Hop Public Health, Darrell Gray, chief health equity officer at Anthem, and Lauren Smith, chief health equity and strategy officer at the CDC Foundation, talk about the need to empower community-led collaborations and trusted messengers, strengthen local infrastructure, conduct targeted research, and enact appropriate policy changes to ensure equitable access to vaccines and curb the worldwide spread of infectious diseases. John Trizzino, executive vice president at Novavax, moderates the conversation.

Weeks and months after an initial COVID infection, as many as 20 percent of infected individuals are reporting new, lingering, or returning symptoms. Who is vulnerable, how bad does it get, how long does it last?  David Putrino, director of rehabilitation innovation at Mount Sinai Health System, answers those questions.

On the Aspen Institute’s “Common Hour,” Joshua Sharfstein, vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, shares the latest pandemic developments. In conversation with HMS executive director Ruth Katz he answers questions such as: What do the current numbers tell us? Where do things stand on the potential availability of a vaccine? Is it safe to travel over the holidays?

Debra Houry, director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and Christine Moutier, chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, explore the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the US population, describe critical steps for mitigating suicide risk, and present newly released data from the CDC on suicide. Rebecca Ruiz, senior features writer with Mashable, serves as moderator.

Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases when this webinar was held, talks about the scientific integrity of the CDC, concerns about the speed and safety of coronavirus vaccines, and the government’s effort to distribute them quickly and equitably. Nsikan Akpan, science editor of National Geographic, moderates the conversation, which is followed by a public Q&A.

The stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with other fundamental societal disruptions, highlights the importance of developing tools to help manage our emotional health. In a discussion hosted by HMS and the Aspen Institute’s High Seas Initiative, panelists talk about how one of our planet’s unique, most precious, and nearly ubiquitous resources—water—can make us happier, healthier, and better equipped to take on today’s challenges.

As we emerge from the pandemic, the essential role of science innovation and communication to ensure a stable society has never been clearer. The Pandemic Science Summit, structured as a series of rotating conversations that bring together two science and medicine experts at a time, offers complementary and synergistic discussions.

In a remarkably prescient Public Health Grand Rounds, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Ron Klain, former White House Ebola response coordinator, and Nancy Messonnier, then director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, discuss the potential of a little-known coronavirus to become a pandemic. The webinar was held a month before the national lockdown, when SARS-CoV-2 had killed just 400 people. The questions they confront: How bad will it get, how dangerous is it, and are we prepared?