The Contagion Next Time

     I think that during the pandemic most of us wanted it to be over already or at least morph into something more manageable, something we could get an annual vaccine against and then ignore.  Sandro Galea, author of The Contagion Next Time, warns us against this brand of magical thinking. Our nation and world were tragically unprepared for COVID-19. Unless we take drastic action we will be just as tragically unprepared for the next pandemic which could be even worse. 

     "As the twentieth century was characterized by the threat of mass conflict, the twenty-firstr is increasingly characterized by the threat of mass contagion, driven by our modern connectivity and the reservoirs of poor health we allow to exist. The shock of Covid-19 was amplified by our willful ignorance of this risk. The pandemic revealed just how vulnerable we have always been, and how vulnerable we will remain unless we learn its lessons."

     One of the lessons is our misallocation of money spent on health. The focus is on cure rather than prevention. One way we could invest in prevention is improving the conditions in which people live, widening access to clean air and water, safe housing, nourishing food. And there's this thing of climate change which exacerbates inequities. 

     Another is that we can no longer be complacent with a society where racial and social injustice create areas of serious deprivation. Health can't be dependent on to whom your were born. It has to be a public good. 

     And there are plenty of other well thought out lessons. 

     Basically Galea is calling for restructuring our country and 🌎 for the common good, potentially limiting the scope and tragedy of future contagions...

     ...and helping us all be less vulnerable to the more ordinary health challenges of being human. 

On a purrrsonal note, Eugene and I had our weekly breakfast at Governors. I had strawberry rhubarb pie with a generous scoop of French vanilla ice cream. Perfect blend of sweet and tart. 

A great big shout out goes out to the most excellent Governors staff.

Jules Hathaway 

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