Ishita Nair’s Brief on Pandemic Preparedness and Response

Doctors working during COVID-19

Nair uses this brief to discuss how health communication has altered pandemic preparedness and response for public health officials. Critical differences during pandemics such as COVID-19, H1N1, and the Spanish flu were driven by technological advancements, improved information dissemination trust in healthcare systems, and available resources for treatment. 

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WHO Report Reveals Life Expectancy Decreases Since COVID-19 Pandemic

population concentration across the globe.

The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed its latest World Health Statistics through May 2024, showing that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a reversal in the upward trend in life expectancy. The organization’s data shows that the pandemic “wiped out nearly a decade of progress in improving life expectancy” within only two years—from 2019 to 2021. Global life expectancy is now at 71.4 years, a decrease of 1.8 years since the start of the pandemic.

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Debra Oyedeji, Curie Park, and Ruin Lei’s Presentation on COVID-19 Knowledge and Behaviors

This cross-sectional study focuses on how the public’s knowledge and behavioral practices differed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a Qualtrics survey that assessed respondents’ experiences and attitudes about COVID-19, the team found that public concern over COVID-19 and future pandemics remains high, and recommends utilizing strong public health initiatives to enhance the government’s pandemic preparedness.

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Sarah Crisci, Shannon Malloy, and Mariami Chitadze’s Study on COVID-19 Experiences and Behaviors

This cross-sectional study looked at how people responded to the pandemic through a survey distributed through Qualtrics that asked a series of questions aimed at assessing people’s experiences and attitudes about COVID-19 and how this may have translated into behavioral differences. The team concluded that interventions to increase and maintain compliance with recommended behaviors to avoid the spread of COVID-19 need to be further researched and prioritized for future pandemics.

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Lizcary Amarante, Jessica Rodriguez, and Kyung-Hwa Ashcraft’s COVID-19 Qualtrics Report

Woman getting tested for COVID-19

This Qualtrics report assesses the impact of COVID-19 using data collected from 35 participants. The report aims to examine the relationship between the participants’ level of education and their experience with the disease, their attitudes towards vaccination, and their perception of individual and governmental responses to the pandemic.

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Impact of COVID-19 on Treatment Availability for Gas Leak Survivors in Bhopal, India

In 1984, Bhopal, India, experienced a poisonous gas leak of methyl isocyanate from the Union Carbide pesticide factory, resulting in the death and injuries of thousands. Many survivors still receive medical care from the Bhopal Memorial Hospital Research Center, which, in 2020, became a COVID-only facility in response to the pandemic. This caused a mass disruption of services for the gas leak survivors, who were forced to find other means of care.

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WHO Europe Implements New COVID-19 Framework

Image of the WHO headquarters building in Geneva

While COVID-19 is no longer classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), it continues to impact global health substantially. To address these effects, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) European division is launching a transition plan to move forward following the pandemic. The framework encompasses a five-year plan that aims to strengthen emergency preparedness, response resilience, and overall safety precautions.

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Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic for the 2024 Presidential Election

Busy street with people wearing masks

A recent article published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) reviews inadequacies and successes from the U.S. government’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights health policy areas in which improvements must be made to promote better health outcomes in the future. The article is a part of BMJ’s collection titled “US covid-19 lessons for future health protection and preparedness.”

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