Dr. Jeff Bland’s latest article is a must-read for anyone thinking about how we can learn from our experience with this pandemic and shape our world for the better. Dr. Bland eloquently explains how, when we realize that COVID-19 isn’t a random event that happened to us all, we can start to identify what we have the opportunity to harness going forward that will change how we experience and respond to pandemics in the future.
In concise terms, he outlines:
1. Pandemics, redefined
2. Public health, redefined
3. Prevention, redefined
4. Reimbursement for Medical Services, redefined
5. Planetary health, a new awareness.
Some of our favorite quotes:
“Could compromised immune resilience be a public health crisis that is not yet adequately measured or tracked in a way that encourages individuals to engage deeply and personally with this critical biological system?”
“Is there a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic? Are people now asking more questions about climate change, pollution, our reliance on ultra-processed foods, our sedentary lifestyles, our excessive alcohol intake, our use of medications and drugs, and our stress — SO MUCH STRESS — from being over-scheduled and dependent on smart-devices?”
“How will COVID-19 result in a new awareness of planetary health? What is a worldwide pandemic if not a “grand challenge”? Spaceship Earth keeps spinning. On its beautiful surface, many of us are still in quarantine, awaiting humanity’s next chapter. Let’s write it collectively. Let’s get it right. We’re in this together.”
https://medium.com/@jeffreyblandphd/post-covid-5-changes-we-will-see-in-health-care-ef8cbb96f39b