May 13 - Pandemics - Questions

[deholz]

Questions for Suzet McKinney, inspired by the week's readings/movie:

1. The film “Contagion” (2011) (available on Box).
2. Visualize the History of Pandemics.
3. CDC Community Mitigation Guidance
4. Biodefense in Crisis by the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense

Questions: Every week students will post one question here of less than 150 words, addressed to our speaker by Wednesday @ midnight, the day immediately prior to our class session. These questions may take up the same angle as developed further in your weekly memo. By 2pm Thursday, each student will up-vote (“thumbs up”) what they think are the five most interesting questions for that session. Some of the top voted questions will be asked by students to the speakers during class.

[brettkatz]

Do you think there are any policies or measures that can be implemented to prepare for an increased adherence to disinformation during a pandemic? As with the previous administration, as well as with other populist leaders around the world, such as Jair Bolsonaro who is still pushing hydroxychloroquine, do you think there are significant ways to prepare for large segments of the population turning to misinformation and conspiracy theories out of fear?

[madisonchoi]

The Covid-19 pandemic has uncovered the reality that nations worldwide have severely insufficient policies and measures in place to combat pandemics. What do you think the key takeaways are from this pandemic in terms of how governments ought to prepare moving into the future? What are the most crucial systems to put in place such that we have sufficient preventative and reactive policy for the next pandemic (which is statistically bound to happen again at some point in the future)? In addition, on a separate note, Covid happens to be a particularly “perfect” virus because it is highly infectious but not on average fatal for its host. What do you think accounts for this? While I don’t believe in conspiracies, I am curious whether in your opinion there is a chance that Covid could have been man-made?

[bdelnegro]

Can existential threats (such as environmental devastation) exacerbate the risk, reach, and consequences of pandemics? In particular, it appears that the same marginalized communities are consistently and disproportionately affected by each existential crisis. For instance, in the case of COVID-19, scientists at Harvard University found that people living in places with poor air quality were more likely to die from the virus. Given this information, can a government response to pandemics be considered adequate if it does not address “threat multipliers” like climate change?

[madelman99]

Compared to the risk of human-engineered pathogens being unleashed on the population, I am comparatively unconcerned with "natural" pandemics such as Covid-19. In the past, the scientific community has struggled with lab containment, and furthermore, it is unclear which pathogens are being experimented on and where. History has shown the ease with which deadly diseases can be created completely by accident, much less on purpose (see article on deadly mouse virus created in Australia). Currently, no global governing body exists to oversee the experimentation, containment, and regulation of deadly diseases. What steps, if any, can be taken to curb this existential danger and how incipient is the threat?

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/23/world/australians-create-a-deadly-mouse-virus.html

[AlexandraN1]

Given recent disputes on whether the patents for the Covid vaccinations should be waived or not - what is your view on the patenting of vital vaccines?

Given the increase in the existential threat posed by engineered pandemics - how do you believe the pharma industry will maintain its profit incentives, while ensuring that vaccines are maximally available? Are there measures we can take in advance to keep both incentives and access alive?

[sosuna22]

After reading the infographic and corresponding article "Visualizing the History of Pandemics" written by Nicolas Lepan, I am deeply saddened to about the amount of lives lost, especially those that could have been saved. At the same time, I am wondering where this information is coming from. How can we produce accurate death counts for plagues that occurred over a thousand years ago, if we are still very unsure about COVID-19 deaths? Yes, there is a leading "accurate" number but many speculations give very different death counts.

[shanekim23]

As we have struggled through this pandemic, there are a couple important factors that can be highlighted. While the vaccine rollout has been quicker in the U.S.A. than most other countries, Trump's administration had received a lot of backlash about how they dealt with the outbreak initially. It seems that a quicker, more alerting response would have been necessary at the time; after all it is undeniable that people initially overlooked the seriousness of COVID-19. Do you attribute this lackluster response solely to political motivations? Or are there other implications?

[seankoons]

How do you think we can change our preparation for pandemics like COVID-19 in the future? Is there a way of using people who specialize in existential risk and using their knowledge in coming up with immediate responses and medical preparations? Can those people know if there will be another pandemic in our lifetime and whether it will be better or worse than the pandemic we are currently in?

[ydeng117]

What role should the government play when a pandemic is detected? Should the government have more regulatory power to enforce nonpharmaceutical interventions? Do you think our current democratic system is too liberal when dealing with a pandemic?

[fdioum]

Do you think after everything that happened with Covid-19, people, especially policy makers, are ready to work our country's Biodefense system?

[jatkins21]

What subtle, underrated, or extraneous factors do you think contributed to the United States' overall mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic? Was it cultural, political, media-fueled, etc.?

[mesber1]

How can the government effectively respond to a citizenry that politicizes the safety measures enforced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus? (Such as the politicization of wearing masks, which some consider to be an infringement on their individual freedom)

[TimGranzow7]

Both the Biodefense in Crisis and Community Mitigation Guidelines readings make abundantly clear one of the central messages of the Contagion (2011) film, which is while there are several aspects viral pandemics that are random and cannot be accounted or prepared for, such as where the virus will originate, how quickly it will spread (R0), and who will be most vulnerable to infection, there are MANY aspects which can be controlled and prepared for. Pre-emptive measures such as halting crowded, in-person events, closing schools, and building up PPE, supply, and vaccine stocks can all be taken far in advance of pandemics, and the US’s distance from the more likely countries of origin only increases the time to prepare. What then are the roadblocks to effective preparation and pre-pandemic planning, socially and politically? Epidemics are not a new phenomenon, what is stopping us from learning from past mistakes?

[vtnightingale]

The documents we read for this week seems to suggest that the need for developing and instituting safety measures against a pandemic have been discussed for several years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, even over a decade ago. But, obviously, the US response - particularly initially - was disorganized, decentralized, and I don't think I'm exaggerating, a failure. Why do you believe this was the case? Is this a consequence of the Trump Administration, a consequence of a Republican administration, or a consequence of the US political system?

[louisjlevin]

From a medical standpoint, what do you envision our 'new-normal' looking like? How will (or should) our relationship to health, doctors, animals, and one another change?

[jasonshepp6]

After watching Contagion again this week after having watched it for the first time in March 2020, I was curious to ask: How likely is it that a disease like in Contagion will come (in terms of both transmissibility and deadliness)?

[benindeglia]

One thing that stood out to me is the difference in magnitude of both cases and duration from the United States compared to other countries around the world. Where did we fail, and what actions did other nations take that should be considered the new best response to pandemics?

[Junker24]

One thing that stood out to me in the movie Contagion was the similarity of that of our current Pandemic. Do you think there there could have been preventative efforts put in place to prevent COVID-19?

[blakekushner]

Preventative medicine is often talked about, so what preventative measures or steps can be taken to prevent another pandemic from arising? Furthermore, should companies, institutions, and countries be obligated to share information or research regarding proprietary findings that may help to manage or ameliorate a pandemic situation?

[LucLampietti]

Given how much time has passed since the Justinian Plague or the Black Death and the lack of fine-tuned historical data, how does one go about estimating the death toll of these pandemics? For example, I know that mass reductions in human population (e.g. following European arrivals in the Americas or following Mongol expansion out of Central Asia) are typically correlated with reductions in atmospheric CO2 levels and other environmental parameters. Related to COVID-19, do you believe the death toll is being misrepresented in any way and if so how?

[janet-clare]

Covid-19 has had a direct effect on our use of and attitudes toward healthcare facilities, from major hospitals to drugstore clinics, and from procedure protocols to hand sanitizer stations. Adjustments and adaptations were made to address this pandemic. What further reaching change do you see in our medical facilities? What should we expect? What do you feel would be most impactful?

[a-bosko]

In the CDC Community Mitigation Guidance, the authors state that the recommendations that were created come from lessons learned from responses to the H1N1 pandemic. Some of these recommendations include staying home, covering coughs and sneezes, and washing hands often.

Even though the government and society had so many tools to prepare for the next pandemic, we failed to contain the COVID-19 virus quick enough. There are a total of 3.2 million deaths and counting. With this in mind, how can we put enough pressure on the government, policy, and society to prevent so many unnecessary deaths in future pandemics?

[ZeyangPan]

According to the first figure of the "Visualize the History of Pandemics", it seems to me that the occurring frequency of deadly pandemics is not affected by the improvement of technology. I was surprised that so many deadly pandemics are still appearing even though the medical treatment level has a significant leap in the last hundred years. My question is that what should we do to reduce the probability of having deadly pandemics in the future?

[stellaslorer]

There is a comparison that I hear being drawn frequently today––that wearing a mask is the liberal equivalent to a MAGA hat. What are your thoughts on the political polarization that now grips the handling of public health? How do you navigate situations where it feels like scientific facts (like 80% of hospitalized Covid-19 patients were obese) are not being shared because they do not fit a certain political narrative?

[EmaanMohsin]

Recently Bill Gates reversed his position on opposing the lifting of COVID vaccine patent protections. However, members of the GOP have said that waiving patent protections might lead to countries like Russia and China to undermine U.S. vaccine manufacturing. Additionally, EU leaders like Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel believe that patent waivers may incline the U.S. to not focus on delivering more vaccines to countries who need them. What do you believe should be the proper course of action in terms of the U.S. dealing with patent protections and COVID vaccines?

[abertodano]

Who, if anyone, is working on bioweapons right now? Would there be an appreciable risk of use by major actors despite the possibility of backfiring, and is there an appreciable risk of a terror group developing them?

[elijahrain28]

A bit of a simple question, here, but... are there moral arguments for sticking to patent protections and preventing other countries from producing the vaccine? Maybe I've barely dipped my toe here, but I look at the sort of argument that Bill Gates is making and, well. It seems a little morally bankrupt.

[c-krantz]

Given how politically divided the United States had become over President Trump’s first three years as president, it was no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic became the most polarizing political issue in the country. The negative effects of this are clearly illustrated in the ‘Biodefense in Crisis Report’. With this said, what would be the most effective way of preventing something like this from occurring in the future if another pandemic occurs? Also, do you believe that there is too much power in the hands of the president in these situations?

[ghost]

One of the things that has been asked repeatedly as vaccinations ramp up and more Americans are now better protected from COVID-19 is "when will things be back to normal?" I would ask, can we ever really return to the way life was pre-pandemic? Or are we going to witness the creation of a new normal? I'm thinking about if we will ever reach herd immunity as well as how even the issue of not having to wear masks outside once vaccinated has turned into a dilemma, with people not wanting to be seen as anti-science or something similar by not wearing one.

[omarh4]

How will the heavy use of antibiotics and antimicrobial sanitizers during the Covid-19 pandemic impact the emergence of drug-resistant superbugs? Do we have any last resort antibiotics in reserve in the instance of a pandemic from a multidrug resistant pathogen?

[panunbali]

This is not necessarily directly related to pandemics, but is more a question about vaccines, but how do we expect the breakthrough in MRNA technology for vaccines (because of COVID vaccine research) to affect vaccination protocols and how we deal with future pandemics?

[smichel11]

How can different public health systems (both in different states and countries) work together? COVID-19 probably won't be the last pandemic humanity faces, so how can we better prepare to work together across the world so that we are more prepared to stop the spread and find solutions?

[slrothschild]

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision to mandate masks seemed somewhat indecisive from the CDC even though their own policy speaks about the effectiveness of masks in stopping the spread of respiratory born illness. How do you think this lack of decisiveness played into the spread of misinformation regarding masks, and why did this decision reach a halt?

[cdrovetsky]

Do you think, having had to struggle through this pandemic, that we have truly “learned our lesson” so to speak? Will we actually be better prepared for a future pandemic, or is our cultural attitude towards just wanting to “get back to normal” preventing us from taking this existential threat as seriously as we should?

[jcrary711]

Is is possible to prevent the next pandemic before it happens? While it seems that identifying and stopping the spread of an emerging disease would be a viable option, this did not prevent covid-19 from spreading world wide. Is there a different method that could potentially be more effective?

[nobro011235]

What do you think of gain-of-function virus research? Many think that it holds the key to prepared vaccine production and saving lives before the next pandemic occurs. However, many others hold that it has the potential to produce the next virus that attacks humanity inadvertently. If you think it should not exist, what are policy measures you believe should be taken to resolve this issue?

[aj-wu]

The costs to humans of human encroachment on wildlife habitats is increasingly apparent, as evidenced by the increasing prevalence of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 and other ecological disasters, such as wildfires at urban-wildland interfaces. How can we reconcile these threats with our growing resource needs as a population, especially in developing countries?

[chakrabortya]

What role should local governments play in preventing businesses from creating conditions that facilitate pandemics?

[vitosmolyak]

After looking at the infographic outlining all of the pandemics that have happened in history, it seems pretty clear that to this point in history pandemics have been inevitable. However, with exponentially increasing medical knowledge and technological advancements, would it ever be possible to stop pandemics from happening? If so, what steps does humanity have to take way into the future to stop certain diseases from ravaging the world?

[ishaanpatel2022]

In your opinion, does globalization help or hurt pandemics? One positive I can think of regarding globalization is that, with the interconnectedness of the world, information surrounding diseases is extremely fluid, leading to better and faster understanding of pathogens. Moreover, global collaboration should theoretically allow solutions like vaccines to be created more quickly than ever before. On the other hand, because our world is so global, high-density congregation in economic powerhouses (cities) is essential and global travel has become a part of everyday life. Those two factors of globalization would theoretically increase the spread of pathogens. Therefore, do you think there is a definitive answer, or does globalization effect pandemics in different ways?

[BuffDawg]

Now that we have the manufacturing systems in place, could it theoretically be possible to shut down any potential for future pandemics if we are able to get emergency approval from the FDA and have advance mRNA research sufficiently?

[bbroner]

Do you think that the number and effect of pandemics will get worse as the world moves towards urbanization? What technological advances would need to be made to prevent urbanization's detrimental effects on pandemics.

[chasedenholm]

In the readings this week we were made more aware of the potential of bioweapons and bio warfare. How are policy makers and the military preparing for this threat? What kind of monitoring system do we currently have in place? Which agent or chemical do you think would be present in the majority of bio weapons?

[smshiffrin]

How does fear and emotion related to pandemic influence humanity's reaction to it? Can fear be helpful in combating a pandemic, or does it just create more panic and thus divide and conflict?

[nataliamedina1202]

In reading the CDC's guidelines for preventing pandemics in 2017, I recognized many of the measures we are told to strictly follow now with COVID-19 (wear masks, wash hands, self-isolate, social distance, etc). Because these guidelines have been largely ignored until the wake of the pandemic, though, I wonder what you think the future will look like, with the common-cold for example? Will things ever go 'back to normal' or will we, from here on out, always be much stricter with health measures and guidelines?

[laszler]

What precautions (if any) do you envision will remain in place after the end of the pandemic? Do you think mandatory masks on public transportation or for food service workers, for example, are here to stay? Alternatively, do you think there are any measures that are unlikely to stay in place, but definitely should?

[meghanlong]

What lasting impacts- positive and negative- will the pandemic have on the American healthcare system? On society's preparedness to deal with a potential future pandemic?

[Samcorey1234]

What would it take for Americans to collectively act quickly during a pandemic in order to protect one another and sacrifice a certain degree of freedom?

[atzavala]

The movie Contagion was disturbingly accurate to how many things unfolded during the COVID-19 pandemic. This film seemed to perfectly convey the worse case scenario I personally visualized when it began to unfold in March 2020. Although this country was not as prepared to face this challenge as it could have been, what existing preparations for a national crisis played a role in maintaining order during the first 6 months of this outbreak? What do you feel played a role in keeping global panic from the extremes we saw in the film?

[jrgill-coder]

How can solutions to climate change and the risk of future pandemics complement one another and how might they hinder one another?