Learning from our most recent pandemic experience (COVID-19) must provide us with help to handle much better future pandemic threats. First and subsequent responders have a central role in the handling of these potential pandemics.
When these pandemics hits the globe, they affect not only individuals but also communities, nations, as well as personal and contractual relationships. Creating in this way a huge disruption across the world (national health systems, impacting travels, politics, economies, etc., etc.)
Communication and containment measures must be timely and carefully handled by highly experienced & trained teams. There is no space for improvisation here, readiness and preparedness are must for future pandemics. Many groups are working on this worldwide, and guidelines are being developed and will evolve for sure linked to new data generated by the scientific community.
On the human level, pandemics create fear and concern. Fear and concern combined with empowerment generally result in more constructive outcomes than fear with disempowerment.
Global & Local leaders must understand the nature of organizational power and control in social systems. Researchers need to adapt the focus of knowledge generation and responses according to the phase of pandemic cycles.
Public health activities during the post-peak phase of a pandemic aim to address the long-term health and social impacts and to prepare for potential new pandemic waves. Analyzing the range of responses during the pandemic helps to prepare for future pandemic outbreaks.
Large databases created during the pandemic offer tools to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of interventions taken by different countries. Additionally, newly developed vaccines/treatments need ongoing monitoring for short- and long-term effectiveness, adverse effects on patients and efficacy against newly emerging variants.
Responding to a pandemic requires an adaptive style of leadership that adjusts to changing conditions by balancing hierarchies and heterarchies. Human systems function most efficiently and effectively in a scale-free environment, leveraging human capital as the key resource in tackling a ‘wicked problem’ like pandemics. Novel situations have no known solutions to fall back upon and moving forward in time has only a ‘one shot to get it right’ chance. A functional healthcare system relies on robust supply chains. Robust supply chains rely upon healthy individuals. Failure to contain the infection would overwhelm the health care system. Therefore, addressing the interconnected, interrelated, and interdependent scientific and political needs requires leadership and decision-making from local & international levels.
Voluntary responses from all societal sectors better help contain the virus and minimize societal disruptions. Decision-making must be based on current best available knowledge about the nature of the disease and its potential impacts. Effective responses come from a combination of concern and empowerment, enabling adaptability as the pandemic evolves.