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A change of administration in January will bring a new pandemic strategy for the United States. President-elect Joe Biden has announced his COVID-19 transition advisory council, and there are high expectations that his recommendations to combat the pandemic will be backed by science and reflect best public health practices.
As an infectious disease epidemiologist, I look forward to receiving guidance based on research at the federal level that I hope will help control the coronavirus.
The United States is currently experiencing a major increase in COVID-19 cases, with more than 1 million new cases registered in the first 10 days of November alone. To date, more than 240,000 people with COVID-19 have died in the U.S. The Trump administration’s tactics of pretending this increase is not happening, dismissing the benefits of wearing masks and physical distancing and blaming the increases in case increased test counts are not viable methods to control the pandemic.
The United States has 4.4% of the world’s population and 20% of COVID-19 cases. Clearly, the United States has not done an adequate job controlling the pandemic off its shores. A change in the administration and strategy to fight the coronavirus is expected to help the United States change course.
Experts at the helm mirror America.
Biden’s advisory council is headed by three eminently qualified co-chairs: former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, David Kessler; former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy; and the researcher-scientist Marcella Nunez-Smith, an expert on health equity issues.
The other members of the committee are all public health experts and physicians with years of experience fighting infectious diseases; They include Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy and Atul Gawande, a noted author and physician at Harvard Medical School.
These task force members not only bring a high level of expertise to the table, but the group itself reflects the country: There are five women and nine people of color among the 13 members. This gender and racial / ethnic diversity will likely result in better decision-making and will give greater credibility to the decisions and recommendations of the task force.
The demographic diversity of the task force is particularly important because many communities of color distrust the government and its handling of the coronavirus. Unfortunately, these are the same communities that are most affected by the pandemic, with high rates of infection, hospitalization, and death compared to non-Hispanic whites. Cultural competence will be necessary to convey messages that all Americans will believe and fulfill.
Now planning to go live on January 20
Priorities have been set for the task force and read like a public health expert’s wish list. The main concerns include:
- Managing the Increase in Cases Affecting Most of the U.S.
- Protection of populations at risk.
- Increase the manufacture of PPE, including N95 masks.
- Greater availability of evidence.
- Work with governors and mayors on mask mandates.
These are all issues that have yet to be adequately addressed, contributing to the current increase in cases nationwide.
Another top priority is the equitable distribution of a free, safe, and effective COVID-19 vaccine once it is available. A vaccine will be essential to protect people and achieve herd immunity. Developing a realistic plan now, based on these guidelines, is absolutely necessary for the success of an eventual vaccine launch.
There is already good preliminary news about an effective vaccine, but the logistics for distributing future vaccines are formidable. Pfizer vaccine must be transported and stored at an ultra-low temperature, something that has never been attempted before. Keeping track of a two-dose vaccine will be a nightmare. It will be difficult to reach rural populations and those without regular access to health care. Planning for effective vaccine distribution must begin now.
AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster
A consistent message, from above
I anticipate that the guidance emanating from Biden’s task force will represent the best-known science. The committee will keep abreast of new scientific findings and will review messages to reflect emerging information. Biden’s communications will be consistent with his task force’s recommendations, which, by reducing confusion, should lead to better public compliance with prevention recommendations.
I also hope that the Biden administration’s COVID-19 advisory board will work with the CDC to develop consistent guidelines for state and local health departments to follow. Most public health efforts are conducted at the state and local level. While not all health departments will fully accept all recommendations, a unified national strategy will enhance the whack-a-mole approach seen to date as cases emerge in one area of the country and then another. States and municipalities do not exist in a vacuum, and community transmission in one area can affect other jurisdictions.
[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]Pandemic fatigue is real – everyone is tired of this pandemic and we want our lives to get back to normal. Unfortunately, the virus doesn’t care, and the United States faces a harsh winter. SARS-CoV-2 still exists and is an infectious, sometimes fatal virus. The new Biden administration will take over the reins during a public health disaster in January. But I am optimistic that while the COVID-19 task force will have its hands full, it has the people and tools necessary to control the coronavirus.
