https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/11/opinions/prevent-pandemic-economically-opinion-ruger/index.html
The United States does not seem to have had a detailed, large-scale plan for pandemic response approaching 2020, or at least not one that was implemented in the face of COVID-19. There are numerous possible reasons for this, not least of which the fact that President Trump chose to dissolve the US pandemic response team, nested under the National Security Council, in 2018. However, this CNN article argues that preparing for a future pandemic (which, given the increasing prevalence of emerging diseases throughout the world, is likely a matter of when, rather than if) is not only crucial to prevent the crippling of our healthcare infrastructure that we are seeing now in places such as New York City, but would also yield significant economic benefits. The World Bank estimates that the development of a timely, holistic, empowered pandemic preparedness system would cost roughly 3.4 billion dollars annually, but reap an annual return of 37 billion dollars. The math is clear -- we must start preparing now for the next pandemic.
2 comments:
I agree, we should of had more measure in place to combat such pandemic, and I also agree that we should be ready for the next one. I'm not sure that it would happen though, even at this state. I just don't see the US taking measure that they don't immediately have to.
I agree with the idea of prior preparation to create a system that is always ready to curb any threat to the lives of the citizens. Preparedness reduces the cost during an epidemic and the degree of damage. The United States is the first in rank with the most sophisticated preparedness system not just in the health sector but security too. Therefore, this places the country in a spotlight in terms of how it deals with pandemics. The World Bank emphasized the benefits a country would gain from an aggregated, convenient, and accredited health system. Coronavirus presents the need to be more prepared in the future against any attack on our health and safety. Otherwise, the cycle will always be the same.
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