Post by Sysop3 on Mar 5, 2020 2:43:30 GMT -5
What to do -- right now
Though the critical time and opportunity to nip this epidemic in the bud is now lost, there are a few steps the administration should take right now to limit the spread.
First, it should appoint a public health official with trust, training and experience in public health to oversee the response.
Second, the mere $2.5 billion the administration has requested is too little, too late -- and should not come at the expense of other public health priorities.
The public health official overseeing this response should have the trust of the administration to request funding as needed to deal with the full scope of the response.
Third, much of that funding should be deployed to state and local health departments, that are the front line of the response.
Fourth, those local leaders need to be included in the decision-making and handling of this response, as their on-the-ground insights and feedback will be critical to salvaging this response.
Fifth, American resources should support control efforts abroad as well as at home.
The presence of coronavirus anywhere is a threat to public health everywhere in our globalized world.
Sixth, investment in both vaccination and treatment research is critical right now and all effort should be made to impel action on the part of the pharmaceutical industry.
www.cnn.com/2020/03/04/opinions/coronavirus-local-public-health-challenges-el-sayed/index.html
Alpha 
