The
COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we know it—and it may have
changed us individually as well. But this coming year, if the
vaccines drive down infections and variants are kept at bay, life
could return to some form of “normal.” At this point, what did we
learn from the past two years?
Life Lesson #1: CHOICE
On June 1, 2020. I wrote:
“Pause & consider your life choices
Pause & consider our shared humanity
Then act in ways to reduce suffering in the world”
During the second year, it was evident that continuing to wear
masks or to avoid crowds challenged people - especially in
communities without mandates. Many people became “tired of”
considering our shared humanity. They wanted to “get back to
normal” and it was clear that their choices were the result of
an inner decision about what to value… during the continuing
pandemic.
Fundamentally, every person, even
during a pandemic, can make
a choice. Even
if our existence is temporarily
restricted by public health
measures, our attitude
towards them is totally our
choice. Compliance
or noncompliance with public
health measures – whether you live in a community with mandates or
not – is still a choice.
So … Why wear a mask? Why avoid crowds?
Why get a vaccine?
- I do it because I want to help prevent the spread of the
virus so fewer people suffer.
- I don’t because I want to protect my freedoms so that I
can do what I want.
We have both potentialities within us; which one is acted upon
depends on what we choose to value, … during a pandemic.
We
learned that even under social, political or religious pressure -
during a pandemic, and even
with
or without
mandates we
have
a choice.
We know
the “why” and we
choose
to bear the “how.”
Life Lesson
#2:
TRUST!
During
a pandemic, rapid behavioral change is crucial, so people cannot be
told
“this
is just a flu”
or
“it’s a hoax.”
They need clear information if they are to take the crisis seriously
enough to listen and then
know
how to act.
Former
US president Donald Trump admitted to downplaying
the risks of the pandemic
to “reduce
panic”.
He
didn’t trust us to act responsibly and we didn’t trust him
because he lied.
While
he
is to be commended
for listening to public health officials and enacting the national
shutdown, he
then went on to discredit them publicly and
engaged
in behaviors totally opposite to those health officials were
recommending –
basically sending
the message, “Don’t
trust the doctors.”
The
idea that the public is incapable of dealing effectively with the
unpleasant truth and
uncertainty of a novel virus stymied
our
pandemic
management. A
president and politicians,
who
also downplayed
negative or complicated facts, led
people to take unnecessary risks. In their desire to control the
message they
created political
theater.
They
abdicated
their leadership roles at precisely the time people needed
trustworthy
leaders.  |
| InsightBright |
- Politicians
that underestimate and
mistrust people
focus on what the public cannot
do.
- Politicians
that
communicate
self-efficacy, focus on
what
people
can
do to help themselves and their fellow citizens.
Current
research
confirms
this:
“a
major focus during the current and future pandemics should be on
providing clear
information about protective behavior
and formulating guidelines that facilitate a sense of self-efficacy
in the public.”
Multitudes
of Americans
choose
to listen
to and
trust
our
public health
authorities for
medical guidance,
not
the politicians.
We
know
what to do and how to do it – we
are
self-efficient.
 |
| yahoo.com |
Life Lesson #3 REMEMBER!
After two years of the COVID-19
Pandemic we are already
hearing calls to “forget about the pandemic,
it’s over.” While
going back to a pre-pandemic “normal” may be appealing, history
shows it could have harmful implications both for this pandemic—and
the next one.
The
strong desire to forget
the pandemic translates
to a lack of commemoration.
While
a
million people in
our country have died from this virus, there
have
been only
a
few temporary memorials to honor the victims.
We lost so many people in this pandemic. For the millions
of people who have lost loved
ones, as well as health workers on the front lines fighting the
disease, the psychological fallout is
devastating. … how could we ever just “forget about
it?”
Our
fates, especially
during a pandemic, are
bound together. We are not self-sufficient and independent; we are
interconnected.
Taking care of others is taking care of ourselves. Rather
than “forget
about it, it’s over”
- we
need to redouble our efforts to provide care and resources. We
need to remember those who have suffered and died and reflect
on what worked and what did not.
 |
| abcnews.go.com |
The
strong desire to forget
the pandemic translates to a lack of change.
Over
a century ago, following the 1918 Flu Pandemic, Congress
introduced a Flu, or Anti-Flu, Bill, in
1919 which
would have appropriated roughly $5
million
for the investigation of the epidemic, with an eye to preventing
future outbreaks.
By
1920, the amount was lowered
to $250,000
as politicians objected to sending more funds to the U.S. Public
Health Service.
Ultimately, NO
appropriation was made. The
opportunity to
enact
meaningful public health changes in the wake of the 1918 Flu pandemic
was lost.
We
don’t want to repeat that history! Already
public health professionals have outlined lessons learned and plans to improve our ability to respond
robustly
to
the next pandemic. We
must fund
and enact
meaningful public health changes.  |
| quotefancy.com |
REMEMBER!
The
one lesson our
country did
learn from the 1918
Flu Pandemic
is
the importance of
record-keeping.
There is very little historical record or archival information from
the
1918
pandemic.
Historian
Nancy Bristow, who wrote the
book
“American
Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic,”
had to sift through primary accounts from journals and newspaper
headlines in
order to write her book.
However,
from
the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, libraries, historical societies, and local organizations began working to
collect any and all records. In
addition to statistical records, medical
research records, transcripts
of government briefings,
and news reports; records
also
include
individual testimonies, blogs,
journals as
well as interviews with grocery store workers, volunteer COVID-19
testers, virtual learners,
and “everyday”
citizens.
Collecting
records will
be
useful for making policies in the future to
help our country cope
with the inevitable next pandemic. This lesson
must include the “human element” - how
and why people acted they way they did.
Remembering
what
happened during this pandemic is
the one thing we must do so
that future generations don’t repeat
our mistakes and suffer the needless
loss
of loved ones.
 |
| muschhealth.org |
My Pandemic Archive
What I was reading –
Annotated list of the 15 pandemic-related books I read during the
first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Google Docs)
What I was thinking
– Links to 3
pandemic-related
blog posts I wrote during the first two years of the COVID-19
pandemic. (Blogspot)
What I was sharing – Link to a photo album of my pandemic-related Facebook posts (screenshots) posted during the first two years of
the COVID-19 pandemic. (Google Photos) 
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