Public Health PreparednessTwo Decades After 9/11: What We’ve Learned About Public Health Preparedness and Leadership
In the United States, 743,452 “excess” (potentially preventable) deaths occurred from COVID-19 between February 2020 and September 4th, 2021, according to the CDC National Center for Health Statistics. This figure exceeds the number of excess deaths that occurred during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic, which was caused by an even deadlier virus.
September 11th, 2001 is a date the United States will never forget. Following this tragedy, there were calls to improve our national security against “physical” attacks and amend preparedness plans. Now, in 2021, two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation finds itself in a comparable situation with a call for greater biosecurity and health care preparedness. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) held a virtual event, “Two Decades After 9/11: What We’ve Learned About Public Health Preparedness and Leadership” that discussed these two calls-to-action.
The first session was a keynote address by Dr. Philip Zelikow, former Executive Director of the 9/11 Commission, who provided his unique insight on the preparedness of the United States for both 9/11 and COVID-19. Dr. Zelikow recalled the events of 9/11 and his role as the director of the 9/11 Commission. He stated, “[the] best learning comes from rigorous investigation.” He envisions a COVID-19 commission tasked with assessing how the United States responded, and identifying what can be improved in future responses.
As a nation, this is not our first pandemic. In the United States alone, 743,452 “excess” (potentially preventable) deaths occurred from COVID-19 between February 2020 and September 4th, 2021, according to the CDC National Center for Health Statistics. Dr. Zelikow stated this figure exceeds the number of excess deaths that occurred during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic, which was caused by an even deadlier virus. Amid our medical and technological advancements, Dr. Zelikow noted that, “our net outcomes are comparable to 100+ years ago!” He also notes that this may be, in part, due to the science being ahead of our ability to apply it in practice. Even so, our science was able to produce a vaccine faster than ever before, yet we are still “losing” to this virus.
