Lessons Learnt from COVID-19: How Can We Prepare for Another Pandemic?

Abstract

Five months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. death toll from the virus has now surpassed 100,000 people [1]. Many more cases remain nationwide, while an unknown number of patients currently harbor the virus asymptomatically. While health officials are now optimistic regarding the decline in prevalence and number of deaths due to COVID-19 and the possibility of a vaccine by the fall, we cannot lose sight of the bigger picture: the next pandemic. In the last century, the world has seen its fair share of outbreaks, including polio, HIV/AIDS, and the previous two coronavirus outbreaks, SARS and MERS [2]. What we have learned is that pandemics don’t work on schedules – and the next one could be right around the corner [3].