Editorials, Opinion Pieces Discuss Various Aspects Of COVID-19 Outbreak, Response
The Lancet: COVID-19: too little, too late?
Editorial Board
“…The evidence surely indicates that political leaders should be moving faster and more aggressively [to address coronavirus]. … National governments have all released guidance for health care professionals, but published advice alone is insufficient. … So far, evidence suggests that the colossal public health efforts of the Chinese government have saved thousands of lives. High-income countries, now facing their own outbreaks, must take reasoned risks and act more decisively. They must abandon their fears of the negative short-term public and economic consequences that may follow from restricting public freedoms as part of more assertive infection control measures” (3/7).
Washington Post: China is using the cover of coronavirus to escalate its repression in Hong Kong
Editorial Board
“The pro-democracy demonstrations that rocked Hong Kong last year have lulled, in part because the city is under partial lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. You’d think Chinese Communist authorities and their hugely unpopular representatives in the city would breathe a sigh of relief and focus on keeping the population healthy. Instead, they chose last week to escalate the repression of opposition leaders. … Hong Kong’s legal system, which was supposed to remain independent via the ‘one country, two systems’ formula under which the former British colony was returned to Chinese sovereignty, no longer can be counted on to uphold the rule of law…” (3/5).
USA Today: Bernie Sanders: We need scientists, not politicians, in charge of the coronavirus response
Bernie Sanders, Senator from Vermont and candidate for the Democratic nomination for president
“…The time has come for Donald Trump to stop playing politics with this deadly virus and put scientists and health experts back in charge. Here is some of what must be done: the Senate must approve and Trump must sign the bipartisan emergency funding passed by the House, and the administration should provide any additional resources needed by state and local agencies on the frontlines of this effort. … If we are to stop the spread of this disease, everybody should get the medical treatment they need regardless of their income. … And once a vaccine is developed, it should be free. … Finally, [the U.S.] must also join every major country on earth and pass paid family and medical leave legislation into law. … Health experts agree that the spread of the coronavirus will likely get worse before it gets better. Donald Trump must stop spreading lies and fear, and leave the science to scientists and health professionals, not politicians. We must make certain that we are prepared for a pandemic, just as we do with FEMA and natural disasters” (3/5).
The Atlantic: The Pattern That Epidemics Always Follow
Karl Taro Greenfeld, author (3/5).
The Atlantic: The coronavirus is exposing the limits of populism
Thomas Wright, director at the Center on the United States and Europe and senior fellow for foreign policy at the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution, and Kurt Campbell, chair and CEO at the Asia Group, LLC (3/4).
The Atlantic: The Official Coronavirus Numbers are Wrong, and Everyone Knows it
Alexis C. Madrigal, staff writer at the Atlantic and author (3/3).
Bloomberg: How Bad Is the Coronavirus? Let’s Run the Numbers
Justin Fox, Bloomberg opinion columnist and author (3/5).
The Conversation: Vaccines without needles — new shelf-stable film could revolutionize how medicines are distributed worldwide
Maria Croyle, professor of pharmaceutics at the University of Texas at Austin (3/4).
Forbes: To Save Lives, Shift Pentagon Spending to Public Health
William Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy and author (3/5).
Foreign Affairs: U.S.-Chinese Distrust Is Inviting Dangerous Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories
Yanzhong Huang, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations and director of CFR’s Global Health Governance Roundtable (3/5).
Foreign Policy: The U.S. Government Is Vulnerable to Virus Chaos
Michael Miller, consultant and adjunct associate professor at the Duke Global Health Institute (3/5).
Fox News: Drs. Amesh Adalja and Jennifer Nuzzo: End coronavirus health care worker quarantines
Amesh A. Adalja, infectious disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, and Jennifer Nuzzo, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (3/5).
Globe and Mail: COVID-19 must be treated as a grave threat to public health and economic well-being
Michael Bociurkiw, global affairs analyst (3/4).
The Hill: A warning for the next pandemic
Liz Schrayer, president and chief executive officer of the United States Global Leadership Coalition (3/5).
JAMA: Priorities for the U.S. Health Community Responding to COVID-19
Amesh A. Adalja, infectious disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, and colleagues (3/3).
Project Syndicate: Stop the Posturing on COVID-19
Arkebe Oqubay, senior minister and special adviser to the prime minister of Ethiopia and distinguished fellow at the Overseas Development Institute (3/5).
Project Syndicate: Preparing Africa for COVID-19
Adaora Okoli, medical doctor who survived the Ebola virus, global health advocate, and Aspen New Voices fellow (3/5).
STAT: Trump’s immigration policies will make the coronavirus pandemic worse
Wendy E. Parmet, professor of law and director of the Center for Health Policy and Law at Northeastern University School of Law and professor of public policy and urban affairs at Northeastern’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs (3/4).
Washington Post: How epidemics have changed the world
Ishaan Tharoor, writer at the Washington Post (3/6).
Washington Post: As coronavirus spreads, the bill for our public health failures is due
Richard E. Besser, president and chief executive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (3/5).
Washington Post: Trump’s latest coronavirus lies have a galling subtext
Greg Sargent, opinion writer at the Washington Post (3/5).
Washington Post: How the populist right is exploiting coronavirus
Fareed Zakaria, columnist at the Washington Post (3/5).
The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.