Studying Patterns of Pandemics: Preparing for the Future of Public Health

March 2020 is a month we all know too well; it marked the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. The globe was blanketed with a fog of paranoia and isolation, families were glued to news stations, and hospitals were flooded with patients. 2020 was the year the world stood still. However, amidst the eerie silence and deprivation, COVID-19 has affected the future of public health as we know it. 

Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic in 2020, COVID-19 has altered and affected many public health services in different magnitudes. Due to its expansive nature, the effects of COVID have caused ripples at the regional, national, and global levels. At the regional level, questions of humanitarian access rise to the surface. As seen in the COVID pandemic, rural areas and developing countries were affected most, with disparities in the accessibility of basic necessities, like vaccines. These economic dynamics are expected to continue according to the National Library of Medicine. However, the support for these countries challenged by accessibility and outreach is expected to grow through regional efforts such as region-based Public Health Networks, Training Programs, rapid response teams (RRTs), and other NGOs to help with improving access to vaccinations, screening, education, counseling, and treatment. 

At the national level, it is predicted that a more responsive healthcare system will arise to support effective responses to health-related emergencies. According to the National Library of Medicine, it is further believed that countries and nations will develop holistic preparedness plans for public health crises through increased investments in public health infrastructure. These predictions are based on observations of the effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on healthcare systems in certain countries. Additionally, COVID-19 demonstrated a collapse in public health services, as many hospitals were overwhelmed, services were strained due to an influx of patients, and there was a lack of healthcare workers. In the future, it is predicted that more efforts and research initiatives will be developed to update the National Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan to prevent collapses like this from happening. Furthermore, it is believed that public health education will increase, as the COVID-19 pandemic inspired public health in younger generations according to the Council for Public Health Education. 

At the global level, the COVID-19 pandemic might lead to improving the World Health Organization’s approaches, mechanisms, and support systems, such as the International Health Regulations in the face of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Furthermore, due to its isolating nature, the COVID-19 pandemic led to many mental crises and almost led to a mental illness pandemic of sorts as described by the Mental Health America organization. It is predicted that COVID-19 will continue to have a lasting impact on mental health and will lead to an increase in mental health services. Furthermore, public health laboratories are expected to expand and become surveillance-based environments to monitor the spread of diseases/viruses. These laboratories are then expected to participate in global cooperation initiatives and agreements amongst countries to improve the sharing of information and to recognize early warning of similar crises. 

Public health will never be the same as it was pre-COVID. New health priorities, approaches, and new agendas have risen to global platforms and initiatives. The influx in research, technological growth, adaptability, innovation, and normalization of public health and social measures that were seen during the COVID-19 pandemic are paving the way for the future of public health as we know it today.