There is a wind in the air. An intense yearning for collective amnesia from COVID-19 and all the upheaval it has brought in its wake, including the deaths by the thousands of our elderly, isolated and alone parents, lockdowns and curfews, the wearing mask and incentive vaccination.
A comedian is going to bury COVID-19 in his next show to get it over with. This humorous exercise will possibly offer a moment of collective Covid catharsis, a necessary group therapy. All of this is welcome, but it remains vital not to bury with all our bad memories of COVID-19 the lessons that we must learn from it.
I allow myself to repeat it: we must not commit the double fault which is that of not having been prepared and, moreover, of not learning from our mistakes in a second step.
In fact, there are a few findings that repeatedly emerge from countries that have had a lower case fatality rate.1. For example, countries that have been able to instil trust among citizens in their leaders and among citizens themselves have done better. In other words, a modicum of social cohesion helps the overall response. This trust stems from two primary aspects: transparent risk communication by authorities and community engagement.
Our authorities have everything to gain by communicating what they know, what they don’t know and what they would like to know frankly. As surprising as it may seem, it creates trust because it is a posture of humility and transparency. Therefore, when in doubt, in the face of an emerging virus, the precautionary principle should be put forward. This means doing a little more initially, as our knowledge advances on the subject.
We cannot say it enough, community engagement is key, whether it is for Ebola, cholera or COVID-19. Outbreaks/epidemics start and end in communities. The buy-in and ownership of communities affected by health measures are key to reducing the spread. A finding repeated in more than fifteen commissions and international reports.
But before we turn the page completely on COVID-19, here is my last message: if we want to do better collectively in the management of the next pandemic, it is imperative that we create a global ecosystem where the tools of countermeasures (rapid diagnostics, treatments and vaccines) to fight an epidemic/pandemic are equitably accessible. This means common goods and not private goods.
All must have timely access to these for maximum impact on the health of affected individuals and populations. And not once the epidemic peak has passed.
To date, only one-third of populations in low-income countries have received a dose of vaccine2. Meanwhile, we have surplus vaccines that are expiring all over the planet. It is clear that, given the evolution of the pandemic, many low-income countries have moved on to other health priorities. It’s all about timing.
Currently, as sustained negotiations on a pandemic treaty unfold among member states of the World Health Assembly, Canada must have the political courage to carry this message and not be intimidated by the private sector. who believes that the ideation of a common good kills innovation. The principle of solidarity should be the Canadian motto in these talks, because for everyone to be healthier, each of us must be healthier. The same goes for our health security.