Biden and Harris meet with their COVID-19 advisers nearly on Nov. 9. AP Picture/Carolyn Kaster

A change in administration in January will convey a brand new pandemic technique for the US. President-elect Joe Biden has introduced his transition COVID-19 advisory council, and there are excessive expectations that its suggestions to fight the pandemic might be backed by science and mirror public well being finest practices.

As an infectious illness epidemiologist, I’m trying ahead to research-based steering on the federal degree that I hope will assist get the coronavirus beneath management.

The US is at the moment experiencing a significant enhance in COVID-19 instances, with over 1 million new instances logged in simply the primary 10 days of November. Over 240,000 individuals with COVID-19 have died within the U.S. thus far. The Trump administration’s ways of pretending this upsurge just isn’t occurring, dismissing the advantages of mask-wearing and bodily distancing and blaming will increase in case counts on elevated testing should not viable strategies to manage the pandemic.

The US has 4.4% of the world’s inhabitants and 20% of the COVID-19 instances. Clearly, the U.S. has not completed an satisfactory job of controlling the pandemic inside its shores. A change in administration and coronavirus-fighting technique will hopefully assist the U.S. change course.

Consultants on the helm mirror the US

Biden’s advisory board is headed by three eminently certified co-chairs: the previous director of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, David Kessler; former Surgeon Normal Vivek Murthy; and researcher-scientist Marcella Nunez-Smith, an knowledgeable in well being fairness points.

The opposite committee members are all skilled public well being consultants and physicians with years of expertise in combating infectious illnesses; amongst them are Michael Osterholm from the College of Minnesota’s Heart for Infectious Illness Analysis and Coverage and Atul Gawande, famous writer and doctor at Harvard Medical Faculty.

Not solely do these job power members convey a excessive degree of experience to the desk, however the group itself mirrors the nation – there are 5 ladies and 9 individuals of shade among the many 13 members. This gender and racial/ethnic range will probably end in higher decision-making and lend larger credence to the duty power’s selections and suggestions.

The demographic range of the duty power is especially essential as a result of many communities of shade mistrust the federal government and its dealing with of the coronavirus. Sadly, these are the identical communities which can be being affected probably the most by the pandemic, with excessive charges of an infection, hospitalization and dying in contrast with non-Hispanic whites. Cultural competence might be essential to convey messages that each one Individuals will imagine and cling to.

Planning now to hit the bottom working Jan. 20

Priorities for the duty power have been set, and so they learn like a public well being knowledgeable’s want checklist. High considerations embody:

Managing the surge in instances that has effects on a lot of the U.S.

Defending at-risk populations.

Rising the manufacturing of PPE, together with N95 masks.

Rising availability of testing.

Working with governors and mayors on masks mandates.

These are all issues that haven’t but been handled adequately, contributing to the present surge in instances nationwide.

One other prime precedence is equitable distribution of an efficient, secure and free COVID-19 vaccine as soon as available. A vaccine might be essential to guard individuals and obtain herd immunity. Growing a sensible plan now, primarily based on these pointers, is totally mandatory for the success of an eventual vaccine rollout.

There’s already good preliminary information about an efficient vaccine, however the logistics of distributing future vaccines are formidable. The Pfizer vaccine have to be transported and saved at an ultralow temperature, one thing by no means beforehand tried. Document protecting for a two-dose vaccine might be a nightmare. Reaching rural populations and people with out common entry to well being care might be tough. Planning for efficient vaccine distribution should start now.

President-elect Biden is already taking steering from his COVID-19 advisers.

AP Picture/Carolyn Kaster

A cohesive message, from the highest

I anticipate that the steering popping out of Biden’s job power will symbolize the perfect identified science. The committee will hold abreast of recent scientific findings and revise messages to mirror rising info. Biden’s communications might be constant along with his job power’s suggestions, which, by slicing confusion, ought to result in higher public compliance with prevention suggestions.

I additionally anticipate the Biden administration’s COVID-19 advisory board will work with the CDC to develop constant pointers for state and native well being departments to comply with. Most public well being efforts occur on the state and native ranges. Whereas not each well being division will absolutely embrace all suggestions, a unified nationwide technique will enhance on the whack-a-mole method seen thus far as instances pop up in a single space of the nation after which one other. States and municipalities don’t exist in a vacuum, and neighborhood transmission in a single space can have an effect on different jurisdictions.

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Pandemic fatigue is actual – everybody’s bored with this pandemic, and we wish our lives to get again to regular. Sadly, the virus doesn’t care, and the U.S. is in for a tough winter. SARS-CoV-2 continues to be on the market, and it’s an infectious, typically lethal virus. The brand new Biden administration might be taking on the reins throughout a public well being catastrophe in January. However I’m optimistic that whereas the COVID-19 job power can have its arms full, it has the individuals and instruments essential to get the coronavirus beneath management.

Catherine Lynne Troisi doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or organisation that may profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.