Today's Topline - 5/4/20
Monday, May 4, 2020
Source: MedTech Association
Good Monday morning:
Today we begin in earnest a great national experiment: can the US safely begin wide-spread reopening without reversing the gains achieved by enforced lockdowns? Unlike most of the world’s countries, where health decisions are made on a nationwide basis, the US will proceed in fifty different ways. While this unique approach is driven in part by the structural relationship between the states and the federal government, it also reflects a decades-long disinvestment in public health infrastructure.
In his book, The Next Pandemic, Ali Khan, the Dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, offers this perspective: “the time has come for us to move beyond seeing public health as the ax in the display case, where the sign says in case of emergency, break glass.” He notes we need investment in preventive measures to make our communities resilient —and that means viral discovery in the field; vigilant monitoring for spillovers; systems to produce diagnostic tests fast and in great abundance; better surge capacity of health-care providers; smart supply chains for P.P.E. and ventilators, and coordinated plans for moving them from one jurisdiction to another; coordinated planning among cities, states, provinces, nations, and international agencies for containing infectious disaster; public education to stiffen willingness to endure social distancing and quarantine monitoring; better public-health leadership and reliable funding cycles; and, most critically, the political will to risk paying for preparedness that might not be needed.
In the coming weeks, MedTech will launch Propelling New York Forward, a series of conversations with business, government, and academic leaders about the bio/med industry’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and how we begin to reopen New York’s economy and the innovation. You won’t want to miss this lively, valuable, and compelling series. Watch for more news in your email in-box soon.
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As always, don’t hesitate to contact us with your specific questions and concerns. Regular updates can be found at our website, which is refreshed daily.