Suddenly, The Shine Is Off Herd Immunity
In This Issue
Expectations Are Changing With New Thinking Returning To Pre-Pandemic Normal Life No Longer An Option Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, epidemiologists and other scientists have proposed different thresholds as target levels we should aim for to achieve herd immunity. The notion being put forth was that once this level of immunity was reached, everyone in the population would be protected because the virus would be unable to find enough susceptibles to spread any further. Thus, as described in a recent 2 article by Malia Jones, “the phrase Slate ‘herd immunity’ has become our utopia—a promised land where we can
live life as it was before the pandemic.” Not Clear Cut Now many observers are examining the concept of herd immunity more closely and coming to the conclusion that the concept is not as clear cut or simple as has been portrayed by many science spokespersons in the media. Even the threshold levels have changed. These were initially thought - Herd con't on page 2
WHO Independent Panel Diagnoses 13 Key Failings In Pandemic Preparedness And Response To COVID-19 An independent panel of experts from around the world convened by the World Health Organization released its findings in May 2021.
In reviewing the events of the pandemic, the panel identified 13 key failings at critical points in time as the outbreak and the response to it led to a full-blown outbreak. Had different actions or decisions been taken, the experts believe, significantly less morbidity and mortality would have occurred or would not be still occurring.
In blunt language, the panel calls the pandemic a “preventable disaster” and says the world quickly needs a new international system for pandemic preparedness and response.
- WHO cont'd on page 3 May 2021
-5WHO Panel Formulates Pandemic Recs
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Volume Forty Two •
Number Five
-7Wastewater Epi Commonplace During COVID Pandemic -8Near Term Epi Calendar -12Notes on People 50 Greatest Leaders -14Marketplace