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Biothreat and Pandemic Preparedness in Germany

January 4, 2021 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

In this part of my conversation with Prof. Dr. Manfred Wildner and Dr. Herbert Zöllner in Munich, we are discussing biothreat and pandemic preparedness in Germany. 

Herbert Zöllner, PhD

Dr. Zöllner worked for the World Health Organization from 1971-2002, in a variety of roles. He was Regional Officer for Health Economics at WHO’s Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen and later member of the executive management team in Strategic Planning and Coordination. Continue Reading

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: 9/11, bio threats, chemical weapons, defense mechanisms, emergency preparedness, Germany, nuclear threats, pandemic preparedness, terror threats, WHO

Comparison of Global Pandemics in the Last 100 Years

November 23, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Except for COVID-19, all global pandemics in the last century were caused by influenza viruses. Picture by Shutterstock

As part of my work for NYU’s School of Global Public Health, I have been compiling and comparing key metrics for the most severe global pandemics that occurred in the past 100 years.

I am comparing COVID-19 metrics to seasonal influenza, 1918 Spanish flu, 1957 Asian flu, 1968 Hong Kong flu, and 2009-10 H1N1. There are many similarities and differences that can be observed. Aside from the astonishing speed of vaccine development to combat COVID-19, there are three interesting findings.

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: 1918 Spanish Influenza, 1957 Asian Influenza, 1968 Hong Kong Influenza, 2019-nCoV, biosecurity, biothreats, emergency preparedness, H1N1 2009-10, NYU School of Global Public Health, pandemic preparedness, SARS-CoV-2, seasonal influenza, WHO

Crisis and Disaster Management in Austria

November 1, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Austria’s approach to crisis management is worth studying. It was the first European country to safely open their economy again after the initial COVID-19 outbreak. Picture by Shutterstock

During my internship at New York University’s Department of Public Safety, I had an opportunity to learn about emergency management and preparedness. An interesting fact I came across while looking at how individual countries organize themselves in the field of crisis management, is that Austria, a comparably small country with a population of 8 million, has assisted other countries in every major crisis since 2003. I was curious how this impressive track record was made possible.

My enquiry to the Austrian government was kindly answered with an invitation from Dr. Roman Bayer, who I met in Vienna. Dr. Bayer works for the Federal Ministry of the Interior of the Government of the Republic of Austria.

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Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Austria, biological threats, crisis management, disaster planning, emergency preparedness, government, international disaster relief, pandemics, population protection, SKKM

Webinar: The Resurgent Chemical Weapons Threat

October 15, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Come join a free, live webinar on the resurgent chemical weapons threat on November 17, from 12:00 – 1:30PM EST, hosted by George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. This event is sponsored by the Biodefense Graduate Program.

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: biodefense, chemical weapons, CWC, George Mason University, Schar School of Policy and Government, webinar

The Climate Connection

October 8, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Climate change increases the risk of new epidemics. Picture by Shutterstock/ diy13

I originally created this blog as a way to spread awareness of the importance of public health preparedness, as it was an undervalued and underfunded topic. However, times have changed and public health and emergency management are at the forefront of news and public policy today as a result of COVID-19.

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: biodefense, biological threats, climate change, control measures, coronavirus, COVID-19, emergency preparedness, epidemics, global, international, pandemic preparedness, public health, SARS-CoV-2, WHO

COVID-19 Disaster Plan Templates for Healthcare Organizations

September 30, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Free templates available for COVID-19 disaster plans!

If you are working for a healthcare organization and are looking for a COVID-19 disaster plan, you can now download a template using the link below.

Freely available to any organization, COVID-19 disaster plan templates were created by 30 students from schools across NYU including Medicine, Nursing, Public Service, Social Work and Global Public Health.

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: COVID-19, disaster plans, Dr. Robyn Gershon, emergency management, emergency preparedness, GPH, New York University, NYU, NYU School of Global Public Health, pandemic preparedness, public health

History of Public Health in Germany

September 5, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Prof. Dr. Manfred Wildner, MD, MPH

The history of public health in Germany is inseparably intertwined with German historic events and public figures. I was able to learn about it from two experts in this field: Prof. Dr. Manfred Wildner and his colleague Dr. Herbert Zöllner, who are both based in Munich, Germany.

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Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Cold War, environmental health, GDR, history, infectious disease, Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität, outbreak prevention, Pettenkofer School of Public Health, public health, Robert Koch Institut, Soviet Union, WHO, WWII

Interesting Read on the First Documented Coronavirus Reinfection

August 27, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

COVID-19 reinfections are now documented in several countries.  Picture by Shutterstock/ Lightspring

The first documented Coronavirus reinfection was reported in Hong Kong on August 24th, 2020. Experts say this finding was not unexpected, “especially given the millions of people who have been infected worldwide”. While there have been many presumed cases of reinfection, this case was the first to be confirmed.

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: coronavirus, COVID-19, disease prevention, global health, Hong Kong, infectious disease, outbreak, pandemic, pandemic preparedness, preparedness, public health, SARS-CoV-2

Release of 2019 Country Reports on Terrorism

July 14, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

The Bureau of Counterterrorism’s mission is to promote U.S. national security.

The United States State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism has just released the 2019 Country Reports on Terrorism.

This report on terrorism around the world is released every year and highlights the successes and the continuous threats international and domestic terrorism pose to almost 100 countries.

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: bioterrorism, Bureau of Counterterrorism, counterterrorism, global threats, United States, US State Department

The Hong Kong Government’s Approach to Bioterror and Pandemic Preparedness

June 23, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Hong Kong is well prepared for any kind of biothreat. Picture by Shutterstock

Since the Hong Kong health system is often an important gatekeeper with regard to pandemics, I was interested to find out how the government structures preparedness efforts for both unintentional and intentional biological incidents.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, I spoke to a senior officer who is working for the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). We discussed the Hong Kong Government’s approach to bioterror and public health preparedness.

Continue Reading

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: biological threats, biosafety, bioterrorism, emergency preparedness, Hong Kong SAR, pandemic preparedness, WHO

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    Recent Posts

    Biothreat and Pandemic Preparedness in Germany

    January 4, 2021 By Mia Tellmann

    Comparison of Global Pandemics in the Last 100 Years

    November 23, 2020 By Mia Tellmann

    Crisis and Disaster Management in Austria

    November 1, 2020 By Mia Tellmann

    Webinar: The Resurgent Chemical Weapons Threat

    October 15, 2020 By Mia Tellmann

    The Climate Connection

    October 8, 2020 By Mia Tellmann

    COVID-19 Disaster Plan Templates for Healthcare Organizations

    September 30, 2020 By Mia Tellmann

    Tags

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