coronavirus Archives - Gordian Knot

Interesting Read on Preparations For Future Pandemics

February 20, 2021 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Disaster management will be crucial in future pandemics. Picture by Shutterstock

This Wall Street Journal article was written by Tom Frieden, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2009 to 2017. While COVID-19 preoccupies us at the moment, it is crucial to begin thinking about the next inevitable pandemics. Dr. Frieden explains that in the years after COVID-19, it is likely that another infectious disease, possibly a similar pneumonia-like illness, suddenly emerges. Will we be ready?

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.

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 24^th, 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.

New Bioterrorism and Biowarfare Threats Resulting from COVID-19

May 12, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

The devastation of the world economy by the coronavirus crisis might inspire potential terrorists. Picture by Shutterstock

As the coronavirus spreads around the world, we can only now see the destructive path it has taken and the devastating effects the virus has on economies and lives alike. The damage of the coronavirus has been “quick and enormous – much greater than 9/11 – and worldwide”, with the virus destroying “economies, governments, and technical infrastructures of the world’s most advanced economies”[1].

Summer Workshop: Pandemics, Bioterrorism, and Global Health Security

April 17, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Update: This year’s summer workshop on Pandemics, Bioterrorism, and Global Health Security was cancelled. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Schar School of Policy and Government of George Mason University has cancelled all on-campus events through mid-August.

The Race to a Vaccine

April 5, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Scientists in a high security lab. Picture by Shutterstock

While social distancing is the best way to slow the spread of Coronavirus and flatten the curve of infections to make sure that hospitals are not overwhelmed, to return to full normalcy, we need to discover, test, and administer a vaccine in large quantities. The good news is that there are currently 35 companies racing to create a vaccine and at least 52 vaccine programs underway.

Setting Priorities: Coronavirus Preparedness in the US

February 29, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

How can the coronavirus outbreak be mitigated? Picture by Shutterstock

The US seems behind in its efforts to contain the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. Learnings from other countries, in particular Italy and Germany, indicate that infections have already spread widely in communities and can no longer be traced and controlled. These countries are ahead of the curve and there is no reason to believe that developments in the US will not follow this same path. Continue Reading

The Difficulty of Predicting the Coronavirus Trajectory

February 17, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

How fast will the new coronavirus spread? Biostatisticians are trying to predict its pattern. Picture by Shutterstock.

There is currently a debate about the trajectory of the new coronavirus disease, now named COVID-19. Different models are predicting different outcomes and numbers provided by Chinese authorities seem to indicate a steep increase in cases. Continue Reading

Interesting Read on the Challenges of a Centralized System when Combatting an Epidemic

February 10, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

Centralized or decentralized – which government system is more efficient at outbreak control? Picture by Shutterstock

While the numbers of infections and deaths from the novel coronavirus are accelerating and the peak of the crisis is projected to still be a few weeks away (1), the question of whether China’s centralized governmental system has been helping or hurting outbreak control remains. Continue Reading

WHO Declares Global Health Emergency

January 30, 2020 by Mia Tellmann Leave a Comment

WHO declares Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Picture by Shutterstock

The continuous spread of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) led the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency today. WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the main reason for the declaration “is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries”. Ghebreyesus made sure to praise the measures and the ways in which Chinese authorities are controlling this outbreak. Continue Reading