EXPERTS ADVISORY
March 11 signifies five years since the World Health Organization proclaimed COVID-19 as a worldwide pandemic. Specialists from the University of Michigan reflect on victories and shortcomings in public health and healthcare; explore ongoing implications for education, commerce, and society; and provide perspectives on our readiness for potential future pandemics.
PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Gregory Eschenauer, a clinical professor at the College of Pharmacy and an infectious diseases clinical expert at Michigan Medicine, acted as a representative for the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists on the National Institutes of Health COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel. He can elaborate on the transformation within pharmacies and the expanded role of pharmacists as healthcare providers during and after the pandemic.
“Like all healthcare professionals, the COVID-19 pandemic was an immensely challenging period for pharmacists. Nevertheless, it showcased the vital and varied roles that pharmacists fulfill in disease treatment and prevention,” he remarked.
“The public is well-familiar with pharmacists in outpatient pharmacies administering vaccinations, and this role became even more crucial once COVID-19 vaccines were introduced. Pharmacists working in clinical environments, such as Michigan Medicine, also engage in research for new therapies to evaluate their safety and effectiveness, manage critical drug shortages, create models for equitable and effective therapy stewardship, analyze data to inform both our internal antimicrobial stewardship program and external guidelines, and, certainly, offer clinical care to patients in both hospital and community settings.”
“Consequently, the service we provided during the pandemic is also a source of pride for many pharmacists, as we could leverage our multifaceted skill set to assist our community and patients in a time of dire need.”
Contact: [email protected] or Kim North Shine, [email protected]
Nancy Fleischer serves as an associate professor in epidemiology at the School of Public Health and co-director of the Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health. She also conducts the Michigan COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study, a collaborative initiative between the School of Public Health and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services aimed to document Michiganders’ experiences with COVID-19.
“One significant insight we’ve gained is that long COVID continues to affect the health and well-being of Michiganders long after their initial COVID-19 infection,” Fleischer stated. “Additionally, COVID-19 vaccination can diminish the risk of developing long COVID, reinforcing the importance of receiving the vaccine annually.”
“We also discovered that some Michiganders faced greater challenges than others regarding the social and economic implications of the pandemic. For instance, Black adults experienced more severe illness and were more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 compared to adults of various racial and ethnic groups. Furthermore, we found that Black adults and those identifying as Middle Eastern or North African were more likely to live in households affected by job loss or reduced work hours compared to other adults in Michigan.”
“This understanding can and should shape our preparedness and response during future public health crises and improve access to healthcare and social resources for communities known to encounter health disparities.”
Contact: [email protected] or Kim North Shine, [email protected]
Adam Lauring is a professor of internal medicine as well as microbiology and immunology at Michigan Medicine, in addition to being a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. He is a co-principal investigator at the Michigan Infectious Disease Genomics Center. Since the onset of the COVID pandemic, his lab has concentrated on the genomic epidemiology of respiratory viruses and the effectiveness of vaccines against these pathogens.
“Recently, I have been reflecting on how during the first year of the pandemic, there was an overwhelming response in clinical, biomedical research, and public health to COVID-19, resulting in the creation of life-saving treatments, protective vaccines, and initiatives aimed at assisting the most at-risk members of our communities,” he expressed. “Regrettably, these achievements now seem like a distant past, as many have shifted away from vaccines, and we are currently witnessing a deterioration of our public health workforce and infrastructure.”
Contact: Kelly Malcom, [email protected]
Sue Anne Bell is a nurse practitioner and an associate professor at the School of Nursing. Her research examines the long-term consequences of disasters and public health emergencies on health, particularly among older adults. She remains actively involved in disaster response through
The National Disaster Medical System of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which encompasses the response to COVID-19.
“The COVID-19 crisis presented unparalleled obstacles to the nursing workforce,” she remarked. “Now, five years later, numerous issues persist, exacerbated by the pandemic. At the onset of the crisis, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) placed nurses—who are frontline healthcare providers—at significant risk for contracting COVID-19.
“Indeed, the International Council of Nurses stated that by October 2020, at least 1,500 nurses globally had succumbed to COVID-19, though many consider this figure to be an understatement. The rapidly evolving care protocols and policies were also a source of anxiety for many nurses, who found it challenging to adapt to new treatment methods while dealing with the discomfort of wearing overwhelming and restrictive PPE.
“Intense workloads coupled with a lack of nursing personnel resulted in perilous conditions for both patients and nurses. These unfavorable working circumstances caused nurses to exit the profession in large numbers, leading to continued nursing shortages even today.
“In spite of these trials, the pandemic underscored the resilience, adaptability, and commitment of nurses globally. Five years on, research continues to progress in support of the nursing workforce, initiatives to enhance working conditions are ongoing, and the nursing profession possesses a more pronounced voice in advocating for both nurses and their patients.”
Contact: [email protected] or Morgan Sherburne, [email protected]
Albert Shih serves as a professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering at the College of Engineering, having spearheaded the production of N95 masks for U-M hospitals during the PPE shortage in 2020 and early 2021. He continues to direct research on flexible manufacturing of innovative PPE designs, including the melt-blown, nonwoven material essential for filtering and eliminating the airborne virus.
“Regarding PPE, we have improved but are not fully equipped for the next pandemic. Innovations in PPE throughout COVID were not commercialized primarily due to the absence of flexible, economical manufacturing for advanced PPE designs,” he explained. “If the U.S. commits to completely sourcing its PPE supply domestically, we could manufacture masks that are more efficacious, comfortable, and biodegradable, thereby enhancing both safety and quality of life for healthcare professionals and lessening environmental impacts.”
Contact: [email protected] or Katherine McAlpine, [email protected]
Laraine Washer holds the position of clinical professor of internal medicine and serves as the medical director of infection control at Michigan Medicine.
“Reflecting on my experiences during the early phase of the COVID pandemic, I first acknowledge and remember the many lives lost and the families disrupted due to the crisis,” she remarked. “I celebrate the resilience and collaboration of our healthcare workers, the commitment of public health professionals who reached out to vulnerable populations with education and vaccines, and the biomedical researchers who swiftly developed lifesaving tests, vaccines, and treatments during the most uncertain times of the pandemic.
“I aspire for us to remember the lessons learned regarding effective health communication, the significance of viral disease monitoring, and fostering vaccine confidence to enhance better health during normal times as well as future outbreaks.”
Contact: Kelly Malcom, [email protected]
Herek Clack is an associate professor in civil and environmental engineering at the College of Engineering and co-founder of Taza Aya, a company creating a device that safeguards users from airborne pathogens by surrounding the face with a curtain of disinfected air.
“Like most individuals, I remember striving to just get through each day. Numerous obligations, responsibilities, and expectations concerning home life, classroom teaching, research, supporting the health care system, and pivoting a startup business,” he stated. “For the initial years, each night’s sleep was disrupted by anxiety and racing thoughts. However, truly, for me, the anniversary of the WHO declaration cannot be detached from the early guidance that prompted the public to adopt practices such as using hand sanitizer and disinfecting store-bought fruits and vegetables.
“While I will take time to commemorate the anniversary of the WHO declaration, I will also reflect on the prevailing confusion concerning transmission pathways and how, for aerosol scientists, it appeared essential to document and analyze every reported localized outbreak in hopes of ensuring the concept of airborne transmission would be acknowledged. In addition to the March 2020 declaration, I will also note the October 2020 recognition from the CDC of the potential for airborne transmission of COVID.”
Contact: [email protected] or Katherine McAlpine, [email protected]
EDUCATION
Elizabeth Birr Moje, the dean and academic at the Marsal Family School of Education, instructs both undergraduate and graduate classes in adolescent and secondary literacy, cultural theories, and research methodologies.
“The dialogue surrounding education is centered on the notion of ‘catching up’ due to the adverse effects of the pandemic on student learning. While it’s accurate that average math and reading proficiency levels have decreased across all demographics, achievement metrics merely provide a partial view of what children are absorbing,” she stated. “More concerning statistics indicate that children’s self-assurance in their capability to engage in math and reading has been undermined during the pandemic period.
“Educators should prioritize a diverse array of learning outcomes to ensure that every student is prepared to tackle the challenges of a new era. In this regard, schools must not revert to rote teaching methods in an effort to ‘catch up.’ Rather, educators ought to rely on evidence regarding the most effective ways of learning. Research indicates that the most effective instruction involves engaging children with real-life queries and challenges, facilitating the development of foundational, critical thinking, and collaborative skills.
“Furthermore, schools must address trauma and mental health issues among students, even while striving to enhance academic skills. Ultimately, instructors will require assistance in navigating rapidly emerging educational technologies and generative AI resources. Teachers need to be trained to enhance children’s abilities in utilizing such tools in daily life, preventing the tools from dictating their actions.
“These—and additional—current circumstances necessitate substantial investments to recruit and retain well-equipped educators capable of addressing the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and meeting the demands of a new era.”
Contact: [email protected] or Bernie DeGroat, [email protected]
Christina Weiland is a faculty member at the Marsal Family School of Education and a professor of social policy as well as the co-director of the Education Policy Initiative at the Ford School of Public Policy. Her areas of expertise include early childhood education and educators, specifically focusing on preschool and kindergarten. She has a keen interest in the essential elements that contribute to children’s progress in effective, large-scale public preschool programs.
“We are still contending with considerable staffing deficits in early education settings. This presents a significant challenge for maintaining quality for educators, and for the families,” she remarked.
Contact: [email protected] or Bernie DeGroat, [email protected]
BUSINESS AND SOCIETY
Jerry Davis holds a professorship in management and sociology at the Ross School of Business, where he additionally occupies the role of faculty director of Business+Impact. He has extensively researched the influence of crises on commerce over the years, examining how businesses have endured and emerged from impactful events such as the Great Recession.
“The COVID pandemic initiated an economywide evaluation of ‘What types of tasks can be executed remotely and which must occur in person?’ and we are currently observing some of the outcomes,” he noted. “In various instances, companies discovered that if a task can be performed remotely, it can equally be done from locations like India or the Philippines, and it can be conducted by remote contractors just as effectively as W2 employees. This will be regarded in the future as a pivotal shift in labor market organization and a significant expansion of gig employment at all sectors of the labor market—from food delivery to telemedicine.”
Contact: [email protected] or Jeff Karoub, [email protected]
Michael Traugott is a research professor emeritus at the Center for Political Studies and professor emeritus in communication studies at the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. His focus lies in analyzing campaigns and elections, voting habits, political communication, the implementation of polls to shape news, and survey methodologies.
“Health behavior, akin to other forms of behavior, has become a divisive issue in our currently polarized climate,” he commented. “Our research has shown that the readiness to get vaccinated against COVID or the speed of vaccination was influenced by partisan affiliations and support for the Trump administration’s policies. Such dependence on political perspectives over scientific understanding carries significant public health implications.”
Contact: [email protected] or Jared Wadley, [email protected]
Information sourced by Jeff Karoub, Kim North Shine, Fernanda Pires, Morgan Sherburne, and Jared Wadley of Michigan News; Jim Lynch and Katherine McAlpine from the College of Engineering; and Kelly Malcom from Michigan Medicine.