March marked five years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. In collaboration with WAER News, infectious disease experts shared insights on lessons learned and New York's preparedness for future pandemics.
Most of us remember COVID closing off the world in mid-March of 2020. Dr. Stephen Thomas, an infectious disease specialist at SUNY Upstate Medical University, recalled the COVID-19 pandemic emerging far earlier.
"It actually began in the last day of December, when reports were coming out of China of clusters of severe pneumonia. That is what started getting us very concerned," he remembered. Among his chief concerns was to protect his research team. "[We] started purchasing personal protective equipment, masks, gowns, gloves, etc. in January and February."
A month later and two states away, Dr. Jim McDonald was driving to his office at the Rhode Island Department of Health. He called his wife thinking he would only be there an hour or two, not imaging the new normal that would begin that day.
"I didn't get home till 10:00 that night, and that's what changed right then and there! In 2020, I worked every day except Christmas. Really not so much working from home, but living at work.”
McDonald, now New York's health commissioner, noted that while other states had a "glide path" into the pandemic, New York faced unique challenges during COVID-19.
“New York pandemic is unlike any other pandemic in the United States because in New York, the pandemic hit a large volume of people all at once," said McDonald.
Since then, New York has made significant strides in pandemic preparedness, including stockpiling personal protective equipment in hospitals and having expanded rapid testing access. Wastewater surveillance systems also now cover 85% of the state, providing early detection of outbreaks.
Thomas emphasized the importance of the wastewater surveillance system, "[It] figures out the genetic fingerprints of whatever is in the sample, so we can get early notification of Covid and flu and other things out there.”
Still, federal funding cuts remain a concern. McDonald warned that reduced investment could hinder stockpiling vaccines and hiring personnel quickly during crises.
When asked whether she believes New York is prepared to face another pandemic, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said the state is in a better position than most.
"We are responsible for some of the most state-of-the-art, critical care and rapid response, and so I think we are better prepared," Gillibrand said optimistically.
However, she does have her doubts about how the next pandemic will be handled on a national level.
"I'm very concerned about the avian flu. I think the fact that Trump is not using best practices in dealing with the avian flu, he's not willing to cull groups of birds that have been exposed and animals that have been exposed," warned Gillibrand. "What that allows is the virus to mutate, so he is making it worse."
While no widespread human to human infections have been reported yet, experts are closely monitoring developments.
"Right now, we’re tracking cases closely. If the virus mutates to spread more easily among people, we need to be ready with testing, treatment, and public health messaging," Thomas said.
He highlighted PCR testing as a game-changer for vaccine development.
"We can be vigilant about H5N1, look for mutations, identify them quickly, and assess their impact," said Thomas. "We didn't have that technology readily available for us back when COVID was an issue. I think it's important to know that although messenger RNA vaccines may be new to people, they probably are the vaccines of the future."
Public health officials agree that combating misinformation will be critical in future outbreaks.
"The biggest thing is for people to be informed and for people to identify a couple of trusted sources of information," Thomas said.
As New York continues preparing for future threats like avian flu or another COVID variant, experts stress that readiness requires ongoing investment and public cooperation.
The CDC advises New Yorkers to get annual flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, follow hygiene practces, and stay informed on pulic health guidance. For updates on public health initiatives, visit https://www.cdc.gov/.
