Better Safe Than Sorry: National Post

COVID-19 spreads rapidly, posing a threat to the vulnerable including the elderly and those with chronic conditions. Sten Vermund, dean of Yale School of Public Health, urges aggressive measures for a virus that is overwhelming hospitals and health care providers. The new coronavirus emerged in November 2019 and quickly spread around the world. Until more data is collected, communities should apply strong measures, including social distancing, slowed economic activity and isolation. Vermund compares the reported infection rate of COVID-19, more than 30 percent, to that of the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. Countries that applied early testing, contact tracing and lockdown measures for COVID-19 with social distancing and mask requirements, slowed the spread and report lower infection rates. “What we don’t know is whether implementing a model whereby isolating the elderly and the vulnerable, while letting the less vulnerable go back to work, is an effective solution,” he said. He compared refusal to practice tough measures to families who choose to remain in their homes during a raging wildfire. Vermund encourages tough national strategies to protect health care systems. – YaleGlobal