Dr. Penny Chan on the pandemic: one year in! How are we doing? And have we learned anything?

By: Dr. Penny Chan

We are now one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and for most of us around the world, our lives have changed dramatically.

We are wondering whether things will ever be “the same again” or how they will be different? Have we learned anything? Could/should we have handled it differently?

Of course, in retrospect (knowing what we now know), we could and would have done things differently.

Such analyses are useful, not for recriminations, but essential to see what we have learned and how to do things differently next time. Unfortunately, it is almost certain there will be another pandemic!

In a series of blogs, I will examine weaknesses in some of the critical aspects of our system — such as communications, vaccines acquisition and roll-out, the processes of decision making for controls being implemented, and other weaknesses in the health care system and suggest how we can make changes to help prevent or prepare and improve the response to the next pandemic.

Stay tuned for COVID-19 related blogs.

Dr. Penny Chan is a retired immunologist and member of our Spadina — Fort York riding.