Three years ago, exactly around this time, I came home from work at another Chicago newsroom and crouched, like everyone else worried as the number of COVID-19 cases increased here and around the world. country. Groceries were delivered, plans canceled, social gatherings turned into Zoom calls.
Today, most of us go on with our normal lives again, with the risk of COVID infection lurking, like the flu. Maybe we still have a test kit or two in the medicine cabinet, just in case.
Marking the three-year anniversary of the pandemic, especially with the federal public health emergency coming to an end on May 11, made me reflect on the past 36 months, what has changed in healthcare and what’s next.
We started wearing masks to help protect us from COVID-19, but those things have been politicized. Casual conversations with friends and family can lead to disagreements, and mask wearing regulations are challenged in court. Those discussions were tame compared to the heated discussions about vaccines. Healthcare leaders and some Politicians have come together to urge people to take precautions. I wonder what the plan is now—when more states make face masks mandatory in healthcare settings—and later, when new variations emerge and additional boosters are discovered. develop.
There is also the issue of behavioral health. The mental health struggles of children and adults during the pandemic have not only removed the stigmas that still exist in this healthcare business, but have also improved treatment options. like telehealth. That is the positive side. The other side is like any market with opportunity: The bad guys race into space, intent on pocketing themselves rather than helping patients. Let’s hope the new transparency about the need for more behavioral health options and the current federal moves to curb abuses serve as a warning to scammers. profiteering.
And finally, the pandemic has brought a harsh and overdue attention to how many communities of color are underserved when it comes to access to and health care options. A number of organisations, hospitals, healthcare companies and community groups have stepped up to address disparities. That is really encouraging. However, given the tight financial situation of some of those players, will those good intentions be ignored? I hope not.
Those are my three thoughts. What’s on your list?
