To take stock of lessons learned from COVID-19 around the world and in the United States, the Forum on Microbial Threats held two virtual workshops during 2021. The first workshop focused on what it means to frame the response to COVID-19 through a "syndemic" approach, and what the implications would be for global recovery. The second workshop focused more broadly on key lessons and emerging data from ongoing pandemic response efforts that can be incorporated into current health systems to improve resilience and preparedness for future outbreaks. This workshop explored the long-term effects of COVID-19 on health equity, including considerations for mental health and social determinants of health. It also addressed uncertainties during a pandemic, such as trust, communication, and engagement and explored approaches to systematize recovery efforts to improve the ongoing responses and prepare for the next pandemic. Experts discussed possibilities for a post-pandemic world and a response strategy for stakeholders that ensures sustained community partnerships and prioritization of health equity. This Proceedings of a Workshop summarizes the presentations and discussions from the second workshop.

Contents

• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• COMMITTEE ON TOWARD A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD: LESSONS FROM COVID-19 FOR NOW AND THE FUTURE
• FORUM ON MICROBIAL THREATS
• Reviewers
• Acknowledgments
• Acronyms and Abbreviations
• 1. Introduction
  • BACKGROUND
  • LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE
• 2. Potential Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 on Health Equity
  • PANDEMIC INEQUALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES
  • MEASURING MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
  • DISEASE MECHANISMS OF LONG COVID-19
  • DISCUSSION
• 3. Addressing Uncertainties in Pandemic Communication
  • TRUST AND ENGAGEMENT
  • UNDERSTANDING MISINFORMATION
• 4. Systematizing Recovery Efforts to Mitigate the Next Pandemic
  • COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
  • AVAILABLE TOOLS FOR RECOVERY AND FUTURE CAPACITY BUILDING
• 5. Strategies for a Post-COVID World
  • VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE
  • STRATEGIC PLANNING
  • CLOSING REMARKS
• REFERENCES
• Appendix A. Workshop Statement of Task
• Appendix B. Workshop Agenda
• Appendix C. Speaker Biographies
• Appendix D. Table of Strategic Actions from Group One
• Appendix E. Table of Strategic Actions from Group Two

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Toward a post-pandemic world: Lessons from COVID-19 for now and the future: Proceedings of a workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26556.

Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/26556

This publication is available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

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