Indeed, many Americans who witnessed the declaration of the public health emergency in March 2020 are not here to see its end. Following the end of the public health emergency, Americans will continue living sicker, shorter lives than our counterparts in other high income countries. Societies have choices,16 but political leaders and the public health community in the US have repeatedly behaved as if there were no options—beyond resignation—for addressing our accumulating failures. If the end of the public health emergency does not feel as full of celebratory closure as it should, it may be because many of our “emergency” responses felt like simple decency: covid called for a society that safeguards health. Footnotes Competing interests: Esther Choo is a Senior Advisor for the Wellness Equity Alliance, a company that provides public health extension services.

Source: Washington Post April 26, 2023 11:29 UTC