The need for a disaster readiness mindset: A key lesson from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

The history of humanity includes narratives of how we have faced and overcome challenges and difficulties, both natural and human made, both large and small.1,2 In parallel to a racial pandemic,3 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has also been linked to social inequality in its many forms and is another test of humanity’s resolve.4 Despite the depth of knowledge and experience with challenges that humanity has accumulated over time, the showcase of incompetence in response to COVID-19 is profoundly concerning.5 From the chronic and consistent shortage of medical supplies to the moral crossroad of deciding who should be given a ventilator,6 the lack of disaster readiness has effectively caused health organizations and government agencies to regress into institutions of despair. Worldwide, the lack of adequate response and emergency management in governments amid COVID-19 has upended the lives and livelihoods of individuals, has all but destroyed gross domestic products (GDPs), and has created avoidable vulnerabilities and ‘ground zeroes’ across continents.5 Despite the bleak situation, incompetence in the face of any disaster is not a permanent trait; instead, a more transient position improves with preemptive thinking and well-thought disaster preparation, such as a disaster readiness mindset. Ultimately, the disaster readiness mindset entails the following: (1) the foresight to develop a comprehensive disaster readiness plan that can help individuals and governments better cope with disasters cost-effectively; (2) the ability to locate and secure critical resources before a disaster that are needed for the society to survive and possibly thrive despite the adverse effects of the potentially catastrophic events; and (3) the agility, mobility, and flexibility required to execute the plan and deliver optimal results in an evolving situation.