Anatomy of a Pandemic: Perspectives for the other Side of the Atlantic

The recent pandemic caused by COVID-19 has had major worldwide repercussions across all levels, in particular in health care and the economy. The US has been has been severely affected and remains the country with the highest recorded number of infections and deaths due to this corona virus. The heterogeneous distribution of cases appears to due to a number of factors: individualized responses across different states, a lack of a coherent federal policy, a lack of preparation, the climate of mis/disinformation and the politicization as a result of it occurring in an election year. Add to that a global worsening of health measures for many Americans including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, smoking among others. On the positive side, the scientific collaboration, the observations of astute clinicians and the continued efforts of the public health sector to re-direct the conversation towards scientific truths have played a good part in the fight against this infection. While there is a concern for the hype associated with incessant reporting of the news, let us try to find a common and safe path to live with this virus while protecting the older population and those at risk. Achieving herd immunity or effective vaccination will go a long way towards a return to a new kind of normality.