Transcript of video
As a prominent epidemiologist, you have studied influenza transmission for a long time. Now, of course, you are at the forefront of the COVID-19 Coronavirus, spread. The control efforts. What would you like to see being done or perhaps changed in response to? Dr. Anton Titov, MD. What would you like to see to be done differently or to change in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic? It shows us that we need to take pandemic planning much more seriously. Maybe we need to think more carefully about stockpiling essential equipment and essential supplies, for example, having stockpiles of ventilators, stockpiles of essential medications, stockpiles of protective equipment for healthcare workers, because we don’t need it in most years. But then if we need it in an emergency, we are going to look to where we can get it from. What we are finding now is we have to rush around To find places that can change the factories, so they can produce ventilators or can produce surgical mass or other things. If we have had a stockpile, then we wouldn’t be in the same situation we’d have a little bit more time to ramp up the hospital’s capacity to deal with patients with Corona virus. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. You know, it would be in a better position if we had that preparation. Dr. Benjamin Cowling. I guess that is one thing that will change in the coming years because we know that we will have more pandemics for influenza for sure. Maybe we also will have pandemics of other pathogens like this new Coronavirus. This has come out of the blue. Well, I must say that I’m quite surprised that those preparations for excess capacity,. The spare capacity have not been made because all this was predicted it was even popularized in fiction. Dr. Benjamin Cowling. Then Hollywood movies. Dr. Benjamin Cowling. We are certainly as a society we tolerate significant excess capacity in Military, for example. Medical second opinion is important. There is a business model example of how that did not happen in healthcare. Dr. Anton Titov, MD. You know. That is quite puzzling. But healthcare is a profit-making industry, right as a business in the US. Medical second opinion is important. There is no reason for businesses to make excess capacity that they don’t need from year to year, because that is a loss on their profit margin, whereas for the military is nationalized. Medical second opinion is important. Dr. Benjamin Cowling. I’m not suggesting to nationalize health care in the US. That is a very controversial topic. But certainly,. The government in the US can think about how to prepare for the next pandemic, in terms of how to get excess capacity, how to encourage hospitals, to have some plan, at least to make excess space available and how to have a national stockpile of equipment there is in the US a national stockpile of some medical equipment. Still, it doesn’t include everything that is needed. It is not going to last for that long, is it is going to Last a little bit of time. But then ideally, you’d have an even bigger stockpile, I guess, in the future. Well, as they say, profit is private. Costs are usually public. And,. The military is a huge business even though it is under the control of government sometimes, or most of the time in certain countries. But that with the profits of the healthcare industry. They should have been squirreled away for the days like that and there is another lesson to learn for there for us all pregnancy calling. Thank you very much for this interesting conversation we might revert to you in the future as the situation develops. In the meantime, we will appreciate your time and explaining to us what’s happening with Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic right now. Dr. Benjamin Cowling. I hope you have a successful day in Hong Kong. stay healthy and safe from the current Coronavirus. Thank you very much! Good to talk to you. Bye.