Covid-19 — Twelve lessons so far…
Liverpool’s Director of Public Health Matt Ashton started his new role during the Coronavirus pandemic.
As autumn begins and the schools go back, he sets out 12 lessons he’s learnt during the last few months…
As we enter September and start preparing for whatever the remainder of 2020 throws at us, here are my reflections so far on responding to the Covid-19 pandemic:
1. Learning — With a new virus there has been a considerable amount of learning in the first eight months and there will be more to come. We have to learn from both the art and the science as it develops and make sure that we respond accordingly.
2. National vs local leadership at all levels is required — Local areas have shown they have the knowledge of their communities and their areas and the ability to respond quickly and effectively but this is not a case of either/or, national and local need to be working closely together at all times.
3. Data and intelligence — These are vital to understand the spread of the virus and the risk to health. Data must be shared with the people who need to have it and who can act upon it quickly and effectively. Be clear on key metrics, and data blindness isn’t helpful either.
4. Protect the vulnerable at all costs — Have bubbles of protection around the elderly, those with long-term conditions, those with physical and mental health disabilities, and wider disadvantaged groups. Be clear that it is everyone’s job to protect the vulnerable.
5. Communities — Work with and through our amazing communities to actually make a difference. People trust local people, not faceless national organisations.
6. Consistency of approach — Do what you say, and say what you do. Make it easy for people to understand the “what” and the “why”. Build the response with the people who matter — the people!
7. Communication and public engagement — Strong innovative multi-modal communications approaches are a must with a heavy dose of behavioural insight. Twitter is good, but it’s not that good and it’s not the only show in town.
8. Challenge the false narrative — The rise of false pandemic narrative is damaging and dangerous. Don’t play nicely here, call out the false truths. Debate is fine, but deception is not.
9. Capacity and funding — Invest proportionately in the areas that need the resources to deliver. This includes local authority public health teams and local communities. Audit return on investment nationally and ensure funding programmes don’t compete with each other.
10. Leadership — It’s essential that all our leaders (me included) act with honesty, integrity, and transparency to build and maintain trust. This is one of the biggest public health challenges in 100 years, we can’t afford leadership failings.
11. Sustainability of effort — We’re living with Covid not getting over Covid, this is going to be with us for some time yet. We need to support each other and look after each other, including taking rest when possible.
12. Learning and change — When this “bullsh*t virus” is over as the great man Jurgen Klopp said, we need to fully reflect on what parts of the response worked, what didn’t, what we want our society to look like in the future, and what we want to change.
