Is COVID Going Away?
COVID is likely to remain a perennial presence that can flare in certain areas and communities, and it has shown that our health systems have their priorities in the wrong places.
COVID, as we're seeing with the new variants, is likely going to be around for a long time as a perennial sprout — something that may flare in certain areas and communities. It has also shown us that our health systems have their priorities in the wrong places. The more we can learn from the pandemic about how to re-prioritize health and disease prevention, the less likely those flare-ups will be.
Why Does Prevention Matter So Much?
Governments worried about a pandemic like this for years, yet containment and prevention largely failed, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Governments around the world have been rightfully worried about a pandemic like this for years, and when we actually faced COVID, we largely failed when it came to containment and prevention. The old adage — an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure — applies to our healthcare system now more than ever.
What Is the Difference Between Reactive and Preventive Medicine?
Our healthcare system has been more reactive than preventive. For example, a diabetes diagnosis often leads to insulin, rather than regular blood sugar checks years earlier that catch warning signs.
Our healthcare system has been more reactive than preventive. For example, if you're diagnosed with diabetes, a doctor will often prescribe insulin rather than, years beforehand, checking your blood sugar regularly enough to catch and treat any warning signs with diet, exercise, supplements, and even medication.
What Does Prevention Actually Require?
It requires each of us learning more about our own health, so we can recognize when we need help and put ourselves in the best position for good health.
Embracing a narrative of prevention can save more than money and suffering — it can save lives. That also means each of us learning more about our own health and well-being, so we can better recognize when we need help and put ourselves in the best possible position for good health.
Who Is Most at Risk When a Pandemic Spreads?
People living with chronic health conditions are most at risk.
Unfortunately, when a pandemic like COVID sweeps through, those living with chronic health conditions are most at risk. That reality shines a bright light on how much we need to retool our health system — not just to respond better to any future pandemic, but to help people find a genuine safety net of prevention.