Words of Wisdom

“Everything we do before a pandemic will seem alarmist. Everything we do after a pandemic will seem inadequate. This is the dilemma we face, but it should not stop us from doing what we can to prepare. We need to reach out to everyone with words that inform, but not inflame. We need to encourage everyone to prepare, but not panic.” — Michael O. Leavitt, 2007

Leavitt is a former Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The quote above is from a pandemic influenza leadership forum. I saw a part of it in the Twitter profile of “COVID19” (@V2019N), and then found the full quote in the Foreword to a book titled “Pandemic Influenza: Emergency Planning and Community Preparedness,” edited by Jeffrey R. Ryan.

These words explain why I felt it necessary to prepare a coronavirus readiness plan for my lab group.