The great coronavirus pandemic of 2020: 7 critical lessons

The paper develops seven lessons to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic. The world is experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, causing untold human suffering and death, unraveling of social relationships, and robbing individuals of livelihoods and countries of prosperity. The coronavirus pandemic has strained health systems, revealed unconscionable inequalities, and upended international institutions. The seven lessons include:

1. Build resilient health systems;
2. Leadership and public trust are the single greatest indicator of success;
3. Defend the integrity of science and public health agencies;
4. Invest in biomedical research and development;
5. Focus on equity: The prevailing narrative of this age;
6. Adopt evidence-based laws: Safeguard the rule of law;
7. Fund and support robust global institutions: We are in this together.