Writer's Voice: CRISIS AVERTED, Caitlin Rivers on the Hidden Science of Fighting Outbreaks

Epidemiologist Caitlin Rivers tells Host Francesca Rheannon about public health challenges, funding gaps, and the “panic and neglect” cycle that threatens our preparedness for future outbreaks.

Episode Summary

In this insightful interview, Caitlin Rivers, epidemiologist and author of Crisis Averted: The Hidden Science of Fighting Outbreaks, discusses the complexities and triumphs of public health. She explores critical themes, from the eradication of smallpox to the lingering risks of pandemics and epidemics.

Rivers highlights key concepts like the “panic and neglect” cycle and the importance of continuous investment in public health infrastructure. Additionally, she addresses ongoing concerns such as the persistence of smallpox in labs, new threats like H5N1, and the delicate balance between individual autonomy and public health mandates.

Host’s Note:

We are less than a week away from the most consequential election in US history. A lot is at stake, including the fate of basic freedoms and democratic rights. But one huge matter of life and death has gone largely ignored: the fate of our public health system.

Everything from access to clean water, life-saving vaccines, reproductive and maternal health, tackling the climate emergency (and so much more) is on the ballot — but few voters know that.

That’s because public health — the infrastructure that keeps us safe and healthy — is the invisible half of our health care system. We only think about it when we are in danger, like during a pandemic, not when we are well.

“Public health is something of an invisible shield. It protects our health but is woven into our everyday lives in a way that does not often surface.” — Caitlin Rivers

The choices made for President and Congress in this election will determine whether we can meet challenges by strengthening our public health system — or whether we will fail because that public health system has been utterly dismantled.

The American Public Health Association has published a terrifying description of what would happen if Donald Trump is able to put Project 2025 into action. It was created by the most extreme members of his previous administration and clearly understood to be the plan for his next (Trump just announced that he would appoint the head of Project 2025 “on Day One.”) It’s so extreme, it’s difficult to believe.

But we don’t have to speculate about the future impact of another Trump administration. Donald Trump already has a track record on public health, with his epic failures in responding to the Covid pandemic. He claimed the virus would go away “like magic.” He told Americans to drink bleach and take horse tranquilizers to cure it. He set governors of different states against each other competing for masks and medical supplies in a kind of Pandemic Hunger Games. He denied funds to Blue states and lives were lost. If re-elected, Trump promises to put the arch-purveyor of anti-vaccine lies, RFK Jr., in charge of the Health and Human Services and let him “go wild.”

These are the stakes. Vote accordingly.