The Lancet Global Health Blog: Pandemic response: fear is inevitable, panic is optional
Chris Simms, assistant professor in the School of Health Administration at Dalhousie University, discusses the role of communication during pandemics, writing, “Larry Brilliant’s observation that ‘outbreaks are inevitable, epidemics are optional’ seems to apply both to pandemics and the social panic they spawn. There are rules and guidelines as to how to prepare for a pandemic and how to react and avoid panic: we ought to follow both as if our lives depended upon it” (3/28).