Foreign Affairs: How to Prepare for a Coronavirus Pandemic
Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

“…An nCoV pandemic would require a great many measures from governments, the World Health Organization, other international organizations, medical and public health professionals, industry, and the public. … This new virus could prove to be both uncontainable and to cause a serious or lethal disease for many across the globe. Governments need to come to grips with this risk and act accordingly. If that worst-case outcome fails to materialize, their work will still have been right and worthwhile, as an insurance against this crisis and as preparation for the next one. If these measures turn out to be necessary, however, then the earlier we start, the more valuable our efforts will be” (1/31).

Foreign Policy: Trump Has Sabotaged America’s Coronavirus Response
Laurie Garrett, former senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations

“…The epidemic control efforts unfolding today in China — including placing some 100 million citizens on lockdown, shutting down a national holiday, building enormous quarantine hospitals in days’ time, and ramping up 24-hour manufacturing of medical equipment — are indeed gargantuan. It’s impossible to watch them without wondering, ‘What would we do? How would my government respond if this virus spread across my country?’ For the United States, the answers are especially worrying because the government has intentionally rendered itself incapable. … In the spring of 2018, the White House pushed Congress to cut funding for Obama-era disease security programs … In May 2018, Trump ordered the [White House National Security Council’s (NSC)] entire global health security unit shut down, calling for reassignment of Rear Adm. Timothy Ziemer and dissolution of his team inside the agency. … The next epidemic is now here; we’ll soon know the costs imposed by the Trump administration’s early negligence and present panic…” (1/31).

Fox News: Former HHS Secretary Tom Price, M.D.: Coronavirus — the good, the bad, and the ugly
Tom Price, senior fellow for health care with Job Creators Network

“Most of us feel at least a bit of anxiety over the latest ‘flu’ challenge — novel 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV). … If the past is prologue, there is little confidence that China is sharing all the needed information … One would think that the WHO would have the benefit of the world’s greatest knowledge and complete participation, especially at emergent times such as this. Sadly, due to politics, that is not the case. Taiwan has shown itself to be extremely responsible and transparent in its actions, especially in the area of medicine and science. … [T]he capacity of Taiwan to help formulate a vaccine or assist in other ways to help save lives and advance human engagement and intelligence at this time is remarkable. However, China and other nations refuse to allow the full and equitable participation of Taiwan in the WHO. This increases the danger for all of us and makes global health security in times of crisis that much more difficult. The U.S. has appropriately and rightly supported Taiwan in its stated goal to participate in all international organizations. Ending Chinese political opposition to this is an important step in making the world safer…” (2/2).

Foreign Policy: The Wuhan Virus Could Hurt the Party’s Legitimacy
Taisu Zhang, associate professor at Yale Law School (1/31).

International Business Times: With Coronavirus Spreading, Now Is Not The Time For Restrictions On Animal Research
Matthew R. Bailey, president of the Foundation for Biomedical Research (2/2).

Washington Post: Why we should be wary of an aggressive government response to coronavirus
Wendy Parmet, Matthews distinguished professor of law, professor of public policy and urban affairs, and faculty director of the Center for Health Policy and Law at Northeastern University School of Law; and Michael Sinha, research fellow at Harvard Medical School and visiting scholar in the Center for Health Policy and Law at Northeastern University School of Law (2/3).

Washington Post: Past epidemics prove fighting coronavirus with travel bans is a mistake
Jennifer B. Nuzzo, epidemiologist with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Health Security (2/2).