General practice in the years ahead: relationships will matter more than ever

the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security published Preparedness for A High-Impact Respiratory Pathogen Pandemic, with ten recommendations to health systems around the world. One narrative of the COVID-19 pandemic describes an early, coordinated, community and public-health-based response, with strong political and medical leadership, in several African, eastern, and southern hemisphere countries. In contrast, a slow and confused response, based largely on improving the provision of treatment, rather than dealing with the spread of infection, was seen in many western countries, including the UK. Countries with well-developed, high technology healthcare systems would, hubristically, be able to treat their way out of trouble. The fact that entire national health systems came within a hairsbreadth of total collapse served as a stark reminder of the folly of ignoring 'the science'. Effective vaccines against coronavirus infections are now within reach, but it is vital to strengthen public health and primary care structures to respond more effectively to future, as yet unrecognised, pathogens.