29. Lessons Learned, 2020

Lecture Summary 2020 was a crazy year. I learned so much and hope that every single public official has as well. This episode will be the final post of season 1. Episode 29 represents the authors opinion and will provide no medical knowledge. Join me on this more controversial than normal episode! Key Points COVID19 Pandemic Lessons - Society must distinguish between war time and peace time in the event of crisis. Wartime rules during peacetime was not well received in 2020. - Society is upside down. We invest no money, time, or effort in our youth. We close schools while strip clubs remain open. - United States citizens have become profoundly unhealthy, making us more susceptible to the infection. - We were/are greatly un-prepared from a disaster standpoint. Planning, training, and communication were all lacking. - Pandemics should be handled aggressively and decisively from the onset. The middle ground, which most of the world took, was a bad strategy. - More young people in power are needed. Every public official does not need to be 80. Minds this old are just not at the top of their game. I believe that 80-year-olds would make better consultants as opposed to ultimate policy makers. General Lessons - Processed food has taken over the American diet and over half of us are now obese. - Hazardous chemicals and pollution represent the greatest modifiable threat to the health and the future of the human species. - Social media and artificial intelligence algorithms need regulation urgently. - Pharmaceuticals are a second line therapy in many chronic diseases. We need the healthcare industry to start acting this way. - Space exploration is exploding and extraterrestrial manufacturing practices may inform earth from a sustainability standpoint in the future. - Season 2 of full scope will focus more on travel, occupational, wilderness, and aerospace medicine. Shorter episodes, focused topics, and more stories will be a hallmark. References My experience living through the last year.