COVID-19 and the Importance of Emergency Preparedness

Being prepared for a public health emergency requires planning, training, and exercising. But how could anyone prepare for something like COVID-19? That’s the topic of our conversation this week on Public Health Out Loud.  Our guest is Alysia Mihalakos, chief of the Center for Emergency Preparedness at the Rhode Island Department of Health. Mihalakos discusses how RIDOH’s response to COVID-19 has been different from previous public health emergencies like Ebola, H1N1, Zika, or flu outbreaks. She also talks about what her team learned from those previous emergencies that left them better prepared to address this pandemic.  It’s no secret that there have been many challenges during the COVID-19 response. How did Rhode Island respond to supply shortages related to COVID-19? What was it like setting up the state’s two field hospitals? Download this week’s episode to learn more.