Leadership to prevent COVID-19: is it the most important mitigation factor?

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ziad Memish, Emory University; Shahul H. Ebrahim, University of Sciences; Rana F. Kattan, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences; Abdulrahman Alharthy, Critical Care Department; Saleh A. Alqahtani, Johns Hopkins University; Dimitrios Karakitsos, Critical Care Department
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-11-01
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101925
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
• Volume: 38
• Start Page: 101925
• End Page: 101925
• Grant/Funding Information: No financial support was received for this study.
• Keywords: COVID-19; International Cooperation; Pandemic; SARS-CoV-2; Humans; Leadership
• Research Categories: Biology, Virology; Health Sciences, Health Care Management

Abstract

Recently, concerns were raised about the blurred political leadership responding to the novel SARS-CoV-2 disease that was observed in multiple countries both in developed and developing countries [1]. COVID-19 has created significant challenges for leaders at all levels across the world to address the two overarching priorities; respect and promote scientific advisories aimed at mitigating the pandemic, maintaining societal and economic functions [[2], [3], [4]]. A third priority also emerged in developed economies about upholding individual freedom of and consequently individuals being charged to make informed and socially beneficial decisions about individual contribution to disease control, irrespective of an individual being directly affected by the crisis [2,3]. It is possible that the notion of individual liberties as overriding collective societal responsivities may have been corralled by the advocates of economic security over health security.