Addressing COVID-19 Using a Public Health Approach: Perspectives From the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Betsy C Risendal, Colorado School of Public Health; James R Hébert, University of South Carolina; Elaine H Morrato, Loyola University of Chicago; Ngoc-Cam Escoffery, Emory University; Cynthia A Thomson, The University of Arizona; Daniela B Friedman, University of South Carolina; Andrea J Dwyer, Colorado School of Public Health; Linda S Overholser, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Stephanie B Wheeler, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-06-01
• Publisher: Elsevier Inc.
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 American Journal of Preventive Medicine
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2021.01.017
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: American Journal of Preventive Medicine
• Volume: 60
• Issue: 6
• Start Page: 877
• End Page: 882
• Grant/Funding Information: This publication was supported by CDC of HHS as part of a financial assistance award totaling $9,298,691 with 100% funded by CDC/HHS.
• Keywords: Delivery of Health Care; SARS-CoV-2; Public Health; Humans; COVID-19; Neoplasms
• Research Categories: Psychology, Behavioral; Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Biology, Biostatistics; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

The U.S. response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has entailed challenges related to testing, case management, and community-level mitigation.1 Community spread of the infection continues, and U.S. COVID-19 mortality leads in the world, exceeding 500,000 deaths as of late winter 2021. Sustained prevention and control efforts are urgently needed. The war on cancer declared in 19712 led to significant investment in new technologies, medicines, and structural resources that have significantly reduced cancer mortality and dramatically increased the number of cancer survivors.3 Although cancer is primarily a chronic condition and COVID-19 is an acute infectious disease, both benefit from multilevel public health strategies directed at the patient, provider, community, healthcare system, and policy formation level. Both cancer and COVID-19 also share a common set of barriers to care related to social determinants of health. Lessons learned from decades of cancer prevention and control can illuminate proven strategies relevant to the current COVID-19 crisis, especially as it moves into the long-term management phase. The impact of these strategies has further been amplified through the rapid integration of research evidence into practice using implementation science approaches that could similarly improve the COVID-19 response.