S2Ep2: The Next Pandemic

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, it’s never too early to start planning for the next global health crisis. What have we learned as pathologists and laboratory professionals over the last 18 months? And how can we apply these key learnings to prepare for the next pandemic? 

On this episode of Inside the Lab, our hosts Dr. Lotte Mulder and Ms. Kelly Swails are joined by Dr. Omai Garner, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor and Director of Clinical Microbiology in the UCLA Health System, Dr. Karen Kaul, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at North Shore Research Institute and Clinical Professor of Pathology at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and Dr. Keith Jerome, MD, PhD, Head of the University of Washington Virology Laboratory and Professor at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Resource Center, to discuss the next pandemic. 

Our panelists share the lessons they’ve learned through the COVID-19 pandemic, describing the characteristics of their labs that proved beneficial and how the visibility of laboratory medicine shifted since the onset of the pandemic. They explore what tests or assays they might need to prepare for the next pandemic and offer insight on what we can do to ensure that labs have access to those resources. Listen in for Dr. Garner, Dr. Kaul, and Dr. Jerome’s take on what aspects of medical care improved as a result of the COVID response and learn why it’s crucial to remember that we’re still in the midst of the current crisis. 

Topics Covered  

· The biggest lessons learned throughout the COVID pandemic
· What the panelists would do differently in their own labs if they could do it over again
· How public health officials and private health systems can work together to provide rapid and seamless lab testing in the future
· What we can do to ensure that labs have access to the resources they need for the next pandemic
· The increased understanding of the value of pathology and laboratory medicine in institutions and among the general public through COVID
· What aspects of medical care improved as a result of the COVID response
· The role the lab plays in the dissemination of reliable information and what we can do to improve
· Why it’s crucial to remember that we’re still in the midst of the current pandemic

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Connect with Dr. Garner
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Dr. Garner at UCLA Health 

Connect with Dr. Kaul
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Dr. Kaul at North Shore 

Connect with Dr. Jerome
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Dr. Jerome at the University of Washington 

Connect with Dr. Mulder & Ms. Swails
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Resources
Inside the Lab in the ASCP Store