This article appeared in the July/August 2021 issue of Discover magazine as "COVID Lessons." Subscribe for more stories like these.
As the pandemic mounted a blitzkrieg around the world, killing thousands every day and turning us all into shutins, the entire health care system faced a trial by virus. The stakes were inhumanly high, but doctors, researchers and crisis planners stepped up, advancing the field of public health along the way. Here’s how the most important takeaways from COVID-19 are shoring up our collective defenses and preparing the medical world for the next rogue pathogen.
1. Masks Work. Really.
Fierce debate raged in the pandemic’s early months about whether wearing face masks curbed viral transmission. The confusion was understandable: In March 2020, the World Health Organization urged people not to wear a mask unless they were sick with COVID-19 or caring for someone who was ill.
Scores of health officials echoed the organization’s advice, with many now claiming that it was an effort to preserve masks for medical workers.
