Damaged Public Health perception - What are the longer term impacts?
There are times when systems are more important than their actions. The example of “too big to fail” perspective.
In many previous errors, the actions of Public Health has been covered because the longer term damage with lack of public trust was worse.
This COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the rot inside major organisations and what has been seen by the population cannot be unseen. Trust will have to be earned again and that can take decades.
Scientific communities have been fractured with factions based on opinion and political bias. The ability to critically analyse data seems to have been lost.
Being on the wrong side of the science is not just about ego but could have direct implications for personal health and those of loved ones. These are major stakes and remaining objective is challenging.
You’re absolutely correct, Phillip. Trust needs to be rebuilt. But first must come accountability of those who betrayed that trust.
"Public Health" has never been worthy of trust. It has, for the most part, been about power, control, and most definitely money. The medical professions have unfortunately been extorting and abusing the trust of the population for a long, long time. Along with governments.
Most of the improvements in the health of people have been due to better sanitation and nutrition.
Much like free markets, public health is best with minimal government intervention and when people have accurate information to make their own decisions.