Going It Alone Isn't a Covid Strategy. Just Ask Florida
The federal government must set requirements for the uniform collection and sharing of public health data from states before the next pandemic.
The public needs transparency from their government during a crisis.
Photographer: Gerardo Mora/Getty Images North AmericaAs we mark the fourth anniversary of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s past time the federal government require uniform public health data and transparency standards at the state level — both to reestablish public trust and to avoid the dangerous spread of misinformation during the next deadly outbreak.
One of the enduring lessons of the pandemic is that politics reigned over public health. Rather than asserting leadership at the federal level, former President Donald Trump left most of the decisions to the states. The absence of a coherent federal response meant state public health strategies varied widely. Some state and local officials manipulated data to fit their own narratives and the resulting mish-mash of policies and advice given to residents — including misinformation — created mistrust among the public and allowed conspiracy theories to thrive.