The CommonHealth

Today, Andrew and Steve are joined by Jude Blanchette, Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS. They discuss how the U.S. and China are dealing with the pandemic in their own countries, and how this might affect U.S.-China trade and diplomacy, as well as scientific research partnerships between the U.S. and China.

Today, Andrew and Steve talk to Dr. Margaret "Peggy" Hamburg, foreign secretary of the National Academy of Medicine and member of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security. They discuss what’s happened with testing in the U.S., the ‘global arms race’ to develop a vaccine, and how the U.S. and the world can develop, produce, and distribute any potential vaccine in an equitable way. Dr. Hamburg is an internationally recognized leader in public health and medicine. She currently serves as the foreign secretary of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and 2018 president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Hamburg is a former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), known for advancing regulatory science, modernizing regulatory pathways, and globalization of the agency.

In this episode, Steve and Andrew invite CSIS's Kathleen Hicks to discuss how the military can respond to COVID-19, and to what extent that can be done. They also examine how, as President Trump labels himself a 'wartime president,' more and more national guard units are operating at state capacity under the direction of governors, and what the Department of Defense can offer. Kathleen Hicks is senior vice president, Henry A. Kissinger Chair, and director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

In this first remote episode, Steve and Andrew discuss what’s happening with the U.S. response: the wholesale suspension of work and cultural events, the mixed messages coming from the Administration, and the unknown period we’re currently in as we wait for the worst part of the pandemic. They also discuss the role Dr. Tony Fauci is playing in this crisis, the role the military could play in a response, and how people need to remain calm and comfortable.

In today’s episode, Steve and Andrew speak with Stephanie Segal, senior fellow and deputy director of the William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy. They talk about the economic shocks COVID-19 is causing, the so-far inadequate policy response, and the possible prolonged economic crisis to come.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is closely watching the coronavirus outbreak, also known as COVID-19, as it spreads throughout China and around the world and the United States. As knowledge on COVID-19 evolves, Take as Directed will bring you the latest updates in this miniseries Coronavirus Crisis Update.In today’s episode, Steve and Andrew speak with Heather Conley, senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic and director of the Europe Program at CSIS. They discuss the quarantine of 16 million people in northern Italy; how it came about, what it will mean for Italy’s economy and politics, and how Italy’s neighbors are responding.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is closely watching the coronavirus outbreak, also known as COVID-19, as it spreads throughout China and around the world and the United States. As knowledge on COVID-19 evolves, Take as Directed will bring you the latest updates in this miniseries Coronavirus Crisis Update. In today’s episode, Steve Morrison speaks with Julie Gerberding, co-chair of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security and chief patient officer at Merck. Dr. Gerberding is also the former Director of the CDC (2002-2009). Dr. Gerberding testified on March 4th before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security on “Confronting the Coronavirus: Perspectives on the Response to a Pandemic Threat.” They discuss the mood in Congress, the transition in the United States from a phase of containment to one of managing the spread of the virus, and her outstanding concerns and reasons for hope. 

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is closely watching the coronavirus outbreak, also known as COVID-19, as it spreads quickly throughout China and around the world. As knowledge on COVID-19 evolves, Take as Directed will bring you the latest updates in this miniseries Coronavirus Crisis Update. In this episode, CSIS’s Steve Morrison and Andrew Schwartz discuss newly concentrated hotspots and the politicization of COVID-19, and how an adequate response to the outbreak requires more leadership, clarity and trust.

In mid-February, Steve Morrison of the CSIS Global Health Policy Center attended the Munich Security Conference. There, he moderated a roundtable on health in disordered settings, a town hall on COVID-19, and a dinner with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg. He also spoke with a variety of policymakers, donors, and agency heads that are leading the response to the coronavirus epidemic. In this second episode, Steve speaks with Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme. They discuss what dynamics are driving this outbreak, why it should be seen as a security risk as well as a health risk, and what the WHO is doing. They also talk about “infodemics”: the online epidemic of misinformation and weaponized social media.

In mid-February, Steve Morrison of the CSIS Global Health Policy Center attended the Munich Security Conference. There, he moderated a roundtable on health in disordered settings, a town hall on COVID-19, and a dinner with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg. He also spoke with a variety of policymakers, donors, and agency heads that are leading the response to the coronavirus epidemic. In this first episode, Steve speaks with Orin Levine, director of Vaccine Delivery at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. They discuss the investments the Foundation is making into the epidemic response, the urgent need for diagnostics and treatments, and how this infection might play out over the next year.