Over the past year and a half, physicians, scientists and public health officials have jumped into action to address the COVID-19 pandemic. In May, Baylor College of Medicine brought health experts from the U.S. and France together for the COVID-19 Disaster Research and Prevention Symposium to present what they have learned during the pandemic.
The event, co-sponsored by the Gulf Coast Center for Precision Environmental Health, the Office for Science and Technology at the Embassy of France in the United States and the Texas Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL), covered environmental health topics like air pollution and traffic control, as well as disaster response strategies for a global pandemic.
“Disasters come in many forms: natural, chemical, and biological. Learning from each, and using this knowledge to better prepare and respond to the next one is at the heart of Disaster Research Response, one of the research themes of the Gulf Coast Center for Precision Environmental Health,” said Dr. Cheryl Walker, director of the Center for Precision Environmental Health and professor of molecular and cellular biology, medicine and molecular and human genetics at Baylor.
“Our speakers pointed to lessons learned to improve environmental health from this COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted stark disparities among communities of color, with more evidence for policymakers of the impact of outdoor air pollution on health, the benefits of the use of bicycles as a viable option for transport and public health surveillance systems for tracking emerging infectious diseases in the future.”
Dr. Elaine Symanski, GC-CPEH Deputy Director and Professor in the Center for Precision Environmental Health, BCM
Read the full BCM Blog Post: https://blogs.bcm.edu/2021/06/02/what-has-covid-19-taught-us-about-disaster-research-and-prevention/