Dr. Jim Lando: Leadership matters in healing a sick nation

The lack of leadership by President Trump has set the stage for the unprecedented public health crisis, economic ruin and social turmoil that Americans face today.

Our country was founded as the United States of America. Yet the divisiveness and cynicism emanating from the White House for almost four years have torn away at our greatest strength for combating crises. Trump has dismantled unity, seeded discord and weakened the health, economy and social well-being of all Americans. Covid-19 is a tragic case in point.

For decades, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been the crown jewel of the world’s public health community, providing credible scientific guidance nationally and internationally. In 2003, I led a team sent by the CDC to help the government of Taiwan confront and successfully eliminate a SARS coronavirus outbreak.

Taiwan and the CDC used the lessons learned to develop effective epidemic response plans, which laid the groundwork for Taiwan’s response in 2020. By implementing these plans, Taiwan has achieved some of the lowest rates of covid-19 infection and death in the world despite being a mere 100 miles from China. Although this same knowledge was present in the U.S., it was not leveraged in our time of need.

Since 2006, the U.S. government has funded every state, urban center and most local governments to develop and test pandemic preparedness plans. But when covid-19 arrived, the Trump administration failed to provide a unified approach. Their poor understanding of appropriate personal protective equipment, testing protocols and stockpile distribution hindered implementation of the plans. Furthermore, state governors were hampered and bullied if they strayed from Trump’s cynical campaign of confusion and misinformation about science and the planned professional response.

Trump’s inaccuracies and obfuscation about covid-19 and failure to heed scientific expertise or established data resulted in a public health crisis. What should have been a time of unity and preparedness in the U.S became a time of chaos. The administration undermined science by misstating findings and providing unproven cures for the disease. The president claims that suggesting these cures were a joke. What leader would joke about a nonsensical cure to a disease that has killed over 215,000 of his fellow Americans?

Leaders set the example. The basic interventions to minimize the spread of covid-19 were well known, yet ignored or dismissed by the Trump administration. Trump and his circle rebuffed the advice of experts and flaunted their disregard for basic public health protocols. Instead of the vital leadership and social messaging to encourage and normalize social distancing, the wearing of masks and dedicated hand washing, the American people received tweets full of misinformation, confusion and dissent.

Covid-19 is but one of many examples of a failure in leadership. Trump’s refusal to heed the best advice of experts, follow prescribed policies and practiced procedures, care for vulnerable members of society, display good behavior, and represent the interests of all Americans has not only hastened covid-19’s spread, but has advanced institutional racism and the policing crisis, and exacerbated an economic crash.

Leadership brings people together to assure the common good. It requires sacrifice, empathy and hard work. Leaders balance public health and the economy. They rise above petty or political differences to understand and address crises. Leaders facilitate the work of others and demonstrate compassion for the afflicted.

In order to overcome this virus, fix the economy, and unify the American people, we need leaders who trust their scientific advisers, bring people together, and model and encourage the best behavior. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the leaders we need to get these United States of America back on track. As you go to the ballot box, do so knowing that leadership matters.

Pittsburgh native Dr. Jim Lando, a retired rear admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, is a former U.S. assistant surgeon general and a medical doctor specializing in public health and lifestyle medicine.