Climate of 'fear' prevents experts fro questioning the handling of the pandemic. express.co.uk/news/uk/141589… // this is super interesting and not at all obvious for a true pandemic in a democracy. 1/
2/ WHO has studied pandemics and worked tirelessly for decades in many countries. They serve in an advisory capacity with varying degrees of involvement depending on country. Lots of history going way back, smallpox, HIV, flu, ebola, SARS, etc.
3/ In 2008 a few years after SARS they published an updated Outbreak Communication and Planning Guide. apps.who.int/iris/bitstream… 
4/ There is a recognition of the complex interdependencies of what is going on and the impacts that go beyond the scientific to include political, social, and economic consequences.
5/ But it is fair to say that the plan did predict a situation that was so devastating as we have now, happening so quickly. The idea of having only the science lead the communication and coordinate "back" to political leaders seems optimistic.
6/ In US, Governors of NY and CA led the daily communication. That was never really how WHO saw the plan going—there was a fear of politicizing information as they routinely saw in developing nations (esp during HIV and Polio). And then we saw that happen in the US.
7/ It is clear that should another pandemic happen, this kind of communications plan needs to be revised. The political (social and economic) choices and implications were as big as medical issues—certainly not in a major developed state (perhaps 2014 Ebola in W Africa). // END
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