Thread by @meganranney

Key q for discussion: How will #climatechange address the timing and severity of infectious outbreaks in the years to come?

🦠 influenza, #covid19, & other respiratory dx’ed
🦟malaria & other vector-borne illnesses
🚽diarrheal & other fecal-oral disease

@Brown_SPH

1. Heat, cold, & water/drought change these pathogens’ evolution

2. Heat, cold, & water/drought also change how humans act

3. And health systems are changed, too! (Just look at the effect of Katrina)

We are at a unique moment of “coupled risks”: urbanization, easy trans-national travel, large agricultural industries…

We get to make decisions every day both to adapt & to prevent. @Craig_A_Spencer

Top q’s to answer:
🔥 need to better understand CURRENT impact of temp/climate on disease transmission
🔥need good models to predict FUTURE spread- needs interdisciplinary work
🔥need data on what works to mitigate (& prevent) effects - to inform decisions
@Brown_IBES @Brown_SPH

🔥& I will add…. We need to understand the impact on *non* infectious epidemics (like #opioid overdose & #GunViolence ).

Per @JenniferNuzzo our biggest goal (besides reducing the risk of natural hazards) is to BUILD RESILIENCE.

“We can’t ever let anything upend our lives like #covid19, or Hurricane Sandy, ever again.”

Her point is that we can build systems that are ready to respond, when needed

“Don’t wait until there’s a fire, to create a fire department.”