This paper discusses critical questions for gaining early situational awareness in an outbreak, using COVID-19 as an example. It highlights key queries about the pathogen, transmission modes, population vulnerability, and available medical countermeasures. The paper shows how timely answers to these questions can inform effective public health responses, resource allocation, and policy decisions, ultimately improving outbreak management.

Original text:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01278-w

Author(s):
Joseph T. Wu, Kathy Leung, Tommy T. Y. Lam, Michael Y. Ni, Carlos K. H. Wong, J. S. Malik Peiris & Gabriel M. Leung