As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, the main focus was on reducing direct health impacts of infection. In contrast, the Office of the California Surgeon General (CA-OSG) was particularly concerned about the potential secondary impacts of the pandemic, both mental and physical, as well as the need to identify mitigating strategies. Thus, early in the pandemic, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris helped to draw attention to these issues and sought to engage partners to conduct the necessary systematic study. With funding from the Stupski Foundation and collaboration from the CA-OSG, the UCSF assembled a team, called RAPID (Rapid Assessment of Pandemic Indirect Impacts and Mitigating Interventions for Decision-making), to provide timely, evidence-based policy recommendations for mitigating mid- and long-term indirect health burdens of the COVID-19 pandemic response in California. See full report attached.
RAPID is an interdisciplinary rapid-response scientific taskforce and policy simulation laboratory that provides a clear, transparent framework for defining what constitutes a set of foreseeable indirect effects of the pandemic. The RAPID team developed a novel analytic approach to rapidly synthesize evidence and develop guidance for state policymakers seeking to buffer Californians from the indirect effects of COVID-19. The RAPID team conducted comprehensive reviews of literature on the current pandemic and past crises (e.g., natural disasters, economic recessions) to predict the most likely indirect health outcomes and their magnitude, helping state officials define public health priorities. Through systematic reviews and discussions with experts, the team identified cost-effective interventions to mitigate health impacts, and then used economic modeling to compare the impact, program costs, and savings of each. For further information, please contact the project Co-PI, Dr. Mohsen Malekinejad (mmalekinejad@ucsf.edu)
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