Since early February the world has been transfixed by the COVID-19 Pandemic, which has altered virtually every aspect of our lives. From the beginning, health care workers from around the world been on the front lines in our battle against the novel coronavirus. Medical and support workers have served unstintingly, fearlessly and selflessly against the ravages of this disease, giving care and support to millions of patients around the world. In the rear echelons, scientists, researchers and academics have toiled endlessly to better understand the virus and its pathophysiology in order to hasten the development of effective pharmaceutical interventions and vaccines. The results of their labors and their discoveries have been published in well over 25,000 peer reviewed articles in the medical and public health literature.
Early on, DMPHP issued a Call for Papers on all aspects of COVID-19 with the intent of rapid review and publication to better inform battling the ongoing pandemic. Expecting around 100 manuscripts in addition to our usual input, we appointed a special guest editor, Dr. Stephen Morse of Columbia University. We also formed a rapid review team to insure expeditious review, editing and publication of accepted papers. Surprisingly, we have received well over 600 manuscripts from around the globe and they continue to come in at a steady pace. This unexpected volume stretched our resources to the limit; only through the dedicated efforts of our editorial staff and reviewers have we been able to address this unprecedented number of papers while maintaining our peer review standards. In addition, SDMPH has forged new alliances and collaborations to focus on contributing to the integration of overall Global efforts to control COVID-19. Because of the pandemic, these collaborations and communications have taken place via tele-conferencing through the multiple chat-rooms that have evolved along with COVID-19.
Probably the most characteristic and representative of these teleconferences is the “ZOOM Room.” Because of this and the need to recognize at least some of the contributors to our ongoing efforts, we plan to use our covers, in a ZOOM format, throughout the COVID crisis to highlight a few of the many dedicated global health care workers who have contributed to our efforts and without whom we cannot thrive. This group will include authors, collaborators, editorial staff, reviewers and colleagues who have enabled us to accomplish our mission while continuing to provide critical services in their everyday professional roles. Most importantly, those selected represent all of the globally diverse health responders who have made, and continue to make, a real contribution, not only to our work but to Global Health Security.
On the cover:
The pandemic has driven myriad changes to how we work, communicate, and collaborate. Perhaps the most prominent example is the “Zoom Phenomenon”, the explosion of teleconferencing as a means of doing business. Reflective of this, we plan to present the cover of the upcoming issue of DMPHP in the style of a teleconference. Pictured on the cover are some of the authors of articles in the COVID-19 special section of this issue and featured speakers at the SDMPH & UNESCO Chair in Bioethics Webinar, an International Panel Discussion on experiences with COVID-19, on September 27, 2020.
Top row, left to right: HD Lujan, featured speaker, SDMPH &UNESCO Chair in Bioethics Webinar; Ronald Brown, author, “Public Health Lessons Learned From Biases in Coronavirus Mortality Overestimation”; Cameron Anderson, lead author, “Do Paramedics Have a Professional Obligation to Work During a Pandemic? A Qualitative Exploration of Community Member Expectations.”
Middle row, left to right: Vishwesh Agarwal, lead author, “COVID-19 and Psychological Disaster Preparedness – An Unmet Need”; Alessandro Costa, lead author, “How to Build the Plane While Flying: VTE/PE Thromboprophylaxis Clinical Guidelines for COVID-19 Patients”; Nadia Cortés-Álvarez, lead author, “Psychological Effects and Associated Factors of COVID-19 in a Mexican Sample.”
Bottom row, left to right: Haojun Fan, featured speaker, SDMPH &UNESCO Chair in Bioethics Webinar; Samuel Bumicho, featured speaker, SDMPH &UNESCO Chair in Bioethics Webinar; Mohamed Alwi Bin Hj Abdul Rahman, featured speaker, SDMPH &UNESCO Chair in Bioethics Webinar.
