Table 4.
How the communications needs change over the phases of a pandemic
| Phase | Examples of Communication Issues/Needs |
|---|---|
| Pre- or Inter-pandemic/epidemic/outbreak | |
| Surveillance | Help people understand the rationale/need for surveillance and investment into such activities |
| Threat identification | Help people distinguish between different levels of concern (e.g., how likely is a pathogen going to be a threat) |
| Prevention/preparedness | Help people understand need for prevention/preparedness measures even through the threat has not yet appeared |
| During outbreak/epidemic/pandemic | |
| Discovery/characterization of pathogen | Help people realize the different characteristics of the pathogen and how these different characteristics may evolve over time |
| Intervention design/prioritization | Help people know why a given intervention is necessary and the relative strengths and limitations of the intervention and how these may change as more information emerges |
| Implementation/ramp up | Help people understand what is involved in the use of an intervention (e.g., face mask efficacy depends on the types of masks used, how they are worn, and how many other people are wearing them) |
| Maintenance | Help people realize the importance of continuing to employ an intervention even when fatigue may occur |
| Policy/intervention troubleshooting | Help people interpret new emerging information and how that may affect use of an intervention (e.g., how should rare myocarditis cases affect trust in the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines) |
| Transition phase/new “chapters” and adjustment | Help people anticipate what changes in goals, policies, and interventions may be needed to usher in a new phase of the emergency (e.g., setting up a routine vaccination schedule to help transition a pandemic to a seasonal virus situation; implementing face mask use to prevent another surge) |
| De-escalation | Help people know when the intensity and use of an intervention can be decreased (e.g., when can face mask use be decreased) |
| Post-outbreak/epidemic/pandemic | |
| Hot wash/post-outbreak/epidemic/pandemic review | Help people understand what went well and what did not and how to use this information in future outbreaks/epidemics/pandemics |
| Post-crisis steady state (e.g., “endemic”/seasonal) | Help people realize what policies and interventions need to be continued to prevent new and additional emergencies |