A community science approach to public health and public trust in science

ABSTRACT

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the importance of health literacy and trust in pandemic management. Collaborating with the community to prepare for pandemics is incredibly effective in fostering understanding and building trust in public health and scientific research.

COMMENTARY

The world was not prepared to predict and effectively combat the COVID-19 pandemic. A key aspect for prediction and preparation is surveillance of virus families that have pandemic potential. While surveillance efforts, e.g., for avian influenza viruses, are established in specific regions, urban centers are often overlooked. This leaves a blind spot in an area of vulnerability. Zoonotic infections in rural areas are often dead-end transmission events because the virus cannot spread easily in regions of low population densities. In urban areas, the chances of onward spread of zoonotic infections to other individuals are much higher. Therefore, we need surveillance of viruses at the urban animal–animal and animal–human interfaces. This vulnerability also presents an opportunity to build trust in public health through community involvement (1). Meade et al. present the results of a participatory approach to research at the urban animal–human interface, which contributes to pandemic preparedness (2).

Community/citizen science engages non-professional scientists, valuing their diverse capacities to research, reflect, learn, and act upon pressing societal issues and to generate outcomes that are well-suited to specific local conditions (3).

The New York City Virus Hunters (NYCVH) program has been doing exactly this since 2020 (4, 5). NYCVH is a service-learning initiative offering multiple entry points for the community to get information about and become involved in pandemic preparedness. Local high school students—our “Junior Scientists”—join a collaboration among BioBus (a science education organization), the Krammer laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (covering virology), and the Wild Bird Fund (a wildlife rehabilitation facility). Supported by mentors, students spend a year conducting research in their own neighborhoods and learning science communication skills. The NYCVH team formulates a research question and then collects samples of bird feces in permitted parks and greenspaces and/or obtains them from collaborators. In the laboratory, they test samples for the presence of viruses and sequence and analyze their genomes. Their findings, like our recent detection of highly pathogenic H5N1 in New York City, help establish a baseline knowledge of circulating viruses that may be harmful to birds and, sometimes, humans. Now, with H5N1 spread to dairy cattle, NYCVH has begun testing milk products for H5N1 viral RNA and for bovine antibodies against H5 hemagglutinins.

For many of our students, particularly those from communities historically underrepresented in science, this experience builds confidence, honors lived experiences, and fosters a sense of belonging in the health sciences. With more representation, health literacy, and the ability to communicate scientific findings effectively, we enhance community trust and community engagement (6).

The public’s perception of science, especially when it comes to viruses and pandemics, is often shaped by sensationalized narratives, sometimes focused on quick fixes, creating unrealistic expectations. We need to foster a better understanding of science because COVID-19 will not be the last global health crisis. Sustaining momentum and interest in pandemic preparedness, health innovation, and research is critical.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal or of ASM.