Page:A Failure to Communicate? How Public Messaging Has Strained the COVID-19 Response in the United States.pdf/1



Molly A. Sauer, Shaun Truelove, Amelia K. Gerste, Rupali J. Limaye

A pandemic, especially when caused by a novel virus, induces tremendous uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. To mitigate panic and encourage appropriate behavioral action, communication is critical. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) guidance is designed to assist public health authorities, government officials, and other stakeholders in using risk communication during an emergency. For each of the 6 core communication principles outlined in the CERC guidance, we describe the use or nonuse of these principles at critical points during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by US public health and government officials. With the knowledge that the pandemic will continue to rage for some time and that new communication challenges will arise, including issues related to vaccination and treatment options, many lessons are to be learned and shared. To reduce fear and uncertainty among those living in the United States, COVID-19 communication should be rapid and accurate, while building credibility and trust and showcasing empathy—all with a unified voice.

Keywords: COVID-19, Risk communication, Public health preparedness/response, Pandemic response, Infectious diseases

31, 2019, China reported a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown cause that would later be identified as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Recognizing its widespread transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared novel coronavirus disease 2019 (2019-nCoV, later called COVID-19) a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020, and a pandemic on Molly A. Sauer, MPH, is a Research Associate; Shaun Truelove, PhD, is an Assistant Scientist; Amelia K. Gerste, MSPH, is a Communications Specialist; and Rupali J. Limaye, PhD, MPH, MA, is an Associate Scientist and Director of Behavioral and Implementation Science (IVAC); all in the Department of International Health and the International Vaccine Access Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Shaun Truelove is also an Assistant Scientist, Department of Epidemiology, and Rupali J. Limaye is also an Associate Scientist, Department of Epidemiology and Department of Health, Behavior, and Society; all at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.

© Molly A. Sauer et al., 2021; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. This Open Access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. 65