COVID-19 CHALLENGES AND CONSEQUENCES: Significant Improvements, but Infodemic, Mandate Resistance, and Burnout are Still Threats

NOVEMBER UPDATE (September through October 2021)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in the public’s trust in health care professionals and the health care system itself. The Santa Fe Group asserts that rebuilding that trust and a better, stronger health response requires focus on three calls to action:

• Advocating for timely, clear, culturally appropriate, science-based health information.
• Fully integrating oral health care professionals into planning and response to future emergencies and pandemics.
• Driving policies for multi-directionally integration of oral health and overall health.

This update, focusing on September and October 2021, is a continuation of an initial position paper summarizing events from December 2019 through January 2021, complemented by February-March, April-May, and June-August updates (https://dentalaegis.hs-sites.com/sfgCOVID-19-1). This update summarizes significant developments over the last two months, including the pandemic’s most recent trajectory, advances made in vaccinations, the continued challenges in rebuilding public trust, and oral health and health care. It also includes good news and explores what might happen next. As with previous editions, we draw from a myriad of sources, including global and national agencies, government executive orders, professional organizations, media, and peer-reviewed and pre-print manuscripts. The Santa Fe Group is eager to collaborate with other organizations to achieve the goals described in the calls to action. To learn more and/or share information, please contact us at info@santafegroup.org.

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