Question for Twitter.

Why didn’t academia take the lead on Covid information? Why didn’t schools of med & public health across the US band together, put forth their experienced scientists in epidemiology, virology, emergency & critical care, pandemic and disaster response...

... give them protected time to focus on Covid knowledge consolidation and messaging, host weekly calls for this body of experts to review new data & coordinate public health messaging and serve as a reputable body for policy recommendations and media appearances...

... draw on the tremendous networks of their alumni and their collective wealth and resources to support and amplify this work?

Individual academics are doing tremendous work. Institutions seem to be very inwardly focused.

I know it would be unusual for universities to engage in this level of national, coordinated public service. But when orgs are sitting on the expertise & relatively flush resources for this kind of effort, and the gov’t is not doing it, isn’t it time for something extraordinary?

PS: It’s still not too late