B eing able to witness a pandemic like COVID-19 in our lifetime has been both a dream and a nightmare for me. For many public health students, a real-life pandemic is everything our education has been building toward. In every class, we are reminded of our predecessors who created the polio vaccine and eradicated the source of cholera way back when. We are constantly empowered to work for communities that are the most vulnerable and under-served. We aim to uplift the voices of those that may be hidden by systematic oppression. Yet when news of the virus coming to the state of Michigan came, I found that many of us were quiet. No matter if you’re in public health, medicine or any other field, the COVID- 19 pandemic scares every single one of us. We’re all human. As public health students, we realize the importance of social isolation; of flattening the curve; of making sure that our health systems and hospitals are not given more than they can take. But at the same time, the human in me is still stressed, confused and helpless. Every day, as I slog through hours of online classes, I look back at all the times I took my life for granted—seeing my friends every day, not having to worry whether someone in my family has been exposed, being able to go about my day as I normally would. Not finishing the semester out is one thing, but being removed from our lifestyles has left many of us in a state of shock. I’ve learned that this “disturbance” is the cause of my newfound constant exhaustion and lack of motivation. My heart aches as I see all the stories on Twitter or on the news. Every time I FaceTime a friend, I’m being told of more heart-wrenching narratives. It hurts to see photos of vulnerable populations, like the elderly and those who cannot afford to buy in bulk in grocery stores, looking so helpless when they see nothing on the shelves. It hurts to see videos of people whose parents, aunts, uncles and loved ones are dealing with the virus. This pandemic is bigger than anyone ever imagined it to be. Students are being hurried off of campus, even if they don’t have the means to do so, as fast as everything is occurring. A huge disparity still remains between those who are actually being tested and those who are not. Every day more celebrities announce they’ve been tested for the virus, while regular people are not. Many still have to go to work to pay their bills because they cannot afford to give that money up to stay home; unpaid leave is not an option. COVID-19 has made me realize my privilege and I encourage everyone to realize theirs too. You don’t have to be a public health major to see how important it is for us to take care of each other, to keep in touch or to reach out to those who may be struggling during these times. These are times for solidarity. This pandemic motivates me to see how impactful the public health field can be and how it facilitates change so fast. The biggest thing about public health is that, if we do our work well, you won’t see the effects of the issue later. Though COVID-19 has already destroyed the lives of many, I am hoping that we all can prevent it from getting worse for others dealing with it or who are susceptible. It’s the least we can do for humanity. It is both a dream and a nightmare, but I’m hoping that I can wake up soon and it’ll be over as fast as it started. 4 — Friday, April 10, 2020 Opinion The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Alanna Berger Zack Blumberg Brittany Bowman Emily Considine Jess D’Agostino Jenny Gurung Cheryn Hong Krystal Hur Ethan Kessler Zoe Phillips Mary Rolfes Michael Russo Timothy Spurlin Miles Stephenson Joel Weiner Erin White ERIN WHITE Managing Editor Stanford Lipsey Student Publications Building 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. ELIZABETH LAWRENCE Editor in Chief EMILY CONSIDINE AND MILES STEPHENSON Editorial Page Editors Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of The Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS SANIA FAROOQ | OP-ED Facing COVID-19 as a public health student Sania Farooq is junior in the School of Public Health and can be reached at sffarooq@umich.edu. T he nation’s 43rd president, George W. Bush, is a polarizing figure. In foreign affairs, the most well-known part of his legacy is probably his decision to pursue military action in Iraq and that will, in all likelihood, remain the thing for which he is known best. However, it is important to consider that this is only part of his legacy in international affairs. Another part of it is the role America played to address the AIDS crisis in Africa. Former President Bush pushed for the establishment of the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This is an initiative to address the global health crises surrounding HIV/ AIDS that has, to this date, spent more than $90 billion on this crisis since 2004. Bush rose to office as a different kind of conservative. He was a “compassionate conservative” — he wanted to use the government to improve the general welfare and PEPFAR was one way in which he did that. Bush’s interest in Africa came from a 1990 visit to The Gambia with his wife, Laura Bush, and in the lead up to his decision to enter the race, then-advisor (and future Secretary of State) Condoleeza Rice pressed Bush to make addressing the AIDS epidemic in Africa a serious part of his foreign policy legacy. This 1998 conversation proved far more prescient than either of the participants could have imagined. Bush announced the program in his 2003 State of the Union Address, though it was overshadowed by the fact that this speech also featured justifications for the invasion of Iraq. The project was one owned by Bush — he was willing to stick his neck out for additional money from Congress if he saw results. As it happened, the results he saw were incredibly encouraging. PEPFAR has saved the lives of millions and improved the lives of millions more and to his credit, it has done it in an effective, efficient manner — it prevented deaths from HIV for under $2,500 per death prevented. Though it is an AIDS program, some studies have suggested that it reduced the odds of death by 20 percent in general in countries where it existed. Further, it has directly reduced tuberculosis infections and deaths. In today’s discussion around COVID-19, much attention is paid to how former President Barack Obama handled Ebola. I agree that Obama’s work was commendable there. However, in the global health arena, one place Obama left something to be desired was with regards to PEPFAR. Obama and his team created budgets that “slashed hundreds of millions of dollars from PEPFAR.” Unfortunately, President Donald Trump has gone further here and has released budget proposals with “$1.35 billion in cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.” Both of these presidents have cut and increased funding to different programs, as has been their prerogative. However, this goes to show why Bush deserves credit for PEPFAR. It was his prerogative and should be recognized as such, especially in light of its exemplary results. PEPFAR was a way for America to lead in the global health arena. The AIDS crisis ravaged America in the 1980s and the initial response by the government was a subject of criticism then and widespread denunciation now. PEPFAR was a chance to reverse this issue and Bush seized the issue to show why America deserved to lead the world in global and public health and how exactly it would go about doing so. Because of American leadership regarding AIDS, an AIDS-free generation is within sight and PEPFAR has played a large role in getting to this point. However, there must be more. Thankfully, cuts to PEPFAR were rejected by Congress under Obama and Trump and in both cases, funding was set at levels beyond those requested by the president. This is something but isn’t enough. Bush may have been an unlikely catalyst for a public health revolution but he very clearly was one — the results do not lie. Today, however, that kind of compassionate conservatism and desire for American leadership doesn’t exist as it did under Bush and the nation, world and public health are all worse for it. PEPFAR is an example of America at its best. Like other programs, such as the Marshall Plan or the Berlin Airlift, it is proof that when American leadership decides to accomplish a goal, that goal will be accomplished. Bush wanted to make his mark with AIDS, and it is hard to argue that he didn’t. How George W. Bush addressed a different public health crisis ANIK JOSHI | COLUMN Anik Joshi can be reached at anikj@umich.edu. LEENA GHANNAM | CONTACT CARTOONIST AT LZGHANNA@UMICH.EDU CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and op-eds. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 550 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.