Beginnings and Endings: A Retiree's Reflections on the CDC's Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health crisis of racism underscore how important it is for our nation to attract, develop, and retain a diverse public health workforce that can work in communities as well as local, state, and national levels. 3 This article is part of a I Pedagogy in Health Promotion: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning i supplement, "Preparing the Future Public Health Workforce: Contributions of the CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program", which was supported by a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity to the Society for Public Health Education, entitled "Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation's Health" (Contract Number 5 NU38OT000315-03-00). Keywords: public health;workforce development;public health pedagogy EN public health workforce development public health pedagogy 13S 14S 1 12/09/21 20211202 NES 211202 Hindsight may or may not be 2020, but beginnings look different from the end of a public health career. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Pedagogy in Health Promotion is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Public Health Response to the Initiation and Spread of Pandemic COVID-19 in the United States, February 24-April 21, 2020.

From January 21 through February 23, 2020, a total of 14 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were diagnosed in six U.S. states, including 12 cases in travelers arriving from China and two in household contacts of persons with confirmed infections. An additional 39 cases were identified in persons repatriated from affected areas outside the United States (1). Starting in late February, reports of cases with no recent travel to affected areas or links to known cases signaled the initiation of pandemic spread in the United States (2). By mid-March, transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, had accelerated, with rapidly increasing case counts indicating established transmission in the United States. Ongoing traveler importation of SARS-CoV-2, attendance at professional and social events, introduction into facilities or settings prone to amplification, and challenges in virus detection all contributed to rapid acceleration of transmission during March. Public health responses included intensive efforts to detect cases and trace contacts, and implementation of multiple community mitigation strategies. Because most of the population remains susceptible to infection, recognition of factors associated with amplified spread during the early acceleration period will help inform future decisions as locations in the United States scale back some components of mitigation and strengthen systems to detect a potential transmission resurgence. U.S. circulation of SARS-CoV-2 continues, and sustained efforts will be needed to prevent future spread within the United States.