The 2020 Great Decisions panel discussions began Oct. 14 with a session on COVID-19. The sessions are sponsored by the YWCA, and Muhlenberg College. More panel discussions, on a variety of topics, will take place in 2021.

The discussion was moderated by Dr.Brian Mello, associate professor ofpPolitical science and director of the Center for Ethics at Muhlenberg College. The other panelists were Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, infectious disease specialist with Saint Lukes Health Network, and State Representative Michael Schlossberg.

Jahre opened the discussion, saying Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley have not been spared by any stretch of the imagination. There have been 6,368 deaths, and the numbers are going up. “When we look at cases though, it is important to put this into perspective. We are in a Moderate Zone; could be worse, could be better,” he said.

Jahre went on to explain that the height of daily cases and death rate so far was in April 2020. He said the case rate is rising, but the death rate is not, and hospitalizations are declining.

Representative Schlossberg added, “My worry is the trends. As contact tracing has evolved, my feeling is we need to err on the side of safety.”

“What did we do well?” asked Mello.

Jahre replied, “Both the Lehigh Valley Health Network and Saint Luke’s Health Network had a pandemic response plan in place; we had to build on it. Both networks have a lot of hospitals in their orbit. We were able to transfer equipment and personnel to where they were needed.”

He added that there was a team working on treatments, and “we have some of the best results nationally in terms of (patient) outcomes.”

The national shortage of personal protective equipment did not spare the Lehigh Valley. Jahre pointed out two innovations in the Lehigh Valley that addressed this issue. He said, “The Zapper Machine, patented by engineers at Lehigh University, was the first such cleaning machine specifically for N95 masks.” He also said, “Saint Luke’s was the first health network in the country to produce 3d printed N95 masks.”

Another simple but very successful part of the local response from St. Luke’s was having information about COVID-19 distributed in multiple languages.

Jahre also complimented the organization structure, explaining that talented team members were given freedom and resources to run with their ideas.

Representative Schlossberg said the pandemic has shown “the need for strong county health departments”

He added the pandemic also revealed “systemic society issues, and vulnerable people.” He added, “Federalism was not meant for pandemics.”

He said both political parties failed in their response to the pandemic.

Moving forward, he said the federal government should be helping industries that have been devastated by the pandemic, by channeling resources to the state governments for implementation.

Both Jahre and Schlossberg agreed that the most crucial work is done at the local level.

Jahre also described the likely distribution of a vaccine when it is ready. First responders and elderly citizens would be the first vaccine recipients. Next would be other essential workers. Months later, the vaccine would be distributed to the general population.

Jahre pointed to the effectiveness of the polio vaccine program as a model to follow.

But he cautioned that there is no “magic bullet” that will end the COVID-19 threat.

Schlossberg said his “greatest fear is that COVID-19 will exacerbate the divide between the rich and the poor.”

Mello added the situation is confounded by rising real estate prices.

Jahre said there “needs to be better cooperation because these things (pandemic) will happen in the future.”

The Great Decisions panel discussions will continue in 2021. The discussions will be on Zoom on Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 3, and continuing weekly through March 24. To register, go to www.ywcabethlehem.org and click on Great Decisions.