The COVID-19 pandemic has had many profound, long-lasting effects on our personal and professional lives. It has influenced our views on how we live, where we work, and importantly, the ways which we interact with people and the world around us. Although efforts to curb the spread of the virus limited our physical associations, the necessity to set aside differences and coalesce as a global community was never more important. Collaborative efforts in scientific research and public health played an undeniably important role in addressing the myriad of challenges that were presented throughout the pandemic. During this time of global uncertainty, however, certain aspects of collaboration succeeded while others faltered and fell short of reaching their potential in the face of adversity.
Even prior to the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11th, 2020, the scientific community had taken advantage of global information sharing capabilities to accelerate our understanding of the virus. Researchers in China sequenced the SARS-CoV-2 genome and made this genetic code available through public databases on January 12th, 2020. This commenced a global surveillance effort, where uploading of SARS-CoV-2 sequences to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) platform enabled researchers to monitor viral spread and emerging variants.
Successful public-private partnerships played a pivotal role in the rapid development, testing, and distribution of numerous effective COVID-19 vaccines and diagnostic tests. One notable collaboration which produced the innovative BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine occurred between Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical company, and BioNTech, a German biotechnology company specializing in mRNA-based human therapeutics. Project “Lightspeed” combined the expertise and experience of both Pfizer and BioNTech to develop the world’s first authorized mRNA vaccine, being approved for distribution in late December 2020. The urgency of the pandemic prompted rigorous Phase 3 clinical trials of the vaccine to commence in parallel with manufacturing optimization processes. With Pfizer’s infrastructure to conduct such large-scale clinical trials, this approach permitted a faster distribution timeline without compromising safety and efficacy standards.
With the goal of guaranteeing fair access and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines for people in all countries, COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) was a worldwide initiative launched in April 2020. This collaborative effort between various international organizations, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI), and the WHO, emphasized the interconnectedness of global health. By fostering a coordinated, inclusive, and equitable approach, COVAX placed a strong emphasis on supporting lower-income countries who struggled to independently secure an adequate supply of vaccines and faced logistical challenges with distribution. By pooling funds from wealthier countries using the Advance Market Commitment financial mechanism, the COVAX initiative ensured vaccine manufacturing was supported prior to approval and that dose procurement was arranged for all participating nations. This collective approach between the 184 participating countries of COVAX mitigated disparities in vaccine access and limited vaccine nationalism that may have otherwise exacerbated global health inequalities.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic saw an unprecedented increase in first-time collaborations between research groups, acting as a catalyst of scientific novelty and innovation, there were many instances where collaborative efforts were overshadowed by perpetual shortcomings and missteps. One instance which exacerbated the challenges faced during the pandemic was the lack of a cohesive and coordinated global governance and leadership strategy. The absence of a unified approach and highly divergent regional responses hindered efforts to contain the virus and protect vulnerable populations. Despite effective strategies to limit transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 being discovered during early months of the pandemic, global epidemiological data was not always translated into a strategic response. The implementation of swift and stringent lockdowns, by countries such as New Zealand, proved to successfully eliminate community transmission for extended periods. In contrast, nations such as Sweden adopted more of a lenient approach to minimize economic disruptions at the cost of a higher per capita death rate compared to neighboring countries. The further absence of an integrated approach implementing travel restrictions and border control measures complicated efforts to contain international spread of the virus.
Contact tracing app technology was extensively developed and implemented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to help identify and notify individuals who may have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2. In Canada, the federal government collaborated with provincial health authorities to launch the COVID Alert app in July 2020. Despite the nationwide efforts to utilize these technological advancements for disease surveillance, the decentralized nature of public health management and infrastructure across regions in Canada led to many challenges. A drastic lack of standardization and interoperability among provinces and territories limited the effectiveness of contact tracing as gaps in information sharing existed. Further, this federal and provincial collaboration approach to adopt contact tracing apps failed to provide solutions which addressed technological inequalities, typically faced by older individuals or those in lower-income brackets lacking access to smartphone apps. Despite collaborative efforts, a lack of effective solutions were presented to tackle the digital divide within Canada which ultimately limited the effectiveness of contact tracing apps.
As the world prepares for future health crises, it is essential that lessons learned from collaborative efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic are addressed in policy and decision-making strategies. Whether this involves reflecting on the positive power of collective efforts or criticizing cooperative shortcomings, there exists a large opportunity to strengthen collaborative frameworks to ensure that society is best prepared for cohesive and effective action when the time comes.
Matthew Bianca
