The COVID-19 pandemic was uniquely colored by the Trump administration, to put it lightly. Almost five years ago, Donald Trump downplayed the public health emergency, spread misinformation and failed to mount a coherent response to the crisis that ultimately killed an estimated 400,000 Americans by the time he left office. COVID is still with us, though it is far less deadly thanks to vaccines, advanced treatments and acquired immunity. But it could surge yet again, as it just did at the tail end of summer. Meanwhile, the bird flu crisis continues to worsen, escalating fears of another pandemic.
All of this and more is weighing heavily on the minds of public health officials as they prepare for another Trump administration. The incoming surgeon general — 48-year-old Janette Nesheiwat, a Fox News contributor, vitamin supplement seller, and medical director of the CityMed network of urgent care clinics — will be tasked with the near impossible: protecting the health of Americans against the odds, which unfortunately includes the administration itself.
