COLLEGE STATION, Texas, May 1, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Coinciding with the official end of the COVID public health emergency (PHE), the Trump Administration's "Testing Czar" concludes in a new memoir that preventing the next pandemic will require rising above partisan politics, corporate profiteering, and media hysteria.
"A 21st-century virus collided with our 19th-century public health infrastructure; those of us in leadership understood the dire reality of our situation, but nonetheless remained confident in the nation's ability to develop solutions. Now, perhaps, the end of the PHE can stimulate an honest discussion about what the Trump and Biden administrations did right, did wrong, and how the United States must reform our public health institutions to avert another catastrophe of this magnitude," said Giroir. "Preventing another pandemic is not as easy as replacing a president or 'following the science,'" he argues. "It's time to seek the unvarnished truth. I hope my honest effort to recount what I witnessed firsthand helps drive this necessary process forward."
From the pandemic's first days, Giroir grappled not only with unprecedented scientific and medical complexities, but also growing challenges to individual liberties experienced by the first Americans known exposed to the virus at that time. Giroir's memoir provides unique insights into the key "life-or-death" inflection points, as well as the interpersonal teamwork and conflicts, that ultimately defined the U.S. response to the pandemic.
Giroir recounts his experiences from the front lines of evacuations to the Oval Office, interacting daily with the president and vice president, including the day he was placed in charge of a failing national testing system. He illuminates the complex backdrop of personalities, conflicts, messaging, policies, and unprecedented politics that influenced critical decisions as COVID-19 evolved. He also lifts up many behind-the-scenes American heroes who overcame overwhelming odds to ultimately save thousands of lives.
Memoir of a Pandemic: Fighting COVID from the Front Lines to the White House
Texas A&M University Press
BRETT P. GIROIR, MD, is the former 16th Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, acting FDA Commissioner, U.S. representative to the executive board of the World Health Organization, and admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He was a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and national lead for testing under the Trump administration.
Endorsements
"Every American should read this insightful and gripping account to understand all our nation accomplished in the midst of the worst pandemic in 100 years and the difference one dedicated leader at United States Public Health Service made for millions of Americans." — former Vice President Mike Pence
"Admiral Giroir has a steady and calming voice, with an ability to explain complex issues with honesty, transparency, and conviction. His memoir ... is a very important part of the history that's being written of what happened and what we have learned about how to prepare for the next pandemic." — Dana Perino, Fox News anchor and former White House Press Secretary
"I have called Admiral Brett Giroir my 'indispensable man,' ... serving as one of the top leaders of the nation's COVID response. He didn't just have a front-row seat, he was on the stage. Few are better positioned to offer this critical narrative." — Alex M. Azar II, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
"Giroir shares his firsthand experiences and unfiltered assessments of the COVID-19 response ... a critical, unique foundation for an open and honest discussion about how we must prepare for the next pandemic." — Marty Makary, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins professor and NYT bestselling author of The Price We Pay
"Admiral Giroir has always been, first and foremost, not a politician, but a discerning, compassionate physician. His firsthand account of the coronavirus task force and Operation Warp Speed is compelling and well worth reading." — Mark K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, director of Doctor Radio on Sirius XM
Contact Information:Mia Heck
[email protected]
Original Source: Trump COVID 'Testing Czar': End of PHE a Time for Honest Assessment, Accountability, Discussion
