Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency due to the spread of the novel coronavirus on March 9, 2020. This was the same week that the World Health Organization declared a pandemic due to the global spread of COVID-19.

The world has changed in myriad ways since then, with the pandemic ushering in new ways in which to work, socialize and communicate with each other.

The transformations in healthcare can't be understated. Mask mandates, mass vaccinations, telehealth visits and increased vaccine skepticism played roles in the spread and containment of COVID-19.

Now, with politics becoming even more divisive, some health officials fear that the United States is moving backwards in its ability to provide health care services to the public in the face of infectious diseases.

Monday on the "Sound of Ideas," we'll talk about the health care landscape post-pandemic, the lessons learned, and the areas that still need improvement.

The Trump administration has already been enacting sweeping changes to public health, including pulling out of the World Health Organization, and the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, as the head of Health and Human Services.

Our panel of guests will discuss how changes like that will shape the country's spread of emerging diseases like avian flu or seasonal illnesses like influenza.

Guests:
- Raed Dweik, MD, Chief of the Integrated Hospital Care Institute, The Cleveland Clinic
- Prakash Ganesh, MD, Medical Director, Cuyahoga County Board of Public Health
- Tara Smith, PhD, Epidemiologist - College of Public Health, Kent State University