Duke professor says coronavirus crisis is a 'call to action' on global health

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Duke English Professor Dr. Priscilla Wald's book, 'Contagious' was published long before coronavirus turned into a global health emergency, but the concerns she raised then fit the crisis now.

The book is a study of how the coverage of these outbreaks too often fuels fear rather than a push to solve the root causes of the emergency.

"These crises are symptoms of much bigger problems," Wald said in a Skype interview. "The problem is that we only hear about something like this when it hits the crisis situation."

Wald wants deeper conversation about the problems that turn outbreaks into pandemics. She argues global poverty and limited access to adequate health care makes millions more likely to contract and pass along the illness; and the virus more likely to mutate and harder to develop a vaccine.

"So the question is why we aren't thinking in broader terms about the kinds of infrastructural and economic changes that would make it less likely for an outbreak to become a dangerous one," Wald said.

At RDU International Airport on Friday, increasing numbers of travelers were wearing surgical masks as a personal protection against coronavirus.

"We're going into JFK Airport, one of the largest airports, and we wanted to make sure that we were safe today," said Margaret Windett Simms who was traveling with her son.

But health officials warn that only patients diagnosed with the virus should wear masks. They say others could actually be increasing their risk of contamination. Perhaps, another sign of panic that can emerge during global outbreaks

"I think the language of crisis is one of the reason we can't listen," Wald said.

Whether its MERS, SARS or coronavirus -- Dr. Wald insists the public's better served by not simply a narrative about these emerging infections, but a deeper dive into why we have these emerging infections.