A convergence of crises: how do we move community practice forward?

Abstract

As we write this editorial, the COVID-19 pandemic continues, but has shifted to a different phase in which public health mandates, restrictions, and recommendations have lessened, vaccines are available for all ages six-months and older, and tentative conversations about what an endemic stage of the virus looks like have begun. Despite these changes, the virus case and positivity rates continue to fluctuate with the emergence of new variants and seasonal patterns of individuals engaging in travel and gatherings. Globally, as of early July 2022, there have been 547,901,157 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,339,899 deaths, and over 12 billion vaccine doses have been administered. In the United States as of early July, 86,512,787 COVID-19 cases have been reported, including 1,010,089 deaths, and approximately 66% of the total US population has been fully vaccinated. Data suggests that more than 40% of US adults have had COVID-19, with 1 in 13 US adults experiencing “long COVID,” symptoms lasting three or more months after contracting the virus (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Additionally, the pandemic has amplified mental health concerns. In the first year of the pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%, with the most severe impact on young people, women, and people with preexisting physical health conditions (World Health Organization, 2022). During the pandemic in the U.S., approximately 4 in 10 adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, up from 1 in 10 the year prior to the pandemic (Panchal et al., 2021). However, as an early pandemic report from the United Nations warned: