President Biden’s first few days on the job gave us a very clear view on how he sees conquering COVID: through a whole-of-government approach to public policies that bolster directly addressing the virus, along with the many forces shaping how we got here and how to come out of the pandemic era stronger.

I cover this first wave of Biden health policy in my latest post for the Medecision Liberation blog titled, “Top Priorities for President Biden: COVID-19, Then Everything Else.”

The plotline goes…

On the day of inauguration, January 20, 2021, Joseph R. Biden was installed as the 46th president of the United States and the nation saw the highest number of deaths due to the coronavirus.

Within hours of his inaugural ceremony, President Biden sat at the Resolute Desk and signed in over a dozen Executive Orders focused on the virus and the economy.

On Day 2, he called out “wartime” on COVID-19 and exercised the Defense Production Act (DPA).

The President’s National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness is built on seven key pillars: rebuilding trust, getting vaccinations to Americans’ arms, promulgating national public health standards, exercising the DPA, safely opening schools and businesses, advancing equity across all public policies and U.S. Cabinet areas, and restoring U.S. global leadership to prepare for the next pandemic.

Health equity and equal opportunity are baked into President Biden’s plans. When he talks of “building back better,” he means for “everyone,” not just those on the upper wing of the so-called “K-recovery.”

To bolster the national economy, and especially small business and people whose jobs have been lost, hours cut, or those forced to stay home to school children (largely women in the “She-Cession”), Janet Yellen, the new Secretary of the Treasure (now confirmed) supporting “going big” with the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan budget.

Ultimately, U.S. health citizens support attacking COVID-19 through testing, federal support for vaccines, expanding telehealth, expanding the ACA, and reforming (lowering) prescription drug prices.

For the details, check out the post on the Medecision site