Lisa M. Koonin is an American public health official and medical researcher associated with the development of social distancing as a strategy to prevent the spread of viral diseases.[1]
Dr. Lisa M. Koonin worked for over 30 years in the US government's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and was involved in planning for and managing responses to national and international viral and natural disasters.[2] During her career at CDC, she led the development of national pandemic preparedness plans and policies, conducted large-format exercises, and consulted with businesses, state and local governments, healthcare facilities, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and ministries of health around the world, to improve emergency preparedness.
She is one of the public health leaders featured in Michael Lewis's new book, The Premonition. This author describes how Koonin, as part of a small team, developed pandemic “social distancing” measures, and the role that she played in developing the national policy that informed mitigation measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Koonin founded Health Preparedness Partners (HPP) after her career with CDC. HPP helps organizations in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, monkeypox and other infectious disease threats, including providing practical and detailed guidance about determining when and how to return to the workplace, strategies for protecting employees and managing ongoing risk mitigation, and preparing for future waves of COVID-19, as well as other threats. In her role, Koonin also provides consultation to businesses and organizations as they update their business continuity and emergency response plans informed by lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Lipton, Eric; Steinhauer, Jennifer (22 April 2020). "The Untold Story of the Birth of Social Distancing". New York times. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
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