Rudolf Virchow, a 19th century physician and public health pioneer, once wrote that “medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing more than medicine on a grand scale”.
He was among the first to appreciate the profound influence of political decisions and public policy on health.
Virchow’s words resonate strongly as we see elected officials grapple with COVID-19. After all, medicine is a balancing act aiming to ameliorate illness without unduly harming the patient in the process.
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