Panel discussion: The future for COVID-19 and respiratory diseases

Panel de discusión: El futuro para la COVID-19 y las enfermedades respiratorias

Abstract

The Discussion Panel “The Future of COVID-19 and Respiratory Diseases”, held at the 15th Student Medical Congress of the University of Sonora (2022), gathered experts in infectious diseases, epidemiology, pulmonology, and critical care. Three main topics were discussed: pandemic preparedness, clinical management of COVID-19 patients in 2020 vs. 2022, and future outlooks. The panel highlighted how societal responses differed depending on resources and politics, contrasting draconian strategies (e.g., China) with liberal ones (e.g., USA).
Medical knowledge evolved rapidly, with improvements in diagnostics, therapies, and critical care, though mistakes occurred due to rushed decisions and overwhelming information. The key lessons were to preserve prior medical knowledge, apply new technologies wisely, and emphasize continuous medical education as the foundation for preventing and addressing future health crises.