Multi-sector Situational Awareness in the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Southwest Ohio Experience

The SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged and spread quickly, leading to a pandemic within weeks of the first recognized cases. In this chapter, we describe a successful effort to develop and maintain situational awareness of COVID-19 presence and effects across Southwestern Ohio. Healthcare, public health, schools, and businesses organized and worked together to characterize the threat, align on common goals, share data, and spread messages in pursuit of disease suppression. The resulting communication across sector lines was key for understanding and managing the evolving phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Southwestern Ohio.