Science and Public Service during a Pandemic: Reflections from the Scientists of the Philippine Government’s Covid-19 Surveillance Platform

Abstract

During the Covid-19 pandemic, science plays an important role in understanding and intervening in local outbreaks. Conducting scientific operations for pandemic response also takes on unique human and social dimensions. Reflexivity is often a key to understanding the perspectives that scientists take in applying theory to practice. In this essay we share that reflexivity by detailing personal reflections as scientists of FASSSTER, an integrated platform providing scientific intelligence to the Philippine government for monitoring and responding to the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

KEYWORDS: COVID-19 • SCIENCE–POLICY INTERACTIONS •DISEASE SURVEILLANCE • BOUNDARY WORK • ACTION RESEARCH