Cooperation under Pressure: Lessons from the COVID-19 Swab Crisis

The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic were marked by a desperate need for nasopharyngeal swabs to test for SARS-CoV-2, with demand far outstripping supply. April marked the anniversary of an unprecedented nationwide multibusiness/multihospital partnership that successfully met this need, a fitting occasion to review lessons learned. Here, I briefly recount the key events, constraints, and thought processes surrounding the effort in order to better inform responses to future crises. Overall, the experience was a strong validation of Joy's Law and illustrated the utility of recognizing temptations to avoid, in order to reap the rewards of cooperation. I conclude by summarizing lessons learned.

Automated summary

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high demand for nasopharyngeal swabs to test for the virus, leading to a shortage in supply. A nationwide partnership involving multiple businesses and hospitals successfully met this demand and provided valuable lessons for future crisis responses, highlighting the importance of cooperation.