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Effects of COVID-19 on U.S. Small Businesses: Evidence from Owners, Managers, and Employees
From the Abstract: "We analyze a large-scale survey of small business owners, managers, and employees in the United States to understand the effects of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic on those businesses. We explore two waves of the survey that were fielded on Facebook in April 2020 and December 2020. We document five facts about the impact of the pandemic on small businesses. (1) Larger firms, older firms, and male-owned firms were more likely to remain open during the early stages of the pandemic, with many of these heterogeneities persisting through the end of 2020. (2) At businesses that remained open, concerns about demand shocks outweighed concerns about supply shocks, though the relative importance of supply shocks grew over time. (3) In response to the pandemic, almost a quarter of the firms reduced their prices, with price reductions concentrated among businesses facing financial constraints and demand shocks; almost no firms raised prices. (4) Only a quarter of small businesses had access to formal sources of financing at the start of the pandemic, and access to formal financing affected how firms responded to the pandemic. (5) Increased household responsibilities affected the ability of managers and employees to focus on their work, while increased business responsibilities impacted their ability to take care of their household members. This effect persisted through December 2020 and was particularly strong for women and parents of school-aged children. We discuss how these facts inform our understanding of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and how they can help design policy responses to similar shocks."
New York University. Stern Center for Business and Human Rights
Kuchler, Theresa; Alekseev, Georgij; Amer, Safaa . . .
2021-11
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Rethinking Health Security After COVID-19
From the Executive Summary: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has posed major challenges to existing systems of global health governance. Even countries considered leaders in health preparedness, notably the US and the UK, struggled to contain COVID-19 domestically and were unable to mount an effective international response. As a result, the world suffered over 4.4 million deaths and an estimated 4.4 per cent decline in global GDP [Gross domestic product] in 2020 alone - the deepest global recession since the end of World War II. The economic and health impacts of the pandemic have, meanwhile, fallen disproportionately on the world's most disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. COVID-19 has therefore laid bare deep fissures in the current global health architecture and highlighted the need for urgent reform. One proposal for reducing the risk of future pandemics is to elevate public health as a national security priority."
University of Oxford. Blavatnik School of Government.
Moodie, Amanda; Gerami, Nima; D'Alessandra, Federica
2021-11
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Adapting to Endemic Covid-19: The Outlook for Business Travel
From the Executive Summary: "'COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has had a major effect on Travel & Tourism, leading to financial losses of almost US$4.5 trillion and a loss of more than 62 million jobs. But there are signs that the sector is beginning to recover, with global travel spending on the rise.' However, the road to recovery will be a long and winding one, given the likelihood that COVID-19 will become endemic. Experts, including the World Health Organization (WHO), predict that the pandemic will not end with the virus disappearing, but rather that the virus will persist, albeit with decreased potency over time. In this context, the Travel & Tourism sector may need to contend with shifts in international travel restrictions which could last for several years. This report examines what endemic COVID-19 could mean for the sector, and for business travel in particular. It draws on insights from Travel & Tourism stakeholders around the world to shed light on the shifting trends experienced over the past 18 months--and how these may influence the sector's recovery. The report also highlights opportunities and offers potential actions that stakeholders can take to adjust to the new reality and strengthen recovery." Source: World Travel & Tourism Council: Adapting to Endemic Covid-19: The Outlook For Business Travel, October 2021. All rights reserved. Licensed under the Attribution, Non-Commercial 4.0 International Creative Commons Licence.
World Travel & Tourism Council
Misrahi, Tiffany; Royds, Lethabo-Thabo
2021-11
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Healthcare Provider Shortages: Resources and Strategies for Meeting Demand
From the Document: "Staff shortages have been a primary challenge in the management of patient surge during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and other disasters. Healthcare providers may become ill, family concerns may decrease the ability of staff to work extra hours, school closures may inhibit staff from performing normal duties, and physical and emotional fatigue causes burnout. Many healthcare workers are reducing hours, leaving the field, or taking contract jobs, further depleting the workforce, and increasing the stressors on remaining employees. In a recent survey of leaders from 100 large and private sector hospitals, nearly half of respondents had to reduce inpatient capacity due to nursing shortages. Ongoing and close coordination with local, county, state, territorial, and tribal public health agencies, and coordination among healthcare facilities to ensure staffing remains at functional levels are vital throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters."
United States. Technical Resources, Assistance Center and Information Exchange; United States. Department of Health and Human Services; United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
Aronson, Scott; Bennett, Mary Ellen; Clawson, Susan Sutton . . .
2021-11
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Ignored Pandemic: The Dual Crises of Gender-Based Violence and COVID-19
From the Summary: "Globally, the prevalence of violence against women and girls by an intimate partner in 2018 was higher than the prevalence of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] in the past 12 months, throwing into sharp relief the disparity in attention and resources each crisis has received. Coronavirus has devastated efforts to prevent and respond to GBV [Gender-Based Violence] and catalyzed an explosion in global GBV case numbers. Data from 10 countries shows calls to domestic violence or GBV helplines increased by 25 to 111% in the first months of the pandemic as women, including trans women, and girls and LGBTQIA+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual] people were isolated with their abusers and cut off from social networks and essential and life-saving services. [...] In this paper, we will explore the impact of coronavirus on victims and survivors of GBV, consider the implications of a continued failure to respond, and call for a stronger link to be made between efforts to recover from COVID-19 and efforts to end the less recognized but equally devastating GBV pandemic."
Oxfam International
Harvey, Rowan
2021-11
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'Final Audit Report': The Peace Corps' Compliance with Cares Act Supplemental Funding Requirements
From the Executive Summary: "The Peace Corps responded to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by suspending all Volunteer activities and evacuating approximately 7,000 Volunteers and Trainees from 60 countries of service. The fiscal and programmatic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Peace Corps operations is substantial. For the first time since its establishment in 1961, the Peace Corps is without a single overseas Volunteer. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act allotted the Peace Corps $88 million in supplemental funding to respond to COVID-19 available through September 30, 2022. Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued subsequent implementing guidance for the law. The objective of this compliance audit was to assess Peace Corps' internal controls over the budget, obligation, and disbursement of CARES Act funds including reimbursements for expenses incurred prior to the enactment of this act on March 27, 2020. Our work included assessing internal controls, interviewing agency officials, and reviewing financial processes and supporting documentation. Based on our review, we concluded that the Peace Corps complied with the provisions of the CARES Act, OMB implementing guidance, and other relevant policies."
Peace Corps (U.S.). Office of Inspector General
2021-11
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Social Security Administration's Telephone Service Performance
From the Background: "On July 21, 2020, John Larson, Chair, and Tom Reed, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Social Security, requested we answer a series of questions related to SSA's [ Social Security Administration] telephone services during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. For this review, we obtained SSA's telephone service data for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 (October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020). We compared SSA's performance data from October 2019 through March 2020 with the data from April through September 2020, when SSA limited in-person service. We also compared SSA's FY 2020 performance to other Federal agencies' and industry performance and to SSA's telephone service performance in FYs 2010 through 2019. In addition, we obtained information on changes in staffing and workloads, including steps SSA took to strengthen telephone services and better track and evaluate callers' experience and satisfaction in FY 2020. Finally, we identified changes SSA made in response to COVID-19, their effect on telephone performance metrics and customer service, and lessons SSA learned during COVID-19 related to telephone services."
United States. Social Security Administration. Office of the Inspector General
2021-11
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COVID-19 Uncertainty: A Tale of Two Tails
From the Abstract: "Uncertainty about own-firm sales growth rates over the year ahead roughly doubled in reaction to the COVID [coronavirus disease] shock, according to our surveys of U.S. and U.K. business executives. Firm-level uncertainty receded after spring 2020 but remains much higher than pre-COVID levels. Moreover, the 'nature' of firm-level uncertainty has shifted greatly since the pandemic struck: Initially, business executives perceived an enormous increase in downside uncertainty, which has now dissipated. As of October 2021, almost all of the extra firm-level uncertainty is to the upside. In short, economic uncertainty associated with the pandemic has morphed from a tale of the lower tail into a tale about the upper tail."
Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics
Bunn, Philip, 1979-; Altig, David, 1956-; Anayi, Lena . . .
2021-11
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Examining the Pandemic's Economic Effects on Women
From the Document: "This issue of 'Consumer & Community Context' is being released in conjunction with the Federal Reserve Board's Gender and the Economy Conference [hyperlink]. Together, these efforts demonstrate the Federal Reserve's interest in understanding the barriers to gender equality and strategies that achieve the benefits of a more inclusive economy. [...] In this issue, researchers from the Federal Reserve System present analysis of the pandemic's economic impact on women."
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.)
2021-11
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Telehealth Saves Money and Lives: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Introduction: "'Prior to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, few Americans could access telehealth to meet their health care needs. State and national lawmakers imposed enormous obstacles on patients seeking to virtually connect with their health care provider. Policymakers feared widespread telehealth use would increase spending on unnecessary health care services. As such, Medicare banned clinicians from delivering telehealth outside of rural communities and prohibited patients from receiving telehealth within their homes'. But that dynamic changed when the coronavirus pandemic arrived in the United States, shutting down large parts of the economy and forcing families to stay home to reduce the spread of infection. [...] As a result, telehealth became a safe, reliable source of high-quality care for tens of millions of Americans during the pandemic. [...] The pandemic provides an opportunity to study the impact of the increasing use of telehealth services on health care outcomes and costs. [...] Our study confirms a promising trend toward cost savings for patients who use a combination of in-person and telehealth services. These results should give lawmakers confidence to extend the telehealth provisions of the public health emergency rather than letting them expire."
Progressive Policy Institute (U.S.)
Kane, Arielle; Katebi, Charlie; Subramanian, Maha
2021-11
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Borrowing Proven Policy Strategies to Vaccinate Kids Against COVID-19: Lessons from Past Successes Can Provide a Roadmap for Ensuring Equity in Immunization Efforts
From the Introduction: "With the authorization of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccines for children ages five and older, focus is shifting to how the United States can deploy those shots widely and equitably. The country has yet to hone its approach to immunizing adults, as shown by low vaccination rates and persistent disparities in COVID-19 and other vaccines, such as flu shots. For vaccinating children against COVID-19, however, there is reason for optimism if policymakers and healthcare providers apply lessons from prior vaccination challenges and successes. The United States generally performs admirably in most children's immunizations, reaching more than 90 percent of kids for some vaccines, such as polio and chickenpox, and greatly reducing vaccination disparities in the past few decades. However, there also is cause for concern. For instance, disinformation and concerns about safety have made COVID-19 vaccines contentious for some people, and the United States has underperformed in the delivery of other similarly controversial vaccines."
State Health and Value Strategies { SHVS); State Health Access Data Assistance Center (Minn.)
2021-11
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Emergency Response: Changes in State Child Care Assistance Policies During the Pandemic
From the Introduction: "COVID [coronavirus disease] profoundly destabilized the already tenuous child care sector. During the early months of the pandemic, many child care programs were forced to close under state health and safety mandates. Programs that remained open or reopened during the crisis struggled with new health and safety protocols that increased costs. Many programs also saw a drop in enrollment as some parents had concerns about safety, and other parents decided not to use child care while they were working from home or unemployed. As a result, child care programs, which already had very tight margins prior to the pandemic, have experienced even more intense financial pressures during the pandemic."
National Women's Law Center
Schulman, Karen
2021-11
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Building Back Resilient: Strengthening Communities Through the COVID-19 Recovery
From the Executive Summary: "'This report aims to understand how the coronavirus outbreak has impacted social cohesion and integration. It asks what the post-pandemic environment will look like when it comes to community resilience, and what is needed to ensure that the economic hit imposed by COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] does not exacerbate tensions in communities. Ultimately, it asks how we can 'build back better' when it comes to cohesion, so that the period of hardship which is likely to follow the coronavirus pandemic does not harm resilience.' The COVID-19 pandemic will lead to a period of real economic difficulty for the UK. It has effectively created a 'perfect storm' - exposing weak social infrastructure, accelerating certain types of automation and stretching local authorities, many of which were hit hard by austerity long before the coronavirus. This is not just an economic crisis but one that undermines the resilience of our communities, and puts many at risk of division and rising hate. Our research has consistently shown how, during economically tough periods, resentments and frustrations can brew, and people look for someone to blame. When people have little hope for their own chances in life, it is much harder for them to show openness and compassion for others. And it easier for opportunists to exploit real fears with hatred. The post-pandemic landscape therefore poses enormous challenges for community resilience. This is likely to play out across geographic divides. Our research has consistently found that communities with the greatest anxiety about immigration and multiculturalism are also the ones which have suffered through economic decline, have weak civic, social and economic infrastructure, and feel most distant from power."
Hope not Hate (Organisation); Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Carter, Rosie; Clarke, Chris
2021-11
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What Do Middle-Income Countries Want from the IMF as They Look to Recover from the Pandemic?
From the Document: "After more than a year of grappling with the economic effects of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, many middle-income countries (MICs) will continue to experience health and economic dislocation for some time to come. While much of the global financial community's attention has focused on supporting low-income countries (LICs), the majority of the world's poor are in MICs, and economic recovery in these countries will be critical to an equitable and sustainable global future. [...] To understand the current reticence among MICs to access IMF [International Monetary Fund] support, CGD [Center for Global Development] held a closed-door meeting with current and former MIC officials from across the globe (central bank governors, deputy governors, and ministers of finance) earlier this year. With a view towards past experiences, we found four plausible explanations for the low uptake of IMF financial support during the pandemic. We identify these and give our take on how to deal with them below."
Center for Global Development
Plant, Mark W.; Rojas-Suárez, Liliana
2021-11
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COVID-19: State Carried Out Historic Repatriation Effort but Should Strengthen Its Preparedness for Future Crises, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "State [Department of State] provides repatriation assistance to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents abroad during crises such as the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. State's Office of Crisis Management and Strategy and Bureau of Consular Affairs were primarily responsible for State's COVID-19 repatriation effort. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its ongoing COVID-19 monitoring and oversight efforts. In addition, GAO was asked to examine State's COVID-19 repatriation effort. This report examines, among other things, (1) the results of State's repatriation effort, including lessons State reported learning from challenges it faced; (2) the consistency of selected aspects of State's repatriation effort with its policies and procedures; and (3) State's oversight of its overseas posts' crisis preparedness."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-11
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US Emergency Food Aid Programs: In the Current COVID-19 Global Environment, Commonsense Reforms Are Overdue
From the Key Points: "[1] The United States international emergency food aid program has done a tremendous amount of good for people in dire need of help since it was first launched nearly 70 years ago in 1954. [2] However, mandates that forces the program to buy almost all US food aid at home and ship at least half of it on US-registered vessels are exceptionally costly in budgetary and humanitarian terms and are damaging to national security by limiting the exercise of soft power. [3] At the same time, the domestic policy rationales used to justify those mandates in 1954 have effectively disappeared over the past 30 or so years. [and 4] The rest of the world's emergency food aid donors have shed the shackles of procurement and shipping mandates. As commercial shipping freight rates and food prices continue to soar, severely constricting US Agency for International Development's ability to use the fixed budget allocated for the international food aid program, it is time for the US to follow suit."
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Barrett, Christopher B. (Christopher Brendan); Smith, Vincent H.
2021-11
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COVID-19: HHS Agencies' Planned Reviews of Vaccine Distribution and Communication Efforts Should Include Stakeholder Perspectives, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Vaccination remains critical in the federal response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Vaccine implementation-- prioritizing, allocating, distributing, and administering doses--requires coordination among federal, state, and local levels and other stakeholders. HHS agencies--including CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and HRSA [Health Resources and Services Administration]--set up federal vaccine distribution programs, such as CDC's retail pharmacy program that sends doses directly to pharmacies. The federal government also sends vaccine doses to states for further distribution. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [U.S. Government Accountability Office] to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report examines (1) stakeholder perspectives on federal programs to distribute and administer COVID-19 vaccines, (2) efforts to inform health officials, providers, and the public about vaccination, and (3) actions HHS [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] agencies are taking to evaluate their vaccine implementation efforts. GAO reviewed data and documents from HHS, CDC, and HRSA, and reviewed information from and interviewed state and local health officials in four states and one city selected, in part, for geographic variation. GAO also interviewed other stakeholders, including 12 national associations representing health care providers and others."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-11
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How Conspiracists Exploited COVID-19 Science
From the Document: "Instead of envisioning an untidy world filled with randomness, unintended consequences, innocent action gone awry and new evidence, conspiracists envision one that is inhabited by powerful individuals who conceal malign activities and intent. The fluid nature of emergent science provides fuel for conspiracy theorists who offer certainty in place of the provisional, sometimes-updated statements of health experts. At the same time, conspiracy proponents question the trustworthiness and motives of those in the federal agencies, philanthropic institutions and pharmaceutical companies who fund basic research and develop, deliver and, in the case of some of the federal agencies, regulate public access to medical treatments, including vaccines. Filtering the world through these lenses, during the pandemic conspiracists have drawn on and manipulated statements and actions by public health experts, such as Dr Anthony Fauci (director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases), on topics that range from mask wearing and COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] treatments to vaccine safety and the funding of coronavirus research. Understanding the susceptibilities that conspiracists exploit should help us to identify ways to better safeguard both the trustworthiness of health science and public trust in it."
Springer Nature (Firm)
Jamieson, Kathleen Hall
2021-11-01
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Election Assistance Commission: Assessment of Lessons Learned Could Improve Grants Administration, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "During the 2020 federal elections, the EAC [U.S. Election Assistance Commission] administered $400 million in grant funds provided by the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act to help states prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The CARES Act included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report (1) describes information that the EAC provided to state and local election officials for conducting elections during the pandemic, (2) describes how the EAC administered CARES Act grant funding, and (3) examines the extent to which the EAC assessed its CARES Act grants administration."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-11
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Misinformation: An Empirical Study with Scientists and Communicators During the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Introduction: "Public discussion of false or misleading information about COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has been a prominent feature of the current pandemic. Studies of Twitter and YouTube activity about COVID-19 in early 2020 showed alarmingly high rates of misinformation, with up to a quarter of tweets/popular YouTube videos containing false or unverifiable information. The spread of misinformation about COVID-19 has been described as a threat to public health since people with false beliefs about COVID-19 are more likely to act in ways that put themselves and global populations at risk. The spread of 'misinformation' on science topics - false, inaccurate or misleading information, with or without the intention to deceive - is not a new problem. It is, however, of particular concern during a pandemic because of the urgency of the situation and the need to rely heavily on each other to behave responsibly. [...] Ultimately, we want to inform conversations about how to facilitate timely spread of high-quality science while protecting the public from misinformation arising from the spread of low-quality science. Our research goals were: [1] To identify and analyse the views of science knowledge experts about the spread of science misinformation using the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as a key case study and stimulus for discussion. [2] To identify strategies to reduce spread of scientific misinformation into the future."
BMJ Open Science
Parker, Lisa; Byrne, Jennifer A.; Goldwater, Micah . . .
2021-10-29
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 29, 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Routine Vaccination Coverage -- Worldwide, 2020"; "Cake Decorating Luster Dust Associated with Toxic Metal Poisonings -- Rhode Island and Missouri, 2018-2019"; "Current Marijuana Use and Alcohol Consumption Among Adults Following the Legalization of Nonmedical Retail Marijuana Sales -- Colorado, 2015-2019"; "Update of the Blood Lead Reference Value -- United States, 2021"; "Severity of Disease Among Adults Hospitalized with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Before and During the Period of SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] B.1.617.2 (Delta) Predominance -- COVID-NET [COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network], 14 States, January-August 2021"; and '"Quickstats': Percentage of Adults Who Received Any Mental Health Treatment in the Past 12 Months, by Age Group and Year -- National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019-2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-10-29
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 29, 2021: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' Interim Recommendations for Additional Primary and Booster Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines -- United States, 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' Interim Recommendations for Additional Primary and Booster Doses of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccines -- United States, 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-10-29
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 29, 2021: Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 Among Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19-Like Illness with Infection-Induced or mRNA Vaccine-Induced SARS-CoV-2 Immunity -- Nine States, January-September 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Among Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19-Like Illness with Infection-Induced or mRNA [messenger ribonucleic acid] Vaccine-Induced SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Immunity -- Nine States, January-September 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-10-29
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Quarterly Report to the United States Congress: July to September 2021
From the Document: "When the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic threatened to wreak havoc on the health and economic well-being of the American people, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to invest trillions of dollars to address these extraordinary challenges. Unfortunately, this vital investment of taxpayer dollars has been put at risk of fraud, waste, and abuse by bad actors, who seek to gain at the expense of those most in need. We at the Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) have pursued our mission aggressively and proactively to detect and investigate such wrongdoing."
United States. Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery
2021-10-29
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Updated Assessment on COVID-19 Origins
From the Document: "After examining all available intelligence reporting and other information, though, the IC [Intelligence Community] remains divided on the most likely origin of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. All agencies assess that two hypotheses are plausible: natural exposure to an infected animal and a laboratory-associated incident. [1] Four IC elements and the National Intelligence Council assess with low confidence that the initial SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] infection was most likely caused by natural exposure to an animal infected with it or a close progenitor virus--a virus that probably would be more than 99 percent similar to SARS-CoV-2. These analysts give weight to China's officials' lack of foreknowledge, the numerous vectors for natural exposure, and other factors. [2] One IC element assesses with moderate confidence that the first human infection with SARS-CoV-2 most likely was the result of a laboratory-associated incident, probably involving experimentation, animal handling, or sampling by the Wuhan Institute of Virology. These analysts give weight to the inherently risky nature of work on coronaviruses. [3] Analysts at three IC elements remain unable to coalesce around either explanation without additional information, with some analysts favoring natural origin, others a laboratory origin, and some seeing the hypotheses as equally likely. [4] Variations in analytic views largely stem from differences in how agencies weigh intelligence reporting and scientific publications and intelligence and scientific gaps. The IC judges they will be unable to provide a more definitive explanation for the origin of COVID-19 unless new information allows them to determine the specific pathway for initial natural contact with an animal or to determine that a laboratory in Wuhan was handling SARS-CoV-2 or a close progenitor virus before COVID-19 emerged."
United States. Office of the Director of National Intelligence; National Intelligence Council (U.S.)
2021-10-29?
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Lessons Learnt from the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Financial Stability Perspective: Final Report
From the Introduction: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic is the first major test of the global financial system after the financial crisis of 2008. While the core of the financial system - including major banks and financial market infrastructures (FMIs) - proved resilient, the macroeconomic shock led initially to severe liquidity stress in some other parts of the system. In particular, the stress in key funding markets highlighted financial vulnerabilities in parts of the NBFI [non-bank financial intermediation] sector and prompted unprecedented central bank intervention. While significantly different in nature from the 2008 crisis, this real-life test holds important lessons for financial policy, especially on the functioning of the G20 [Group of 20] financial regulatory reforms. Against this background, the Italian G20 Presidency asked the FSB [Financial Stability Board] to identify preliminary lessons for financial stability from the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this request, the FSB, in collaboration with SSBs, prepared an interim report on lessons learnt. [...] This final report updates the assessment provided in the July interim report and outlines actions by the FSB and SSBs [standard-setting bodies] in response to lessons learnt. The update reflects feedback from external stakeholders and the FSB RCGs [Regional Consultative Groups], obtained through outreach events. It also takes into account recent studies in this area and progress made in relevant international initiatives."
Financial Stability Board
2021-10-28
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Synergistic Interventions to Control COVID-19: Mass Testing and Isolation Mitigates Reliance on Distancing
From the Author Summary: "The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] and the strategies used to manage it have come at significant societal costs. We analyze how mixed control strategies, which utilize interventions that prevent new infections from occurring (e.g., distancing or shut-downs) and others that actively search for and isolate existing infections (here, mass testing), can achieve improved public health outcomes while avoiding severe socio-economic burdens. Our results suggest that increasing testing capacity, including the number of tests available and the speed at which test results are provided, can reduce reliance on costly preventative interventions. Such reduction is possible with more isolation of active infections, including those without reported symptoms. However, failing to maintain preventative interventions without sufficient testing capacity can lead to large increases in infection burdens. By defining the combined effect of these interventions through mathematical models, this study provides insight into relaxation of distancing measures, and lays the groundwork for future public health economics analyses on the cost-effectiveness of combined management strategies."
Public Library of Science
Howerton, Emily; Ferrari, Matthew J.; Bjornstad, Ottar N. . . .
2021-10-28
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Pandemic Surveillance Discrimination
From the Webpage Abstract: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has laid bare the abiding tension between surveillance and privacy. Public health epidemiology has long utilized a variety of surveillance methods--such as contact tracing, quarantines, and mandatory reporting laws--to control the spread of disease during past epidemics and pandemics. Officials have typically justified the resulting intrusions on privacy as necessary for the greater public good by helping to stave off larger health crisis. The nature and scope of public health surveillance in the battle against COVID-19, however, has significantly changed with the advent of new technologies. [...] This Essay examines the discord between public health surveillance and privacy rights and argues that the bio-surveillance technologies being used to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic--such as contact tracing apps, GPS [Global Positioning System] ankle monitors and other wearables, the collection of cell phone location data, genomic testing, and targeted quarantines--can potentially exacerbate discrimination against racial minorities and immigrants. The Essay concludes with legal and policy solutions on how to utilize public health surveillance tools to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while guarding against privacy violations and racial bias."
University of Pittsburgh. School of Law
Sundquist, Christian Powell
2021-10-27?
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Memorandum from Majority Staff to Members, Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Regarding Coronavirus Infections and Deaths Among Meatpacking Workers at Top Five Companies Were Nearly Three Times Higher Than Previous Estimates, October 27, 2021
From the Executive Summary: "As the coronavirus spread rapidly through the United States in the spring of 2020, meatpacking facilities became hotspots for outbreaks that sickened and killed meatpacking workers and likely caused significant spread in surrounding communities. Following multiple reports of widescale coronavirus outbreaks within and around meatpacking facilities, the Select Subcommittee initiated an investigation into coronavirus infections and deaths in meatpacking plants, and failures by meatpacking companies and the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to safeguard workers against workplace coronavirus outbreaks in the first year of the pandemic. This investigation has revealed that the impact of the coronavirus on meatpacking workers' health and safety was significantly worse than previously estimated. 'Newly obtained documents from five of the largest meatpacking conglomerates, which represent over 80 percent of the market for beef and over 60 percent of the market for pork in the United States--JBS USA Food Company (JBS), Tyson Foods, Inc. (Tyson), Smithfield Foods (Smithfield), Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation (Cargill), and National Beef Packing Company, LLC (National Beef)--reveal that coronavirus infections and deaths among their meatpacking workers were substantially higher than previously estimated.'"
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Oversight and Reform. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
2021-10-27
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Assessment of the COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on the 2020 ACS 1-Year Data
From the Introduction: "In 2020, the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic caused disruptions in the daily lives of people in the United States and around the world. Policies meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus (such as community-level stay-at-home orders) forced organizations to change how they operate. The pandemic complicated the operations of the American Community Survey (ACS) in a variety of ways. Throughout the year, the survey adapted to the circumstances by changing operations to protect the health and safety of Census Bureau staff and the public. [...] This report describes the elements of the survey that were affected by the pandemic. The information is presented in order of survey processes."
U.S. Census Bureau; United States. Department of Commerce
Baumgardner, Stephanie; Raglin, David; Asiala, Mark . . .
2021-10-27
