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• IDB COVID-19 Response Projects and Gender Integration

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  From the Introduction: "CGD's [Center for Global Development's] COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Gender and Development Initiative seeks to gather evidence on the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to ensure policy responses to the crisis reach and benefit women and girls. Research from around the world has shown that women have been hit hardest by the pandemic and economic crisis, suffering major setbacks in employment and entrepreneurship and shouldering more unpaid work than before. Our initiative focuses on low- and middle-income countries, where the impacts may be most damaging but where research is still lacking. The initiative focuses on three research questions: [1] What are the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis? [2] What are donors and policymakers doing in response to the crisis? [3] What else is needed?"

  Center for Global Development

  Bourgault, Shelby; Ross, Kelsey; O'Donnell, Megan

  2022-01
• COVID-19: HHS and DOD Transitioned Vaccine Responsibilities to HHS, but Need to Address Outstanding Issues, Report to Congressional Addressees

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  From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "Vaccines have played a crucial role in battling the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The CAG [Countermeasures Acceleration Group] worked with vaccine companies to develop COVID-19 vaccines, and made available a sufficient supply for all eligible people in the nation. An April 2021 memorandum of understanding between HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] and DOD called for the transfer of remaining CAG responsibilities to HHS and for identification of lessons learned. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report examines, among other things, the CAG's progress on (1) transitioning its responsibilities to HHS, and (2) developing a process for a joint interagency lessons learned review. GAO reviewed CAG transition and contracting documents and interviewed or received written responses from CAG officials, federal agencies, and representatives from the six vaccine companies that worked with the CAG. [...] GAO is making five recommendations related to workforce needs, scheduling best practices for vaccine-related activities; and lessons learned from key stakeholders. HHS did not concur with GAO's recommendation on workforce needs. GAO revised this recommendation based on updated information, but maintains that it continues to be valid, as discussed in the report."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2022-01
• Aviation After a Year of Pandemic: Economics, People, and Technology: Proceedings of a Workshop

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  From the Webpage Description: "Among the various segments of society affected by the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic over the past year and a half, few were hit as hard as the aviation industry. At its worst point, in March 2020, passenger volumes for U.S. airlines had dropped more than 95 percent. Airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, and other components of the air travel system faced an unprecedented challenge, with threats to the health of passengers and crews combined with threats to the financial health of the entire system. To address the many COVID-related issues facing the aviation industry, on June 28-30, 2021, the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a three-day workshop, Aviation After a Year of Pandemic - Economics, People, and Technology. Funded by the National Aeronautical and Space Administration and held remotely via Zoom, the workshop focused on four specific areas regarding the effects of COVID on the aviation industry: economics, personnel, technology, and next steps. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop."

  National Academies Press (U.S.)

  Pool, Robert, 1955-

  2022
• Changes in School Composition During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for School-Average Interim Test Score Use

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  From the Webpage Description: "School officials regularly use school-aggregate test scores to monitor school performance and make policy decisions. After the U.S. Department of Education offered assessment waivers to all 50 states in 2019-2020, many educators and policymakers advocated for assessment programs to be restarted in the 2020-2021 school year to evaluate the state of teaching and learning and to inform policies for recovery from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the use of school-aggregate test scores for these purposes relies on the assumption that differences in aggregate scores can be accurately interpreted as representing real and meaningful differences in school progress and performance. There are serious concerns about the accuracy of such interpretations even under routine schooling conditions, but the pandemic may exacerbate these issues and further compromise the comparability of these test scores. In this report, RAND researchers investigate one specific issue that may contaminate utilization of COVID-19-era school-aggregate scores and result in faulty comparisons with historical and other proximal aggregate scores: changes in school composition over time. To investigate this issue, they examine data from NWEA's [Northwest Evaluation Association] Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth assessments, interim assessments used by states and districts during the 2020-2021 school year."

  RAND Corporation

  Schweig, Jonathan David; Kuhfeld, Megan; Diliberti, Melissa . . .

  2022
• Changing Workforce: Supporting Older Workers Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond, Hearing Before the Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, April 29, 2021

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  This is the April 29, 2021 hearing on "Changing Workforce: Supporting Older Workers Amid the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Pandemic and Beyond," held before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. From the opening statement of Robert P. Casey, Jr.: "This hearing we are having today comes at a very critical time, as Congress discusses how to get American workers back on their feet and to pull our economy out of the ditch. Over the last year, workers in every occupation and in every corner of the country have felt the effects of the devastating economic recession created by COVID-19. [...] Fortunately, we are beginning to see the light at the end of this very dark tunnel. The American Rescue Plan contained critical investments to defeat the virus and help families, including, just by way of example, an extension of expanded unemployment benefits and a $1,400 direct payment; funding to help ensure employers are keeping workers safe and healthy in the workplace; and, third, a historic investment in vaccine distribution. [...] I believe we must pass the President's American Jobs Plan to make investments in our Nation's infrastructure that are long overdue. The investments in the American Jobs Plan will create millions of middle-class jobs, raise wages and help workers develop the skills that will power economic growth for years to come. Older workers will benefit enormously from this investment. As older workers are looking to return to work safely, it is also more important than ever that Congress dismantle barriers, the barriers that have long made it more difficult for them to succeed in the workplace." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Elizabeth White, Elise Gould, Ramsey Alwin, and David Poston,

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2022
• China and COVID-19: Alienation and Its Discontents

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  From the Summary: "China's responses to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] reveal an evolving dynamic of (a) containment and control; (b) limited disclosure; and (c) escalating resistance. These stand against a background of historical grievance against the West and alienation from the international health policy community exemplified by the United States and its European allies with whom China has ongoing disputes over trade, human rights, and security. China's COVID-19 response involves reaction to conflicting WHO [World Health Organization] themes of modernization and colonialization that both invite and inhibit participation by developing countries. Proclaiming support for modernization in medical training, equipment, and services, the PRC [People's Republic of China] has also emphasized the role of Chinese Traditional Medicine, while resisting WHO calls for disclosure of raw data, lab records, and case files. China's posture will require a measure of accommodation in global efforts to contain the pandemic and prepare for future outbreaks, combined with renewed efforts to improve cooperation and transparency."

  East-West Center

  Potter, Pitman B.

  2022-01
• Road to Recovery: Ramping Up COVID-19 Vaccines, Testing, and Medical Supply Chain, Virtual Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, February 3, 2021

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  This is the February 2, 2021 virtual hearing on "Road to Recovery: Ramping Up COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccines, Testing, and Medical Supply Chain" before the House Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Energy and Commerce. From the Opening Statement of Frank Pallone, Jr: "There is no more pressing issue to begin with than the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our response so far, and our need to increase vaccinations, testing, and mitigation, and building a robust supply chain. This pandemic is taking a devastating toll on families and communities all around our nation. More than 440,000 Americans have died from this terrible virus, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has projected that number will grow to more than 500,000 before the end of the month. As Americans, we mourn every loss. As Members of Congress, we must do everything we can to ensure this new Administration has all the tools and resources it needs to crush COVID-19." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Luciana Borio, Julie Morita, Michael O. Leavitt, and Greg Burel.

  United States. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce

  2022
• Freedom of Information Act: Selected Agencies Adapted to the COVID-19 Pandemic but Face Ongoing Challenges and Backlogs, Report to Congressional Addressees

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  From the Highlights: "FOIA [Freedom of Information Act], enacted into law more than 50 years ago, seeks to improve the public's access to government information and promote the principles of openness and accountability in government. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to monitor and oversee the federal government's response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. GAO also was asked to review how the pandemic affected FOIA processes and procedures. This report examines (1) how key measures of FOIA administration changed from fiscal years 2019 to 2020 and over time since fiscal year 2012; (2) how selected agencies adapted their FOIA operations during the pandemic; and (3) how selected agencies' backlog reduction plans aligned with standards for internal control and performance management practices. GAO selected five agencies based on a variety of factors including the number of FOIA requests received, processed, and backlogged. GAO reviewed documents and interviewed officials from the selected agencies and the National Archives and Records Administration."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2022-01
• Rental Eviction and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Averting a Looming Crisis

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  From the Webpage Description: "As the federal moratorium on rental eviction is set to expire on July 31st, 2021, actionable guidance is urgently needed on how to ensure that renters can stay in their homes and housing aid reaches the communities that need it most. This report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that the Executive Office of the President of the United States should consider establishing a task force to prevent rental evictions and mitigate housing instability caused by the pandemic. 'Rental Eviction and the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Pandemic: Averting a Looming Crisis' recommends actions to be taken both urgently and over the next three years aimed at addressing the immediate crisis as well as long-standing needs related to housing choice, affordability, and security across the United States. These include: building on existing social programs that support those struggling with poverty and housing instability; efficiently channeling emergency relief to renters and landlords; increasing the availability of housing choice vouchers; reforming unemployment insurance; and reducing discriminatory practices and systemic inequities."

  National Academies Press (U.S.)

  Briere, Rona

  2022
• Parents with Low Incomes Faced Greater Health Challenges and Problems Accessing and Affording Needed Health Care in Spring 2021

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  From the Document: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has added hardships and stress to the burdens parents face in meeting their families' needs. Parents with low incomes, in particular, have faced greater difficulties meeting their and their families' basic needs than other parents. In this report, we use data from the April 2021 Health Reform Monitoring Survey (HRMS) to assess health status, health insurance coverage, health care access and affordability, and worries about other basic needs in spring 2021 among nonelderly parents. We examine these outcomes among three income groups: at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL); 139 to 399 percent of FPL; and at or above 400 percent of FPL. We find that though parents at various income levels faced health challenges and problems accessing and affording health care, parents with low incomes faced particularly steep challenges."

  Urban Institute

  Haley, Jennifer M.; Long, Julia; Kenney, Genevieve M.

  2022-01
• Support for Mask and Vaccine Policies in Schools Falls Along Racial and Political Lines

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  "As the omicron variant roils school reopening plans, local educational leaders are again faced with tough decisions about COVID-19 policy. Do they open for in-person learning in the face of the omicron wave? What happens if too many teachers or students have COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] to safely open? What policies around masking should be required for schools operating in person? And should they consider vaccination or booster requirements for teachers or students? Some of these questions can be answered in part by science--evidence is overwhelming that full vaccination including a booster shot offers extremely high levels of effectiveness against the currently circulating strains, so of course we should do everything possible to encourage vaccination. The evidence on masking for children in school is more ambiguous, but government agencies recommend wearing high-quality masks to reduce transmission of the virus. But both claims ignore the persistent political divisions that govern common COVID-19 protocols. [...] Our research team analyzed data [...] to gain insight into parents' positions on various masking and vaccine policies available to educational decisionmakers. Specifically, we asked a nationally representative sample of approximately 1,500 parents of K-12 students in October 2021 (before omicron but during the long-lasting fall delta wave) the extent to which they support (1) mask mandates for all unvaccinated students and teachers, (2) mask mandates for all students and teachers, (3) vaccine mandates for all teachers, (4) vaccine mandates for students 12 and older, and (5) vaccine mandates for all students. In reporting here, we treat parents who 'support' or 'strongly support' a policy as in support and parents who 'oppose' or 'strongly oppose' a policy as not in support."

  Urban Institute

  Silver, Dan; Fienberg, Michael; Polikoff, Morgan

  2022-01
• 2022 Policy Agenda: Restore Fiscal & Public Health

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  From the Overview: "Almost two years after the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic plunged the United States and the world into economic and social disruption, the nation is recovering. But challenges--some from the pandemic itself, and others revealed and exacerbated by it--remain. Our nation's calling at this defining moment in our history is startlingly clear: to demonstrate that we can work together to address serious challenges and achieve common goals at home and provide leadership abroad; in short, to deepen faith that democracy functions. For 80 years, starting with our founders' seminal role in the Marshall Plan and the Bretton Woods agreement, the Committee for Economic Development, the public policy center of The Conference Board (CED), has been dedicated to solving problems through nonpartisan policy solutions from business leaders in the nation's interest. The nation will advance enduringly and sustainably only if all Americans have equal opportunity to prosper in a society that is civil and just. In this spirit, we offer these nonpartisan priorities to build a stronger, more resilient, sustainable economy providing opportunity and prosperity for all Americans."

  The Conference Board, Inc.

  2022
• Flying in the COVID-19 Era: Science-Based Risk Assessments and Mitigation Strategies on the Ground and in the Air

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  From the Webpage Description: "The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop on February 4th and 5th, 2021 to review the issues related to safety of passengers and employees in commercial air transportation, for domestic and international travel, during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The workshop explored best practices to assess and mitigate COVID-19 transmission risks experienced during the travel chain, from the departure airport entrance to the destination airport exit. The workshop also identified areas where more research is needed to address gaps in understanding. This publication documents the presentations and discussions held during the workshop, and is presented as a synthesis of the workshop."

  National Academies Press (U.S.)

  Pool, Robert, 1955-

  2022
• Pandemic Response, Recovery, and Preparedness Planning for Airport Security Operations: Phase 1

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  From the Introduction: "A team consisting of Ross & Baruzzini, Tidal Basin, and TransSolutions conducted research on behalf of PARAS [Program for Applied Research in Airport Security] to identify lessons learned during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, and to provide preparedness guidance for pandemic response and recovery in airport security operations. The Research Team used principles for developing After-Action Reports and Improvement Plans (IP), including use of the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), to guide the development of this document. The National Preparedness Goal was used to identify pandemic core capabilities and summarize measures used to control pathogenic exposure among passengers and employees. This document identifies lessons learned and best practices relating to exposure control, security integrity, and operational impact. It summarizes actions that were beneficial to security operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as opportunities for improvement. Focus group feedback and literature review data were used to support Observations, Analysis, and Recommendations for each of the research objectives."

  National Safe Skies Alliance, Inc. Program for Applied Research in Airport Security

  Steinle, Michael; Zoia, Michael; Crosby, Mark . . .

  2022-01
• New Threats to Human Security in the Anthropocene: Demanding Greater Solidarity

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  From the Overview: "It is not hard to understand how Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has made people feel more insecure. But what accounts for the startling bifurcation between improvements in wellbeing achievements and declines in people's perception of security? That is the motivating question for this Report. In addressing it, we hope to avoid returning to pathways of human development with human insecurity. In the background of the human development- human security disconnect looms the Anthropocene, the age of humans disrupting planetary processes. [...] When introduced in 1994, the human security approach refocused the security debate from territorial security to people's security. This idea, which the UN General Assembly endorsed in 2012, invited security scholars and policymakers to look beyond protecting the nation-state to protecting what we care most about in our lives: our basic needs, our physical integrity, our human dignity. It emphasized the importance of everyone's right to freedom from fear, freedom from want and freedom from indignity. It highlighted the close connection among security, development and the protection and empowerment of individuals and communities. This Report explores how the new generation of interacting threats, playing out in the Anthropocene context, affect human security and what to do about it." This document includes charts, tables, and graphs to illustrate the text.

  United Nations Development Programme

  Fuentes Nieva, Ricardo; Ghorai, Moumita; Hsu, Yu-Chieh . . .

  2022
• Well-Being of Secondary School Principals One Year into the COVID-19 Pandemic

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  From the Webpage: "Effective principals are critical for improving student achievement, but they face numerous challenges in their jobs. Research suggests that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has likely exacerbated the job-related stress that principals experience. Thus, there is an urgent need to understand the job-related stressors that principals face. Understanding principals' views on this topic at a national level can help policymakers and education leaders identify ways to support principal wellness; reduce job-related stress; and improve job satisfaction, performance, and retention. In this Data Note, the authors use nationally representative data from the 2021 Learn Together Surveys (LTS) to examine the state of secondary principals' well-being and job-related stressors one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Twice as many principals as employed U.S. adults experienced frequent job-related stress during this time. Drawing on LTS responses from 1,686 secondary principals, the authors explore how the frequency of job-related stress varies across different principal characteristics, such as experience, race/ethnicity, and gender, and school contexts, such as student populations served, school size, and locale (city, suburban, and town/rural). The authors also examine how principals' job-related stressors are associated with their schools' mode of instruction. They recommend strategies to encourage state and local policymakers to consider principals' well-being and take steps to mitigate job-related stressors now and in the long term."

  RAND Corporation

  Woo, Ashley; Steiner, Elizabeth D.

  2022
• District Leaders' Concerns About Mental Health and Political Polarization in Schools: Selected Findings from the Fourth American School District Panel Survey

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  From the Webpage: "Policymakers had hoped that the 2021-2022 school year would be a chance to recover from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-related disruptions to schooling. Instead, media reports of staff shortages, heated or even violent school board meetings, increased student misbehavior, low student and teacher attendance, and enrollment declines suggest increased -- rather than decreased -- problems during this third pandemic school year. To learn about the prevalence of these challenges nationwide, RAND researchers surveyed 359 district and charter network leaders in the American School District Panel between October 25, 2021, and December 10, 2021. Survey results suggest that districts are confronting serious challenges in the 2021-2022 school year that might be getting in the way of student learning. Although some challenges, such as student and staff mental health, are nearly universal across districts, other challenges are more localized. Historically marginalized districts are confronting extra challenges this school year, such as getting students back in school and low teacher attendance, while a higher percentage of historically advantaged districts are encountering political polarization about COVID-19."

  RAND Corporation

  Diliberti, Melissa; Schwartz, Heather L.

  2022
• Assessing the Federal Government's COVID-19 Relief and Response Efforts and Its Impact (Parts 1 and 2), Remote Hearings Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, July 29, 2021 (Part 1) [and] September 30, 2021 (Part 2)

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  This is the July 29 and September 30, 2021 remote hearings on "Assessing the Federal Government's COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Relief and Response Efforts and Its Impact (Parts 1 and 2)," held before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. From the July 29, 2021 opening statement of Peter A. DeFazio: "Today we will hear about the impact the Government's COVID-19 relief funding has had on the transportation sector and its workers who were heavily hit. Many transportation workers died. Many, many more became ill. But they kept the trains, the planes, and the buses running during this, and the light rail, anything that is related to transportation. And obviously, ridership went down. But they provided essential transportation to many, many critical workers during that time. And the economy would have been way worse off without their incredible sacrifice. So today we are here to look at the Government's response, and see that these Federal funds have been utilized efficiently and effectively. The pandemic, obviously, has had a huge and ongoing impact, and Congress took unprecedented steps to deal with that." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Paul P. Skoutelas, Juan Manuel Ortiz, Michael J. Boskin, Wendy Edelberg, and Gregory R. Regan.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2022
• Triple Threat Across the Americas: 2022 Kpmg Fraud Outlook

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  From the Introduction: "Our survey of more than 600 executives across multiple industries confirms anecdotal evidence about the effects of the pandemic on these three interconnected threats: it reveals that fraud, compliance concerns and cyber attacks are common, have increased in severity -- and are expected to become more frequent. Are companies in the Americas managing to fend off this triple threat? This research suggests that many have limited defenses in place, and the shift to hybrid or remote working is making existing controls less effective."

  KPMG International

  2022-01
• Supply Chain Recovery and Resiliency: Small Producers and Local Agricultural Markets, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research of the Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, June 30, 2021

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  This is the June 30, 2021 hearing on "Supply Chain Recovery and Resiliency: Small Producers and Local Agricultural Markets," held before the Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture. From the opening statement of Stacey E. Plaskett: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has undoubtedly had a lasting impact on our agricultural communities around the country, notably impacting small farmers and ranchers, including our small certified organic producers. During the pandemic producers were required to significantly adapt their business practices and operations to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19, which shifted how these producers were able to participate in agricultural markets. The pandemic further caused unprecedented interferences within supply chains, and challenges to market access, from small producers serving local markets, local markets which are becoming increasingly more important as a way for producers to add value to their operations. [...] [I]n order to ensure the success of our farmers and producers as demand for local markets increase, it is vital to examine the impact of COVID-19 on our supply chains and facilitate economic recovery." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Dale K.K. Browne, Perri Cooper, Tianna Kennedy, and Jonathan Shannon.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2022
• Inequities Exposed: How COVID-19 Widened Racial Inequities in Education, Health, and the Workforce, Hearing Before the Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, June 22, 2020

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  This is the June 22, 2020 hearing on "Inequities Exposed: How COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Widened Racial Inequities in Education, Health, and the Workforce" held before the House Committee on Education and Labor. From the opening statement of Robert C. ''Bobby'' Scott: "Today we are discussing how COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating racial inequalities in education, labor, and health and the steps Congress must take to address these disparities. [...] [P]ublic schools entered this pandemic with a $23 billion racial funding gap. [...] As schools abruptly closed, this funding gap has positioned students of color to fall even further behind their peers. Black and Latino students who are less likely to attend schools that have the capacity to rapidly establish high-quality distance learning programs. [...] In the area of the workforce, outlook for workers of color is similarly concerning. Black and Latino workers that faced significantly higher rates of unemployment and lower wages long before the pandemic have borne a disproportionate share of the layoffs. [...] In addition to working in sectors with the highest risk of COVID-19 infections, Black and Latino workers disproportionately work in low-wage jobs. [...] The most profound consequence of racial inequality in our society has been the pandemic's devastating impact on the health of people of color. [...] This systemic problem has stained our country's legacy for too long. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses who will share with us the scope of the challenge and the policy considerations to get us on the right course." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Camara Jones, John B. King, Jr., Valerie Rawlston Wilson, and Avik Roy.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2022
• COVID-19: Lessons Learned to Prepare for the Next Pandemic, Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session on Examining Covid-19, Focusing on Lessons Learned to Prepare for the Next Pandemic, June 23, 2020

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  This is the June 23, 2020 hearing on "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]: Lessons Learned to Prepare for the Next Pandemic," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. From the opening statement of Lamar Alexander: "During the last 20 years, four Presidents, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and several Congresses have enacted nine significant laws to help local, state, and Federal Governments, as well as hospitals and health care providers, to prepare for a public health emergency including a pandemic. [...] [R]eports contained all sorts of warnings that the United States needed to address the following familiar issues, familiar by now, better methods to quickly develop tests, treatments, and vaccines, and scale-up manufacturing capacity, better systems to quickly identify emerging infectious diseases, more training for the health care and public health workforces, better distribution of medical supplies, better systems to share information within and among states and between states and the Federal Government. Many reports also warned that while states play the lead role in a public health response, many states didn't have enough trained doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals, had inadequate stock piles, and struggled with funding challenges. In some instances, over-reliance on inflexible Federal funding contributed to these problems. Looking at lessons learned from the COVID crisis thus far, many of the challenges that Congress has worked to address during the last 20 years still remain. Additionally, COVID-19 has exposed some gaps that had not been previously identified. These include unanticipated shortages of testing supplies and sedative drugs which are necessary to use ventilators for COVID-19 patients. [...] I look forward to hearing from our witnesses and I would also appreciate the feedback we are receiving on the white paper." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: William Frist, Joneigh S. Khaldun, Julie L. Gerberding, and Michael O. Leavitt.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2022
• Recognizing and Building on the Success of Pandemic Relief Programs, Hearing Before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, September 22, 2021

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  This is the September 22, 2021 hearing on "Recognizing and Building on the Success of Pandemic Relief Programs," held before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis of the Committee on Oversight and Reform. From the opening statement of Amy Klobuchar: "As the coronavirus spread nationwide in the spring of 2020, the economic harm was immediate and devastating. Over 22 million people lost their jobs, and the share of Americans unable to afford their basic expenses, like food, housing, and healthcare, sharply increased. Congress responded to this crisis with unprecedented relief legislation. That response worked. The relief packages we enacted, coming in with the American Rescue Plan, have eased Americans' financial hardships, reduced poverty, and supported a robust economic recovery. [...] Extending the child tax credit expansion, making health insurance more affordable, closing the Medicaid coverage gap, ensuring paid family and medical leave, and making broadband accessible and affordable are just a few of the steps we must take. They are just a few of the elements of the Build Back Better agenda which we must enact to build a better future for all Americans." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Starsky Wilson, H. Luke Shaefer, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, and Indivar Dutta-Gupta.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2022
• COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium: Final Report

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  From the Webpage Description: "The ability to sequence and understand different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] virus and their impact is crucial to inform policy and public health decisions. Soon after the UK went into its first lockdown in March 2020, the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium was launched. COG-UK is a collaboration of experts in pathogen genomics including academic institutions, public health agencies, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, NHS [National Health Service] Trusts and Lighthouse Labs. RAND Europe evaluated how COG-UK delivered against its objectives, for example how it contributed to advancing scientific knowledge about SARS-CoV-2, informing public health decisions, and providing information that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines and treatments. The evaluation also examined the diverse factors that influenced COG-UK progress and impact, including enablers and challenges, and considered implications for the future."

  RAND Europe

  Marjanovic, Sonja; Romanelli, Robert J.; Ali, Gemma-Claire . . .

  2022
• Incorporating Complementary and Integrative Health Providers in the Public Health Pandemic Response: Lessons from COVID-19 and Recommendations for the Future from a Multidisciplinary Expert Panel

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  From the Webpage Description: "Complementary and integrative health (CIH) providers, such as chiropractors and naturopathic doctors, have been an underutilized public health asset in the response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. This report seeks to inform how they can be better integrated into future responses to public health emergencies. The authors convened an expert panel of ten CIH and public health practitioners and researchers for a daylong discussion of how the CIH workforce could be better mobilized during future crises. In this report, the authors summarize the key barriers identified in the discussion and make recommendations on how they can be overcome."

  RAND Corporation

  Coulter, Ian D., 1945-; Whitley, Margaret D.; Khorsan, Raheleh . . .

  2022
• Capital Access for Minority Small Businesses: COVID-19 Resources for an Equitable and Sustainable Recovery, Hearing Before the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the United States Senate, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, July 23, 2020

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  This is the July 23, 2020 hearing on "Capital Access for Minority Small Businesses: COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Resources for an Equitable and Sustainable Recovery," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. From the opening statement of Marco Rubio: "The purpose of this hearing is to focus specifically on the even greater impact that the pandemic has had on minority-owned small businesses. Bad as it is for all small businesses, it is catastrophic and terrible. It has been even worse, if you can imagine it, among minority-owned businesses. [...] So the two goals we have specifically to address is this disparity and the damage that is being done but also the concern that there will be a disparity in the recovery, that if some of these businesses go under, they will not be there to be able to recover and thrive." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Talibah Bayles, Ronald Busby, Sr., Fabiana Estrada, and Marla Bilonick.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2022
• COVID-19: Update on Progress Toward Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School, Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session on Examining COVID-19, Focusing on an Update on Progress Toward Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School, June 30, 2020

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  This is the June 30, 2020 hearing on "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]: Update on Progress Toward Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. From the opening statement of Lamar Alexander: "This hearing is an opportunity for an update and to hear from the Nation's top health experts on how headmasters, principals, superintendents, chancellors, and college presidents can open their schools safely[.] [...] The question before the country today is not whether to go back to school or college, or childcare or work, but how to do it safely. Even though COVID-19 does not, in general, hurt young children and college age students nearly as much as older and more vulnerable Americans, there is some health risk. [...] I look forward to hearing from our distinguished witnesses how school leaders and college presidents can safely reopen 135,000 schools and 6,000 colleges, and also learning the latest developments on testing and treatments that we can expect during the year 2020 before vaccines arrive." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Anthony Fauci, Robert Redfield, Brett Giroir, and Stephen Hahn.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2022
• Southeast Asia Strategic Multilateral Biosecurity Dialogue with Participation from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States [December 14 and 16, 2021]

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  From the Introduction: "On December 14 and 16, 2021, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security held a second virtual meeting of the Southeast Asia Strategic Multilateral Biosecurity Dialogue. The ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, including health risks as well as quarantine requirements and other travel restrictions, necessitated hosting the meeting virtually. Additionally, many of our dialogue participants play important roles in their country's COVID-19 response, which makes it difficult for them to take time away from work for travel. In order to maintain the relationships that are so critical to the success of this dialogue and to share lessons from national-level COVID-19 response activities, we held a second virtual meeting, which built on the topics and challenges discussed in our previous meeting in February 2021. [...] This dialogue meeting consisted of 4 1-hour dialogue sessions across 2 meeting days. The meetings included participants from each of the 6 participating countries, including subject matter experts and current and former senior government officials from across healthcare and public health, national security and foreign affairs, homeland security/ home affairs, nonproliferation and disarmament, animal and agricultural health, journalism, and other relevant fields. The dialogue topics included an overview of the national-level COVID-19 responses since our February 2021 meeting and discussions on disease surveillance and vaccination activities. Notably, the participants also looked beyond the current pandemic to future biosecurity challenges, including identifying solutions from the COVID-19 pandemic that could be applicable to other threats."

  Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Center for Health Security

  Cicero, Anita; Shearer, Matthew P.; Kaushal, Natasha

  2022
• Vaccine Allocation Priorities Using Disease Surveillance and Economic Data

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  From the Abstract: "Vaccination is a critical tool, along with suppression and treatment, for controlling epidemics such as SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2]. To maximize the impact of vaccination, doses should be allocated to the highest value targets, accounting for health and potential economic benefits. We examine what allocation strategy is optimal and how to translate that strategy into actionable procurement decisions in the context of India. We compare 3 different allocation strategies (oldest first, highest contact rate first, random order) across 4 outcomes (lives saved, life years saved, value of statistical lives saved, value of statistical life years saved). We make 3 methodological contributions. First, we estimate the incremental health benefit of vaccination using novel, local seroprevalence data from India. Second, we estimate the value of statistical life year using disaggregated, monthly data on consumption during the pandemic. Third, and most importantly, we estimate social demand curves for vaccines that can practically guide government procurement decisions. Our analysis yields 4 novel findings. First, the need to speed-up vaccination does not justify deviation from elderly-first prioritization. Second, much of the value of vaccination comes from improvements in consumption rather than longevity. Moreover, vaccination increases the value of a life year because it increases consumption. Third, social demand for vaccination falls over time as natural immunity from infections increases. Therefore, the slower a country vaccinates its population, the fewer doses it should procure. Fourth, there is enough variation in consumption and infection risk that it makes sense to vaccinate some areas before others. Our approach of connecting epidemiological models and data on health and consumption to economic valuation methods generalizes to other infection control strategies, such as suppression, and public health crises, such as influenza and HIV."

  Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics

  Malani, Anup; Soman, Satej; Ramachandran, Sabareesh . . .

  2022-01
• Future of Telehealth: How COVID-19 is Changing the Delivery of Virtual Care, Virtual Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, March 2, 2021

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  This is the March 2, 2021 hearing on "Future of Telehealth: How COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] is Changing the Delivery of Virtual Care," held before the House Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. From the opening statement of Anna G. Eshoo: "I think it is time to make Medicare reimbursement for telehealth service permanent. [...] We are quickly learning how telehealth can be used to address specialty shortages. [...] I know that telehealth isn't the silver bullet for the deeper problems that exist in our healthcare system, but it has demonstrated great promise for high-quality, innovative care if we intentionally create legislation that fits our Nation's needs. Now that Medicare beneficiaries and Americans are receiving this important benefit, we need to find a way to continue affordable telehealth access for seniors and other Americans. So, from today's hearing, we will learn from providers, payers, and patients about their experiences with telehealth and be better able to chart a legislative path forward to deliver on the promise of telehealth." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Megan Mahoney, Ateev Mehrotra, Elizabeth Mitchell, Jack Resneck, and Frederic Riccardi.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2022