The hottest Pandemic Management Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health & Wellness Topics

Nine Reasons Governments Must Reject Proposed Amendments to International Health Regulations

THE FREEDOM BLOG • 255 implied HN points • 07 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health International Law Global Governance Policy response Pandemic Management
  1. Proposed amendments to International Health Regulations give too much power to the WHO during international public health emergencies.
  2. The amendments remove language about dignity, human rights, and freedom and replace it with a focus on equity and inclusivity.
  3. The WHO can unilaterally declare a potential public health emergency, leading to a global bio-surveillance regime and censorship regime.

Big News! The Rapid Screen Pilots have arrived

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 119 implied HN points • 18 Dec 20
🏥 Health & Wellness Pandemic Management Public Health Testing Economic Impact Innovations
  1. The CDL Rapid Screening Consortium, led by Creative Destruction Lab and 12 companies, is implementing rapid antigen screens to enable daily screening to identify and isolate infectious individuals and protect others.
  2. The consortium aims to make rapid screening a part of daily life in Canada, with workers and visitors being frequently screened, helping to minimize exposure and bring economies back to normality.
  3. The initiative addresses the challenge of scaling pandemic management efforts, focusing on ongoing, regular screening to ensure a safer environment and eventually bringing back normalcy to daily life.

We actually did remarkably well

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 25 Sep 20
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health Pandemic Management Well-being Information Flow
  1. During the Covid-19 crisis, people reacted impressively quickly once they were aware of the seriousness of the situation, leading to a notable global response.
  2. Public health officials sometimes underestimate the public's ability to act sensibly with nuanced information, leading to overly prescriptive directives.
  3. The pandemic response was influenced by local experiences and the availability of information through the Internet and smartphones, which played a significant role in managing the crisis.

Resetting expectations

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 13 Aug 21
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health Pandemic Management Vaccination Immunity Testing
  1. The previous plan of waiting for a vaccine and declaring victory is no longer feasible with the emergence of the Delta variant.
  2. In dealing with the Delta variant, it is important to flatten the curve to prevent overwhelming hospitals and buy time to vaccinate more people.
  3. Policies to address the Delta variant should include restrictions on non-essential gatherings, rapid testing in schools, encouraging mask-wearing, and providing support for those who cannot be vaccinated.

It's worse (maybe)

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 30 Jul 21
🏥 Health & Wellness COVID-19 Vaccination Pandemic Management Health data
  1. The Delta variant of Covid-19 is concerning as it shows high viral load in both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, longer infectious period, and a high R0 value.
  2. Superspreading events indoors may remain risky, leading to continued need to avoid crowded indoor spaces. Entry requirements might shift to requiring negative tests along with vaccinations.
  3. There is a greater importance placed on rapid antigen testing in various settings due to the spread of the virus by vaccinated individuals, emphasizing the need for more accessible and widespread testing.
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Living with the virus

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 22 Jul 21
🏥 Health & Wellness COVID-19 Pandemic Management Vaccination Leadership
  1. Living with the virus requires leadership to navigate uncertainties and make decisions for the well-being of all.
  2. Regular screening and vaccination are crucial in managing risks associated with the virus, especially in shared spaces like gyms and universities.
  3. Adapting to living with Covid-19 involves shifting mindset from complete avoidance to understanding and managing risks, requiring a balance between precautions and returning to normalcy.

Vaccine Passports are unlikely to counter vaccine hesitancy

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 16 Jul 21
🏥 Health & Wellness Vaccine Hesitancy Public Health Pandemic Management Risk Communication
  1. Vaccine passports may not effectively address vaccine hesitancy due to their potential to act more as a punishment than a motivator.
  2. Implementing vaccine passports could lead to 'vaccine theatre,' where the requirement of proof of vaccination at events may not necessarily protect or benefit individuals.
  3. The use of vaccine passports may paradoxically lower the demand for vaccination by reducing the prevalence of the virus, making it a temporary solution rather than a long-term strategy.

Endgame experiments

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 10 Jul 21
🏥 Health & Wellness Pandemic Management Vaccination rates Global impact
  1. The world is conducting experiments to understand how to manage the pandemic going forward, with examples like the UK, US, Ontario, NSW, and Japan.
  2. Some experiments, like those in NSW and Japan, may not be as informative due to factors like low vaccination rates and existing management tools.
  3. The US experiment is particularly valuable, as it can provide insights on how outbreaks in one state with low vaccination rates can affect other states with higher vaccination levels.

The CDC's Big Surprise!

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 15 May 21
🏥 Health & Wellness CDC Vaccines Pandemic Management Public Health Pandemic impact
  1. The CDC's decision to lift all restrictions for the vaccinated was surprising and hard to understand, leading to doubts and confusion about their motives and future decisions.
  2. Understanding the CDC's decision-making process is crucial for individuals and businesses to navigate through the changing guidelines effectively.
  3. The lack of a clear plan and sudden shift in policy regarding restrictions raised concerns, especially in areas with high COVID-19 cases, indicating the need for a more consistent and strategic approach.

Did exposure apps work?

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 14 May 21
🔬 Science Public Health Technology Research Pandemic Management Data Analysis
  1. Exposure notification apps have potential but were not very effective during the crisis due to lack of take-up and false positives.
  2. A study on the NHS app showed a 6% secondary attack rate for app-notified individuals who subsequently tested positive, similar to manually traced close contacts.
  3. The study highlighted the need for further improvements in exposure notification apps, such as tailoring notifications, specifying locations, and adjusting for the type of contacts for better efficiency.

Information provision and individual response

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 15 Jan 21
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health Pandemic Management Risk management Behavior Change
  1. People's knowledge about COVID-19 symptoms and transmission mechanisms influenced their adoption of risk mitigation measures like mask-wearing and social distancing.
  2. Government actions such as messaging, mask mandates, and lockdowns played a significant role in changing behavior, with noticeable differences in behavior between countries with and without these measures.
  3. While knowledge was associated with increased protective measures, adoption of social distancing practices was not sufficient, indicating that other factors may influence this behavior.

The Rapid Test Epiphany

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 21 Dec 21
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health COVID-19 Pandemic Management Rapid tests
  1. Public health officials are now embracing the use of rapid tests for Covid-19, marking a significant shift in attitude after over 20 months of resistance.
  2. Rapid testing offers individuals the ability to know their Covid status and manage their risk when meeting in groups or with vulnerable individuals.
  3. Rapid testing, while helpful, may not be enough to fully prevent the spread of the Omicron variant and should be paired with other measures like social distancing and masking.

Revisiting the number of doses

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 14 Dec 20
🏥 Health & Wellness Vaccines Immunity Health Management Pandemic Management
  1. Consideration is being given to whether a single dose of the Covid-19 vaccine could be enough, given the potential benefits of quicker vaccination and less logistical constraints.
  2. The effectiveness of one dose of the vaccine is being debated, as initial data suggests it may offer some protection, but uncertainty remains about how long immunity from a single dose lasts.
  3. Ensuring people receive the second vaccine dose may pose a challenge due to potential beliefs that one dose is sufficient, highlighting the importance of clear communication and tracking systems.

Insanity and weirdness

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 31 Dec 21
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health Pandemic Management Vaccination Epidemiology COVID-19
  1. The global pandemic has brought unexpected challenges and changes in management approach, shifting towards individual risk management, which raises concerns about lack of tools to help people self-manage effectively.
  2. The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has unique characteristics that make it highly infectious but less severe, potentially leading to complacency and overlooking the risks of continued virus circulation and possible mutations.
  3. There is a risk of complacency and potential resurgence of the pandemic if steps are not taken to prepare for scenarios where the virus mutates to become more infectious and virulent, highlighting the importance of staying vigilant and prepared for the future.