On August 27th, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released an unclassified summary of the results of its 90-day review of the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The DNI serves as the head of the Intelligence Community (IC), a coalition of 17 intelligence agencies and organizations. Key points of the summary are: SARS-CoV-2 probably emerged and infected humans through an initial small-scale exposure that occurred no later than November [...]
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In the May 14th issue of Science magazine a letter signed by 18 researchers cautions that currently available evidence does not rule out a lab accident or zoonotic spillover as the origins of COVID-19. "Theories of accidental release from a lab and zoonotic spillover both remain viable." The author's point out that "Knowing how COVID-19 emerged is critical for informing global strategies to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks." A copy of the letter can [...]
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In July 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) and China began laying the groundwork for studies to better understand the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Terms of Reference (TORs) were agreed upon that defined a phased approach, the scope of studies, the main guiding principles and expected deliverables. The TORs envisaged an initial Phase 1. A joint team of international experts comprised 17 Chinese and 17 experts from other countries was assembled. Following initial online meetings, a [...]
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The U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Global Trade and Investigations division recently announced that it has seized over 11 million counterfeit N95 respirators as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. The seizures were part of Operation Stolen Promise which targets COVID-19 related fraud. A description of that initiative can be found here: https://www.ice.gov/topics/operation-stolen-promise. N95 respirators offer the highest level of protection against infection and as such are in demand. The counterfeit respirators […]
ASTM International (ASTM), an international standards organization that promulgates consensus-based standards in a broad variety of areas, recently published and released F3502−21 Standard Specification for Barrier Face Coverings. ASTM undertook development of F3502−21 in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first ASTM standard to address masks that are classified as non-medical. As a public service, ASTM is providing access to the standard at no cost. F3502−21, as well as the complete library […]
As a result of the findings of a study recently released in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Centers for Disease Control (the “CDC”) has updated its guidance concerning the most effective masking techniques to afford protection against COVID-19 transmission. A copy of the study dated February 10, 2021 Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure, 2021 can be downloaded here: https://excelsioradvisory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/mm7007e1-H.pdf. Specifically, the CDC [...]
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Perhaps one of the most frustrating aspects of the COVID-19 outbreak is determining your “risk profile.” Am I at at high or low risk of getting the disease? What are the likely outcomes if I do become sick? Giving the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, and pandemics generally, there is a scarcity of data available, particularly in real time. In addition, it is hard to assess the quality of the data that is available and […]
An outcome of the COV-19 pandemic is the routine, and in many cases improper, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by the general public. This article will address some of the issues associated with such widespread deployment. A concept from the world of insurance, “moral hazard,” should be kept in mind. Simply put, a moral hazard is when a person with insurance engages in more risky behavior then they otherwise would have because the behavior is […]
“Bystander Effect,” “Bystander Apathy” or “Genovese Syndrome” are all social psychological terms used to describe the observed behavior that the greater the number of witnesses to an emergency the less likely it is that any one individual will intervene. Perhaps the most famous example of the behavior is the murder of Kitty Genovese in the Kew Gardens, Queens neighborhood of New York City. Early in the morning of March 13, 1964, Ms. Genovese was returning to […]
“Disinformation vulnerability,” i.e., vulnerability to inaccurate, misleading or incomplete information is oftentimes a byproduct of asymmetric information. Such inaccurate, misleading or incomplete information may be disseminated innocently or by design. The “degree” of vulnerability is a function of: the perceived or real expertise of the information provider; the importance to the recipient of the subject matter to which the information relates; and ready access to alternative sources of reliable information. Information disseminated by a perceived […]
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