Shelves that held hand sanitizer and hand soap are mostly empty at a Target in Jersey City, N.J. on March 2, 2020. As fears of the pandemic grow, consumers are stockpiling goods in case they’re quarantined.
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, people are stockpiling essential supplies. But policy-makers may be able to influence both the supply and demand through public announcements and advisories.
A first-century B.C. Roman poet and philosopher, Lucretius was worried that our fear of death could lead to irrational beliefs and actions that could harm society.
The U.S. has been scrambling to get testing for the coronavirus up to speed.
AP Photo/Francois Mori
A molecular biologist explains who should get tested, how the tests work and what the US government is doing to make tests available during a rapidly changing crisis.
The coronavirus could cause shortages in the nation’s blood supply.
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Greek epics remind audiences that leaders need to be able to plan for the future based on what has happened in the past. They need to understand cause and effect.
There are several things Australian schools can do, that involve encouraging better hygiene and social distancing. They could close too, but that’s not always necessary.
The government has announced it’s $17.6 billion stimulus package, focused on investment in business, boosting cashflow, and putting cash in the hands of lower income earners.
The point is to make sure hospitals have space for those who get sick.
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Best-case estimates suggest 40 million American adults may come down with COVID-19. But an epidemiologist explains why now is not the time to just give up.
It’s hard to make this shift on short notice.
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It is the stories that are entertaining rather than informative that are most likely to add to the panic, and media outlets need to be careful about what they publish.
How do we develop new drugs quickly yet safely? How prepared are we to give up some personal freedoms? And how do we allocate scarce resources? These are just some of the tough questions we face.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne