You’re heading to your first post-COVID-19 dinner party. How many guests is too many? Are hugging and handshakes OK now? And most importantly, should you bring your own cutlery?
There are many similarities between Spanish flu and coronavirus, from school closures to mask debates. The story of 1919 also shows governments face choices that can have a terrible cost in lives.
The court says people need to be able to trust the government to abide by the rule of law, make rational regulations, and not intrude on the rights of those subject to the law.
Involving family and friends in decisions or rethinking the meaning of “getting back to normal” helps protect against cognitive bias and its harmful consequences.
Peter Martin, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
The economists who support the use of social distancing measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 are not only in the majority, they are also more certain of their opinions than those who do not.
Will people keep social distancing now that the lock down is eased? Our research shows that what matters is people’s own motivation, not the threat of fines.
South Africa should base its COVID-19 mitigation strategy on the premise that the pandemic will last for two years unless a vaccine is developed before then.
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand