It turns out that we are flushing valuable information about our COVID-19 status down the toilet, and the key to tracing new cases requires taking a closer look in our sewers. These insights come from a recent study by Oded Berman, a professor of Operations Management and Statistics at the Rotman School of Management.
What to do about Covid? With nearly 60 million cases and 1.4 million deaths worldwide as of the end of November 2020, there are still no consistently effective treatments or approved vaccines yet (though large-scale vaccine trials have already produced promising results). Social distancing, mask wearing, and infection control practices can reduce the rate of spread somewhat, but as long as infectious individuals circulate amongst susceptible persons, continued spread is inevitable, given that most populations have not built immunity against SARS-CoV-2 to any meaningful extent.
Paper products and other household staples are in high demand in stores and online again as the virus surges and lockdowns loom, but none more so than those essential rolls of soft cotton squares. Photos of bare shelves and public pleas to leave behind a few rolls for other shoppers are overflowing social media. “The toilet paper aisle is CLEARED!” one person wrote on Twitter. “March 2.0 is here folkssss.”
The coronavirus revealed stark vulnerabilities in the supply chains that move products from the raw material stage, through production, and to a customer’s door. As key segments of this system faltered, businesses responded in real time, finding new ways to source materials and keep their products moving. The lessons learned from this experience can help companies transform how they view and build supply chains, says Matthew Elliott, Business Banking Midwest Region Executive for Bank of America.
While the development of a COVID-19 vaccine could generate billions of dollars for some pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, concerns over accusations of exploiting the pandemic will likely temper profits, experts suggest. "It doesn't really make sense to profit from this pandemic," said Tinglong Dai, associate professor of operations management and business analytics at Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School in Baltimore.
Ashley Smith
Public Affairs Coordinator
INFORMS
Catonsville, MD
[email protected]
443-757-3578
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