Memo - COVID-19: Considerations for Reopening Economy

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This memo provides a staged strategy for how to safely reopen society following the initial peak of COVID-19 in the U.S. based on emerging knowledge that this virus is not as fatal as previously thought, but still remains highly contagious. The recommendations offered emphasize the importance of:

  1. managing transmission of COVID-19 to preserve health care capacity and protect high-risk groups,
  2. identifying strategies that are responsive to the needs of children and families,
  3. outlining preparedness actions to mitigate the impact of seasonal influenza and COVID-19, and
  4. building herd immunity to prevent a simultaneous surge of COVID-19 and influenza in the late fall and winter.

The authors also explain why when and how to safely reopen communities depends on population density in an April 27 New York Times opinion piece.

To learn more about PolicyLab’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, view our policy review of literature to inform COVID-19 mitigation following community reopening and a project that is forecasting the impact of weather, population density and social distancing on the disease’s transmission across the U.S.

Authors:

Rubin D, Offit P