While the current pandemic has changed almost every facet of our daily lives, it is important to take a step back from the mundane day to day and appreciate the innovations made in engineering despite all the barriers we have faced this year.
All tagged covid19
The Aftermath
Mask mandates are being lifted left and right, rush hour is back in action, and the economy seems to be looking up. As we transition into a new normal, something resembling pre-2020 society, the economy’s rebound will be far from linear.
The Food Delivery Industry During COVID-19: Pinnacle Perseverance
Nowadays, we expect our packages to arrive within two days. Convenience has become so highly desired that it is now prioritized over other features, such as quality and price. Due to the widespread implementation of technological advancements in our everyday lives, convenience has become ingrained in our daily lives. Given the huge desire for convenience, the food industry jumped at the opportunity to capitalize on this trend. Companies created websites and apps, allowing customers to simply add an item to cart, and press order for food to be delivered right to their front doors. With this easy accessibility there has become a lack of transparency in the food delivery industry as it is unclear what goes on behind the scenes of an order. Surprisingly enough, the partnership between restaurants and food delivery apps is more parasitic than appears at first glance.
How Will We Go Forward?
For almost a year, the United States has experienced the horrors of the COVID-19 virus. From the hundreds of thousands of lives already taken, to the questioning of America’s leadership, this year has been nothing short of chaos. As we look forward, there is still a high level of uncertainty and anxiety amongst many. With a new president comes new policy; president Joe Biden took immediate steps in trying to overcome the pandemic that has already proved to be destructive. As one of his first presidential actions, on January 20, 2021, Biden implemented an executive order to require anyone who is working for or with the Federal Government or in a Federal building to wear masks and maintain social distancing. These orders were put in place to “halt the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by relying on the best available data and science-based public health measures,” showing that this new administration is using scientific evidence to back their policies (The White House, 2021). While this may help certain parts of the United States, Section 3 “Encouraging Masking Across America” merely provides a suggestion to the American people. There should be more local and state-level intervention to mitigate the spread of the virus. As of March 29, 15 states have no restrictions with the use of masks. Moreover, there are six states that sometimes require masks (The New York Times, 2021). Although there are not clear trends with states with no-mask policies having higher COVID-19 cases, it is clear that this inconsistency across the country reveals the differing values between states, but also the United States’ values.
Using Canada as a Future Indicator for the U.S.
Republicans and Democrats can both agree on the fact that the coronavirus is costing the US economy a substantial amount of money. Stimulus is nearly entirely funded through government issued debt, or bonds. Debt has been a gargantuan issue for the US government for the last decade, which leaves Democrats and Republicans fighting over the size of stimulus bills. Canada’s rationale and commentary behind their recent stimulus measures may prove insightful to the United States in deciding how to proceed. The stakes are rising as countries get deeper into debt and the economic horizon is still uncertain. One strategist commented, “Canada could come off as heroic if this spending is done right…If Canada fails, all the emergency spending might have been done in vain because we won’t have the capacity to power the post-vaccine recovery” (Vieira and Mackrael, 2020). As the United States legislature debates another stimulus bill, lawmakers should consider the reasons behind Canada’s recent economic actions.
The Relationship Between Game Theory and COVID Guidelines
Amidst a growing number of COVID-19 cases and elevated uncertainty surrounding the trajectory of the pandemic, municipalities across the US are reinstating lockdown restrictions. Heated criticism comes from every direction, as both lockdown-proponents and opponents contest the best method for managing the virus. While everyone has different opinions on the matter, a familiar question has resurfaced: will people adhere to stay-at-home orders? Enforcing lockdown measures has proved to be difficult. Despite safety guidelines, many people continue to ignore recommended precautions, and the question of “why?” arises. While the answer is often reduced to saying that deviators simply don’t care about public welfare, this generalization doesn’t capture all the factors at play. Behavioral economics can explain why many people deviate from COVID recommendations; the pandemic can be treated as a game, and as such, game theory can elucidate why public consensus on how to handle the pandemic is not uniform. Examination under the lens of game theory shows that individuals often benefit more by not following guidelines. From this conclusion, the added benefit of further lockdowns becomes questionable.