When will life return to ‘pre-Covid normal’?

‘A majority of people expect life to return to something like 'normal' within the next 12 months, according to a new World Economic Forum-Ipsos survey. There are large differences between countries on this, though. The pandemic has also impacted people's emotional and mental health...

‘Differences emerged around the world about the return to something like a pre-COVID normal. Although more than half think it'll happen within the next 12 months, one-in-five think it will take more than 3 years, while 8% don't think it'll happen at all. Opinions on when the pandemic will be contained also closely matched opinions on a return to normal - suggesting that people believe the two to be closely linked.

‘On average, 58% of those surveyed expect the pandemic to be contained within the next year. Some countries - India, mainland China and Saudi Arabia, for example - are more optimistic. But, four-in-five in Japan and more than half in countries including Australia and Sweden expect it will take more than a year for the pandemic to be contained.’

Read here (World Economic Forum, Apr 12, 2021)

How Covid-19 vaccine efforts could help defeat other diseases

• A proposed way of immunizing against malaria uses an RNA-based approach similar to COVID-19 vaccines.
• ‘Viral vector’ methods used to stem the pandemic could also yield vaccines for other purposes.
• COVID-19 vaccination achievements could be applied to diseases that kill millions of people annually.

Read here (World Economic Forum, Mar 4, 2021)

Rebuilding a better, post-Covid-19 world with a new mindset of stakeholders: WEF founder Klaus Schwab

‘World War II was a time of great crisis and hardship, which forged a sense of solidarity that helped pull ravaged communities together. "To a certain extent, we are in a similar situation today...we went through a major crisis, which affected everybody in the world," says the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

‘He is also here for the launch of his new book, Stakeholder Capitalism: A Global Economy That Works For Progress, People And Planet, which he has written with a WEF colleague, Mr Peter Vanham...

‘Indeed the stakeholder concept has featured prominently in his work since the 1973 Davos Manifesto, which set out the role of business managements to "serve clients, shareholders, workers and employees, as well as societies, and to harmonise the different interests of the stakeholders".

‘It is a theme he delves into deeper in his new book. "The idea that we need to rebuild differently post-Covid is widely shared. The sudden and all-encompassing impact of Covid-19 made us understand, much more than the gradual effects of climate change or increasing inequality, that an economic system driven by selfish and short-term interests is not sustainable...’

Read here (Straits Times, Feb 10, 2021)

Four principles for urgent pharma action to combat Covid-19

‘Collaboration is needed between pharmaceutical companies and governments to combat the spread of COVID-19 and accelerate access to tests, treatments and vaccines. Norway, which co-chairs the Facilitation Council of the ACT-Accelerator, is committed to ensuring the global vaccination effort is managed effectively. Here are four principles which could ensure equitable access to COVID-19 tools and health products, particularly for low and middle-income countries:

• Principle 1: File for registration rapidly, widely and on the basis of the most rigorous standards
• Principle 2: Price health technologies fairly
• Principle 3: Expand production and supply capacity
• Principle 4: Transparency

Read here (World Economic Forum, Feb 9, 2021)

The Covid-19 disinformation divide: Understanding vaccine attitudes

‘Scientists have developed COVID-19 vaccines so rapidly it has exacerbated existing mistrust proliferated by social media. New research by Edelman Data & Intelligence (DxI) aims to examine and understand the psychological motivations driving attitudes at both ends of the spectrum – from vaccine resistors to vaccine adopters. By understanding the concerns and sensitivities of each group, the scientific community can tailor messaging to improve vaccine uptake.’

Read here (World Economic Forum, Feb 4, 2021)

A 4-point checklist for assessing countries' vaccine readiness

‘Even before the vaccines begin to arrive in ports around the world, the focus will shift to the preparedness of in-country logistics, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and to their health systems' ability to deploy and administer the vaccine to their populations. Any weaknesses in health system readiness – in vaccine distribution, storage, refrigeration, prioritization or delivery – will need to be quickly assessed, addressed and resolved at unprecedented speed before any effective immunization campaign can begin.

‘Here's how countries, and especially LMICs, can assess their readiness along four key dimensions: awareness, acceptance, accessibility and availability.’

Read here (World Economic Forum, Dec 14, 2020)

How a history of ‘medical racism’ may fuel mistrust in Covid-19 vaccines

‘A history of neglect and deception has been cited for the skepticism many Black Americans feel about COVID-19 vaccines. A similar dynamic has affected ethnic groups in other countries. That may pose a challenge to health officials trying to save lives and vaccinate sufficient portions of the population.’

Read here (World Economic Forum, Dec 9, 2020)

How Covid-19 will impact our cities in the long term

‘The biggest opportunity for cities from this pandemic is to build back better with the planned fiscal stimulus: more climate resilient infrastructure, green initiatives such as increasing public spaces, creating vehicle free streets, making bike lanes, refurbishing buildings to multiple uses and thereby doing more with less. This cannot be done by the public sector alone. Cities will need to attract private sector and social partners to close the financing gap. Good governance is an imperative to attract private financing and to work with the private sector.’

Read here (World Economic Forum, Nov 25, 2020)

With vaccines on the horizon, here’s how business leaders can plan ahead

‘Vaccine announcements get the globe closer to eradicating the virus, but questions still remain. Business leaders will need to consider a range of potential scenarios for access and distribution to adjust to the changes still ahead. For business planning only, Salesforce Future Lab developed a selection of hypothetical scenarios in discussions with leading experts to help leaders understand the range of scenarios for which they might need to plan.’

Hypothetical Scenario 1: “Zero Hurdles” -- In this scenario, business leaders could look forward to the crisis ending as quickly and evenly as possible around the world. In-person work and consumer confidence could come back close to pre-crisis levels over the summer and fall of 2021, though masking, distancing, and ventilation would still be necessary for many more months.

Hypothetical Scenario 2: “Sprint and Stumble” -- In this scenario, many business leaders might initially make investments betting on a rapid re-emergence from crisis conditions, only to be surprised as optimism evaporates. As the crisis stretched on, those who recognized the continuing risk would likely be in the best position, but even they would still face stiff economic headwinds.

Hypothetical Scenario 3: “Long March” -- In this scenario, business leaders could be increasingly challenged to maintain the safety of their staff and customers before the vaccine arrives, as the public becomes less willing to adhere to public health guidance. But after its arrival, the impact is similar to “Zero Hurdles” above, with a relatively rapid return to workplace safety and consumer confidence.

Read here (World Economic Forum, Nov 25, 2020)