{"id":4737,"date":"2020-03-17T15:55:24","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T19:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/granitestatetaxpayers.org\/gst\/?p=4737"},"modified":"2020-05-10T15:31:22","modified_gmt":"2020-05-10T19:31:22","slug":"responses-to-the-corona-virus-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/granitestatetaxpayers.org\/gst\/responses-to-the-corona-virus-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Responding to the Corona Virus Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

GST<\/em> Board Member Peter de Bruyn Kops has been investigating the spread of the Corona virus <\/strong><\/p>\n

Health authorities are using a variety of mitigation strategies to slow the spread of the virus:<\/strong>
\n– Contact mapping (identifying people and places contacted by those identified with the virus)
\n– Social distancing (closing of events and venues to minimize contacts, avoiding crowds and travel)
\n– Quarantine
\nClick here to read an article showing the logic and impact of containment strategies.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Some countries have been more successful than others in reducing the rate of spread of the virus.<\/strong>
\nIn addition to the strategies mentioned above, these countries (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan) have promoted the use of masks when in public as a barrier to transmission of the virus.
\nClick here to read an article on the virus containment effort in South Korea.<\/a>
\nThese countries enjoy societal expectation that sick individuals use masks in public to protect others.
\nIn the United States, masks are primarily used by medical professionals and during construction.
\nSo our stock of masks isn’t sufficient for general use and is limited to use by medical staff.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Board member de Bruyn Kops researched options to make masks from readily available materials. <\/strong>
\nIn Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital developed a design for home made masks.
\nClick here to read an article on their effort in Hong Kong<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n