Insight #6 for CEOs on How to Better Manage COVID-19 Spread Mitigation Using a Program Containing Top-Drawer Return-to-Work Strategies and Products

By: John Norris, JD, MBA, Chairman, Safely2Prosperity Infectious Disease Spread Mitigation Program Company; Minority Investor, Vessel Health Test-Developer Company; Former Harvard Faculty Member; Former FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner and COO*

Here is Key Insight #6 to Help your Company/University/School to Return to Work/Classes, Soon, But Only by Doing it Safely:

Insight #6 Dr. Michael Osterholm, from the University of Minnesota, someone for whom other scientists hold in great regard, a few weeks ago predicted that the next major peak of the COVID-19 Crisis likely will occur in 14 weeks (3.5 months) from then, I.e., around June 15, 2021. This is likely to happen or even sooner, I believe. Dr. Osterholm’s projection is an underestimate if anything, I feel.

Sooner Still. I believe Dr. Osterholm has not yet taken into account, adequately, a few other key factors that will likely aggravate and speed up the onset of a new peak in COVID-19 spread. Examples of such additional factors are (1) the likely weakening of workers’/teachers’/ childrens' immune-systems by the widespread simultaneous spread of the flu and by extensive pandemic fatigue; and (2) likely quick variant spread coupled with likely arrival of (or delayed detection of) new and more potent variants for which existing vaccines might offer little or no protection. 

No Vaccine for Children. There is as of yet no vaccine for children; it is possible, some researchers believe, that children might suffer long-term consequences of COVID-19 infection, including heart-disease and lung-disease, whether the infection is symptomatic or not. Not a risk worth taking. Shocked that so many schools have reopened part-time or full-time without any serious Mitigation Program in place. NOT A GOOD THING. Three of my grandkids recently had mild COVID-19 infections. I am very upset and very concerned. Of course, we will not know the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection in kids for five years or so. I would not take this large a risk, one that might destroy a kid's life.

Answers Will Come Soon. We will see in around roughly 10 to 12 weeks, again, around June 15, whether both, either, or neither of Dr. Osterholm or I am, roughly correct. We both were roughly spot on (plus or minus a few weeks) in our earlier public predictions of the first two prior peaks.

Signs Are Appearing. Signs that we are right, that there will be a new peak, and roughly when, are:

(1) CDC's recent announcement that another peak is coming, possibly around June 15, at least in some regions of the country;

(2) CDC's even more recent announcement that the June 15 peak will likely be more serious because some or even many of the variant(s) that will produce this third peak are likely to be as much as 50% more contagious (i.e., this peak is likely to produce up to 50% more serious harms and up to 50% more deaths than happened last June unless people sustain or increase their strict mitigation practices, including testing, which many have already abandoned.; and

(3) there is great evidence, in Europe and possibly Asia (although Asian countries are poor reporters of what is really going on, so it is harder to use them as an example), emerging that they, too, are headed toward a new and possibly more hazardous peak in early June.

If Europe Says It All. Typically, at least Europe is roughly two weeks ahead of the US in beginning to start and beginning to end COVID-19 peaks. Hold onto your seats. The ride is going to become rough, or even very rough, again in many parts of the US. In spite of what foolish politicians and weak politically-motivated scientists and physicians are saying, there is almost certainly another peak coming in June, or at the latest July.

Hope Is Not Enough. In spite of what people hope, cyclical lulls, and then peaks, might become the new normal, perhaps for years. This is because vaccines only do so much to protect people from infection (possibly as little as 40%; this is because of their very nature and of the fact that many people refuse to get them), not 100%, as many people presume, and no one has sufficiently informed and convinced them otherwise.

Backsliding Is a Big Problem. What's worse, many Americans, with or without having been vaccinated, have backslidden to their old risky behaviors at-home, at-work, and at-bars, as well as at restaurants, and at other places of travel or entertainment. This is complicated by the fact that many people have given up on the simple mitigation procedures of wearing masks and six-foot social distancing, even though those alone if they are used solo, might only help around 40%, at most. But 40% protection is far better than nothing.

What to Do? If it were me, I would:

(1) not travel on airplanes, boats, subways, vans, busses, or trains.

(2) not give up on vaccines, masks, and social distancing of 6-feet (30-feet if someone around you is coughing, sneezing, speaking loudly, or singing), and

(3) hold every meeting of every kind out-of-dorrs, to the extent that might be reasonably possible.

Employers and Workers/Students Both Have a Duty to Act. I would also insist that my employer pays for a COVID-19 Spread Mitigation Program that includes monthly and random testing with a very good testing product--not testing just of myself, but also of my family members, my co-workers, and their family members.

Reckless Conduct Will Possibly Kill People AND Kill Your Organization. Reckless conduct by workers/students or employers/schools is not a good thing. Spring break for college students might become a major disaster. Recklessness can collapse working-groups/student-groups, and even lead to complete workforce-collapse/student-body-collapse. A prime example: Duke University, a great and well-run institution, a few days ago, had to close down completely due to widespread COVID-19 spread throughout its entire student body.

Conclusion. Because of the 10 insights, plus other insights yet to come, I have advocated for decades, both in the US and around the world, to create AI-driven, very low-cost, fully self-administered (at-work and at-home) infectious-disease spread mitigation tests—ones similar to very low-cost, self-administered pregnancy tests used by parents and similar to blood-glucose-level tests used by diabetics. Think of the difference that might be made for your organization--plus organizations in need around the world--if you or they use a top-end Infectious Disease Spread Program coupled with very advanced test devices to protect people both at-home and at-work.

Now or Soon Available Top Resources. A COVID-19 test-development company located in San Diego, Vessel Health, has just co-invented a very low cost, highly reliable and very fast version of such a COVID-19 Fully Self-Administered Test, again of the type I have advocated around the world for many dozens of years to be used extensively to better manage infectious diseases, especially Pandemics or other Crises. As a consequence, I have become a minority investor in the company, and recommend them and their accompanying already marketed wellness tests, highly. The Wellness Test is already on the market. The COVID-19 test is wrapping up development. Accordingly, it is not yet FDA FDA EUA authorized to launch but Vessel hopes to have it on the market, soon. The Wellness Test is a companion test to the COVID-19 Test to help monitor and support the strength of a worker's/teacher's and others' overall immune system. Customers of S2P's Spread Mitigation Program will be able to select another test that they like, even though I like this one the best, and that is why I invested in the company.

Again, Safely2Prosperity is itself, a Program Manager. S2P's role is to: (1) help assess a customer's precise infectious disease spread mitigation needs; (2) help determine the best way to meet those needs; (3) help craft and install the right Program; (4) help manage the Program's operations; and (5) help periodically to evaluate data flowing from the Program (and daily shared with the customer) to determine how well and how consistently the Program is operating and if any serious modifications or slight adjustments to the Program are needed.

A Call to Action. Absolutely, Don’t Let Money, Fear, or Confusion Prevent Your Timely and Safe Start of Essential Reopening Action, Soon! Reopening, soon, and Doing it Safely, are musts for smart CEOs. Insurance discounts and rental arrangements might be made available in amounts that are able to dramatically reduce cash flow in paying for a First-Rate COVID-19 Spread Mitigation Program. Any way you cut it, this can somehow be done for every smart CEO/University President/School Superintendent. Given Hell or High Water, this is what everyone is expecting of you, and what everyone would call: “Doing the right thing.”

John

PS: If you do nothing else, at least immediately be Inward-Looking. In other words, you might want now to very seriously begin thinking about, and strategizing on, how to: At Least Protect Your Career and Your Sense of Self-Worth. Then soon after that, find the resources to do much more, very quickly.

Email: S2P: [email protected]; Web: Safely2Prosperity.com; FDTH: [email protected]; and Cell: 617-680-3127;

Disclaimer. *To be clear, neither the FDA, nor the CDC, nor NIH has reviewed this brief Article. or its Full-Length Version, or in any way commented on either.

The URLs. URLs to the Full-Length “CEO/School-Superintendent COVID-19 Responsibilities” Article are: LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/post/edit/6768636079756107776/?lipi=urn:li:page:d_flagship3_publishing_post_edit;/46ZoF+QS/OntjeCcEhTGA ?==&licu=urn:li:control:d_flagship3_publishing_post_edit-article_description#; and S2P Website: https://safely2prosperity.com/blog/covid-insights-ceos-school-superintendents.

? 2021, All rights reserved. This document is forward-thinking and contains only limited, summary information. See Full-Length Version (URLs above), from which this Brief Article is pulled, for added cautions and disclaimers.