Pandemic

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U.S. Gun Laws, China's COVID Outbreak, Space in 2050: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on gun policy in America, the myth of America's “Ukraine fatigue,” the COVID outbreak in China, and more.

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Lost Opportunities to Contain COVID-19 in China

Three years after the SARS-COV-2 virus emerged in Wuhan, China is now facing a tsunami of COVID-19 infections. The unprecedented spread of the disease appears to have been fueled by an ill-timed change in COVID-19 policy and a lack of vaccination and boosting. A rethinking of national strategy could still help.

Jennifer Bouey @BoueyHuang

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Ten Things That Inspired Me in 2022

It would be impossible to capture all the important work that RAND does in a year. But RAND president and CEO Jason Matheny has compiled ten times he was inspired by RAND's efforts to bring insight to some of the biggest policy stories of 2022.

Jason Matheny @JasonGMatheny

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How COVID-19 Transformed the Jobs Market

The COVID-19 pandemic initially devastated the U.S. economy. It also exposed and exacerbated existing inequities in society. But in as yet unpredictable ways, it may have accelerated profound changes in how labor works today.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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Informing the Debate About Telemedicine Reimbursement: What Do We Need to Know?

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. payers and policymakers broadly expanded payment for telemedicine services and relaxed many regulations. To decide the long-term fate of pandemic-era temporary telemedicine, policymakers should consider the effects of telemedicine on health care spending, patient outcomes, and health equity.

Ateev Mehrotra, Lori Uscher-Pines

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COVID-19's Biggest Casualty May Be Governability

Pandemics fuel pre-existing prejudices, deepen social divisions, and increase political tensions. As the United States heads into the midterm elections, the parties should be prepared to face headwinds whichever side emerges with control of Congress. COVID-19's biggest political casualty might be governability.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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Is Our Response to the Pandemic a Preview of How We May Deal with Climate Change?

Do Americans have the stomach for tough times, hard work, and sacrifice? Or will many of the same problems experienced in responding to COVID-19 arise as Americans confront the challenge of climate change?

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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Putin's Latest Threats, U.S. Policy in the Middle East, Disaster Recovery: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Russia's troop mobilization and the ongoing war in Ukraine, U.S. policy in the Middle East, building a more diverse teacher workforce, and more.

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National Security After Roe, Women Veterans, COVID-19's Lasting Effects: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how overturning Roe could affect national security, supporting women veterans, responding to the next pandemic, and more.

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Societal Long COVID Here to Stay, Says Book: 'Normality Will Not Return'

Brian Michael Jenkins takes a look at past plagues—like the Black Death and the 1918 pandemic—to try to understand the future. In this adaptation from his book, Jenkins discusses how post-pandemic life will be marked by more than just long-lasting health concerns.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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Can South Korea Help the World Beat the Next Pandemic?

As the world emerges from the long and devastating COVID-19 pandemic, nations around the world, including the United States, could look to South Korea's near-perfect response as a model for dealing with future public health crises.

Jennifer Bouey @BoueyHuang

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Learning, Relearning, and Not Learning the Lessons of COVID-19

Recent announcements have demonstrated how little has been learned from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the potential need for a national reckoning to assess shortfalls and develop recommendations for preparing for and responding to future pandemics and other biological risks. The United States could create a national commission to develop a way forward.

Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

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Tunisia: Challenges and Successes in COVID-19 Pandemic Response

Tunisia's response to the COVID pandemic has been spotty, though vaccination rates have improved and mortality rates have dropped. When the political instability is factored in, Tunisia's emergence from the pandemic may not be quick.

Emily Hoch, Mahshid Abir

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U.S. Labor Market, 988 Hotline, Firearm Homicides: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the U.S. economy’s uneven pandemic recovery, a new national mental health hotline, firearm homicides, and more.

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Recovered, but Not Whole: U.S. Jobs Rebounded, but Not for Everyone

The U.S. recovery from the pandemic recession has been remarkable. But it's important to note that both the recession and its recovery treated men and women differently, and treated women of color differently than white women.

Kathryn A. Edwards