Category: COVID-19

From continued supply chain challenges, to hospital resource prioritization, to access to testing, and so, so much more, operations research and analytics continue to help the world combat the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic from local level all the way to national, and even global infrastructure.

How airlines are still flying high during the pandemic

The COVID-19 impact on airlines has been profound, with more than a 50% decrease in the volume of air passengers over the past year. Last year, in the early days of the pandemic, I shared an episode featuring Arnie Barnett with MIT in which we discussed how by leaving the middle seats on airplanes open, and only filling windows and aisles, the chance of contracting the coronavirus during a flight could be significantly reduced. Now, joining me for this episode to discuss additional ways airlines have pivoted and adapted to the challenges of the pandemic is Laurie Garrow. Laurie is…

Tags: airlines, COVID-19, Laurie Garrow

Learn more

Shining a light on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution

After a year dominated by the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 dawned with an optimistic look ahead, as we witnessed the start of the rollout of a coronavirus vaccine. But as we are still in the earliest stages of this effort, there are still challenges ahead and a great deal of uncertainty. Joining me to shine some light on this is Anna Nagurney, the John F. Smith Memorial Professor in the Department of Operations and Information Management in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is also the Founding Director of the Virtual…

Tags: Anna Nagurney, COVID-19, pandemic, supply chains, vaccine

Learn more

Hate the middle seat? Flying in the pandemic might mean only windows and aisles

In recent episodes of the podcast we have covered a number of ways that O.R. and analytics have helped address the myriad challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how they are helping us map out a return to normal, or in most cases a new normal. With social distancing remaining a key priority, there are so many aspects of our day-to-day lives that will be different for the foreseeable future. And in order to find a way to return to many of these activities, like going to school, getting back to a traditional office environment, and in the…

Tags: airplane safety, Arnie Barnett, COVID-19, middle seat, MIT

Learn more

Navigating the COVID-19 landscape with the 2020 INFORMS President

When I last spoke with 2020 INFORMS President Pinar Keskinocak, it was the beginning of the year, and the worldwide impact of the COVID-19 pandemic had not yet been realized. It has only been a few months since then, but it feels like a lifetime. And we are only halfway through the year! Needless to say, 2020 has thrown some unexpected challenges to all of us, in how we live and work. I am once again joined by Pinar to discuss the year so far and the role that O.R. and analytics has played in helping the world address many…

Tags: COVID-19, disaster preparedness, disaster response, Georgia Tech, hurricane, pandemic, Pinar Keskinocak

Learn more

Should your university reopen in the fall? Let mathematical modeling guide the way

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic this past spring saw universities across the country close their campuses and teachers rapidly transition their curriculums to a virtual classroom setting. Now, after months of social distancing and online learning, these same institutions are looking ahead to the fall semester. Simultaneously however, as states are beginning the process of reopening, many at different rates, we are also seeing a spike in infection rates. So in the face of this, can universities safely reopen their campuses? The answer may truly surprise you. Joining me to discuss how his university is approaching the upcoming fall…

Tags: Cornell University, COVID-19, epidemiological modeling, online learning, pandemic, Peter Frazier, school reopening

Learn more

Approaching COVID-19 reopening as an O.R. problem

As the country begins to reopen, we are seeing restrictions put in place to counteract the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic begin to loosen. I think many of us are battling conflicting emotions: excitement at the idea of a return to something closer to normal as well as uncertainty and anxiety, with each state reopening at a different rates and even inconsistencies in requirements regarding the use of face masks. And with some states seeing new spikes in infection rates, it begs the question, in a desire to return to normal are we moving too quickly, or perhaps simply going…

Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19, operations research, pandemic, reopening, University of Texas, Victoria Chen

Learn more

Preparing for a second wave of COVID-19

It seems surreal to think that at the start of this year, few of us were aware of the threat of a novel new virus gaining momentum overseas. Now, only a few months later, the coronavirus or COVID-19, is a global pandemic, the effects of which have impacted nearly every aspect of our day-to-day lives. As the number of cases in the U.S. continued to grow, states enacted restrictions to enforce social distancing efforts, with stay at home orders, business closures, and for businesses deemed essential, establishing guidelines to ensure customer and employee safety. At the heart of this was…

Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19, flatten the curve, infection rates, Julie Swann, North Carolina State University, social distancing

Learn more

From products to people: The growing impact of supply chain interruptions during the coronavirus pandemic

Throwback to March 18, 2020. In the past week alone, much has occurred in regard to the growing impact of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, in the U.S. As the number of confirmed cases of the virus across the country continues to increase, travel to the U.S. from Europe has been significantly restricted and state and local governments are taking equally assertive precautions. In the INFORMS home state of Maryland alone, the governor has issued a state of emergency that includes closing schools and other public institutions, banning large gatherings, and instructing people to isolate themselves from others. As these restrictions…

Tags: Carnegie Mellon University, coronavirus, COVID-19, Johns Hopkins University, Sridhar Tayur, supply chain disruptions, Tinglong Dai

Learn more

A look inside the rapid spread of the coronavirus, what are we missing?

In December 2019, the first cases of the coronavirus were identified in Wuhan, China. As the number of infections and subsequent patient deaths has continued to rise, the struggle to treat and contain the spread of the virus has become a worldwide concern for both medical professionals and world leaders. For this episode I am joined by Richard Larson, post-tenure professor in the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose recently published article with the INFORMS magazine OR/MS Today, “The 2019-nCoV Coronavirus: Are there two routes to infection?” looks at the possible reasons this…

Tags: coronavirus, disease transmission, infection, MIT, Richard Larson

Learn more