Media Coverage

Media articles featuring INFORMS members in the news.

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COVID-19 Vaccines, New Infections Are Pushing SC Toward Herd Immunity  by Fall, Experts Say

COVID-19 Vaccines, New Infections Are Pushing SC Toward Herd Immunity by Fall, Experts Say

The Post and Courier, January 12, 2021

One way or another, millions more South Carolinians need to acquire immunity from the coronavirus before the disease is at bay. The goal is herd immunity, and it is a moving target. Jane Kelly, assistant state epidemiologist with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, said last week that community spread of the disease should stop once 70 percent of the population has acquired immunity. That’s herd immunity. But, she said, public health experts must set the bar higher — up to 85 percent — in places where infections are rampant.

Vaccine Roll-Out a Long Haul for Alamance County

Vaccine Roll-Out a Long Haul for Alamance County

The Times News, January 12, 2021

“It’s a marathon not a sprint,” said Alamance County Health Director Tony Lo Giudice talking about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Lo Giudice was candid about the obstacles the Health Department faces in getting close to 170,000 Alamance County residents inoculated against the coronavirus – inoculating the public from unrealistic expectations. Right now the biggest one is the meager 975 doses per week the state is allocating to Alamance County. “There is still a trickle of vaccine,” said Julie Swann, head of the Industrial Systems Engineering Department at N.C. State and an expert in how health systems operate, “and high expectations.”

Last Mile Limits U.S. Vaccine Rollout: Media

Last Mile Limits U.S. Vaccine Rollout: Media

Ecns.cn, January 12, 2021

The sluggish rollout of COVID-19 vaccines across the United States highlights the challenges of a decentralized distribution plan that relies on states and localities to handle the complicated last-mile logistics of getting shots into people's arms, reported The Wall Street Journal on Monday. More than 22 million doses had been distributed to states and other jurisdictions as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while 6.7 million people had received their first shot by that point. The figures were short of the U.S. goal of 20 million vaccinations by the end of 2020, and communities and states were still reporting bottlenecks this month as they managed their inoculation programs, said the Journal.

COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain Can Be Fixed

COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain Can Be Fixed

The Hill, January 11, 2021

The output from Operation Warp Speed is struggling to get its footing. The billions of dollars invested focused primarily on developing a safe and effective vaccine as quickly as possible. Equally needed was how to effectively traverse all the links in the supply chain, particularly the last mile, to transform those vaccines into vaccinations. As a result, millions of doses of vaccines sit on shelves while willing recipients anxiously await their turn to be immunized. What went wrong and what can be done today to make this right?  

There's Something to Gain in the Space Between Home and Work

There's Something to Gain in the Space Between Home and Work

Business Daily Media, January 11, 2021

For many of us, one of the upsides of 2020 was being freed from the grind of the daily commute. For the 40% of the workforce able to “telecommute”, COVID-19 social distancing measures saved us an average of about an hour a day – and much more for those of us living in the outer suburbs of cities. Studies show the morning commute is the least favourite part of the day, and the commute home the third-least favourite (working is the second-least favourite). Congestion, crowding and unpredictability increase stress and dissatisfaction. The longer it takes, and the more we have to do in the company of others, the more we dislike it.

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Artificial Intelligence

Why 23andMe’s Genetic Data Could Be a ‘Gold Mine’ for AI Companies

Why 23andMe’s Genetic Data Could Be a ‘Gold Mine’ for AI Companies

TIME, March 26, 2025

The genetic testing company 23andMe, which holds the genetic data of 15 million people, declared bankruptcy on Sunday night after years of financial struggles. This means that all of the extremely personal user data could be up for sale—and that vast trove of genetic data could draw interest from AI companies looking to train their data sets, experts say.

Healthcare

Want to reduce the cost of healthcare? Start with our billing practices.

Want to reduce the cost of healthcare? Start with our billing practices.

The Hill, March 11, 2025

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as the new secretary of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s de facto healthcare czar. He will have influence over numerous highly visible agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, among others. Given that healthcare is something that touches everyone’s life, his footprint of influence will be expansive. 

We all benefit from and are hurt by health insurance claim denials

We all benefit from and are hurt by health insurance claim denials

Atlanta Journal Constitution, January 23, 2025

Health insurance has become necessary, with large and unpredictable health care costs always looming before each of us. Unfortunately, the majority of people have experienced problems when using their health insurance to pay for their medical care. Health insurance serves as the buffer between patients and the medical care system, using population pooling to mitigate the risk exposure on any one individual.

Supply Chain

Experts warn logistics industry stakeholders to make contingency plans

Experts warn logistics industry stakeholders to make contingency plans

Seafood Source, March 10, 2025

In their March 2025 forecasts, shipping and logistics experts are warning those who rely on the industry to expect continued disruption, and in order to survive a chaotic landscape, they are advising businesses to spend money conservatively, work with trusted partners, and make comprehensive contingency plans.

Climate