A high-level look at the science and data surrounding COVID-19 that directly affects the capability of reopening events and trade shows. For more insight on the decision-making processes needed to deploy live events next quarter, watch the recent Mitigating Risk and Moving Forward webinar featuring The Expo Group’s Public Health Advisor Lauren Sauer here.

Data pulled November 30, 2020

COVID-19 Stats

Percent Positivity: Big Stat for Moving Forward Together

Why it matters: Percent positivity shows the percent of positive results per number of COVID tests and helps us see both how much the community is testing and how prevalent transmission is in that community.  There are some challenges to how to interpret this number but overall, it is a good COVID-19 barometer.

Data Source: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/tracker/overview

Medical Advancements

Vaccines: Making Progress

Why it matters: Vaccines are a major tool in our COVID-19 fighting tool kit. They can protect our most vulnerable community members and our healthcare workers, and reduce both the impact of the disease and its transmission. Availability of a vaccine has also been tracked to consumer confidence in travel and gatherings.

Three vaccines thus far have been submitted to the Federal Drug Administration for Emergency Use Authorization status. Two of them (Moderna and Pfizer) are scheduled December 10 for their first review, which encompasses investigation of their patient trials, dosing, efficacy, process management and distribution plans.

Operation Warp Speed has shown how collaboration can benefit everyone, expedite the process of drug and vaccine development, and brings attention to the environment of safety and rigor that these scientific processes create.

Courtesy of the Washington Post

Data Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/health/covid-vaccine-update-coronavirus/

Rapid Testing: Effective Use Matters

Why it matters: Availability of rapid, low-cost tests makes it easier for event organizers to create and deploy testing strategies that – when used properly and in conjunction with other protections — will improve our ability to hold safe gatherings. Testing landscape continues to shift. Accuracy continues to improve but questions remain, especially in asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic people. With all the different types of tests available and in use, it’s important to understand what a test can and cannot tell you.

Data Source: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/coronavirus-testing-basics

Therapeutics: Helping People Heal

Courtesy of The New York Times

Why it matters: New treatments for COVID-19 are subject to the processes of clinical trials and regulatory approvals, but these are important steps that ensure safe and effective treatments. Visibility into the process can increase confidence in people that if they get sick, they can be healed. Medical professionals are finding new and better treatments for those infected.

Data Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-drugs-treatments.html

Human Behavior

Trust: Shared Responsibilities and PPE

Why it matters: People’s willingness to adopt personal protective measures and trust in others’ adoption helps raise trust overall

Courtesy Ian MacKay

Travel: Safe in Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Why it matters: Trust in the process to arrive from someone’s home to an event, and back again, must be secured to support trust in the event experience overall.  Safe travel will be critical to ensuring a safe event, especially for longer duration events.

America hit a peak number of travelers November 29, the highest since March 16 but still less than 40% of 2019’s post-Thanksgiving numbers.

Data Source: TSA  Checkpoint travels

What it means: Our public health advisor shared on the webinar she personally would be comfortable flying if fellow travelers and companies were taking the appropriate measures, which brings us back to “swiss cheese.” Be sure to listen to the entire conversation with Lauren Sauer here.

This is not medical advice. If these data points are helpful to you, let us know and we will continue to update.