The impact of the global rise in cases of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) has had ripple effects through all areas of life, from education to the economy. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have been lending their expertise to media conversations. Check back here for an updated summary as information unfolds.
Roni Rosenfeld, Machine Learning
Rosenfeld speaks with The Wall Street Journal regarding mathematical epidemiology models to predict just how many people will get sick from the COVID-19 outbreak. Rosenfeld's work has included predicting outbreaks, including influenza. Read the full article here.
Rosenfeld speaks with the Pittsburgh Tribune Review about forecasting the spread of COVID-19 into the summer. Rosenfeld's group, The Delphi Research Group, is one of two Influenza Forecasting Centers of Excellence designated last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read the full article here.
Osman Yagan, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Yagan's mathematical research is featured in Science Daily, discussing the evolution of a pathogen and how this affects its spread through a population. Read the full article here.
Robert Murphy, Computational Biology
Murphy speaks with The Wall Street Journal about the importance of using artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up the process of developing treatments to the COVID-19 outbreak. Murphy explains that AI can spot patterns, make predictions and identify drug prospects and allow for a critical time savings. Read the full article here.
Baruch Fischhoff, Institute for Politics and Strategy, and Engineering & Public Policy
Fischoff speaks with the L.A. Times about growing unrest as the virus spreads throughout the United States. He tells the times he recommends "choosing three print media sources and one local public health agency to follow. Then check in on their coronavirus coverage once a day." Read the full article here.
Fischhoff speaks with CNN about why people are buying mass quantities of toilet paper during the COVID-19 outbreak. He suggests that doing so helps people feel a sense of control during a time of great uncertainty. Read the full article here.
Fischhoff speaks to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about how people make decisions during a crisis. Relying on his past research into the Ebola outbreak, Fischhoff discusses the responsibility of elected leaders in communicating throughout a crisis event. Read the full article here.
Fischhoff discusses his research into how people evaluate risk and make decisions with reporters from ABC News. He emphasizes that the unknown element of COVID-19 causes concern. Read the full article here.
Fischhoff, drawing on his background in psychology as well as his expertise as former president of the Society for Risk Analysis, discusses global panic with The New Yorker. Fischhoff reassures readers that people tend to band together during times of crisis. Read the full article here.
Fischhoff answers questions for CNN regarding whether people should travel during the COVID-19 outbreak. He advises finding a trusted source of information about the unfolding situation and consulting it to assess risk. Read the full article here.
Bryan Routledge, Finance
Routledge discusses the stock market with The Hill, explaining that the market will be volatile for some time amidst uncertainty surrounding the virus. Read the full article here.
Routledge speaks with NBC News about the financial impacts of closures and quarantines related to COVID-19. Routledge explains that monetary policy will be just one part of a long-term economic recovery. Read the full article here.