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The Nett Report - October 30, 2020
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Welcome to the 16th 2020 edition of The Nett Report. Given the uncertainty of the coronavirus crisis, we are publishing this report to provide our clients and friends with new perspectives and insights in hopes of stimulating creative thinking in the weeks and months to come. Feel free to share with friends! Links to the first fifteen 2020 reports can be found here.
The Nett Report honored by Excellence in Journalism Awards
Readers of The Nett Report will be pleased to know that this publication received an honorable mention in the newsletter category for PR, PIO, and Trade Publications at the San Diego Press Club’s Excellence in Journalism competition on October 27, 2020. In addition, my story in Triple Pundit "Is a Climate Pandemic the Future Reality?" received a first place in the environment category for Online and Daily Newspapers. There were more than 1,100 entries in multiple categories and the submissions were judged by press clubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Rochester (New York), Florida, Cleveland, Orange County, Milwaukee, Tulsa, and Alaska. This competition has been good to me these last four years! Every submission has been a winner, including two major awards, two first place category awards for writing about the environment, one second place for business writing, as well as the honorable mention for The Nett Report. Thank you, San Diego Press Club!
On the Election
Leaders must inspire, motivate and do the next right thing
Alan Murray, the thoughtful CEO of Fortune, had these thoughts on the November 3, 2020, election in his CEO Daily newsletter on October 20, 2020. “So allow me a moment to reflect on the coming U.S. election. Some business leaders will be tempted to vote for the man who managed to achieve the unachievable by rewriting the corporate tax code, which previously penalized American-based businesses relative to overseas competitors; and who rolled back the regulatory tide of the Obama administration. But as we have written here often, an ever-growing group of corporate leaders also recognizes that society is demanding a different kind of leadership. Today’s leaders increasingly embrace purpose beyond profit; provide their employees connection to a cause bigger than themselves; spend less time telling people what to do and more telling them how to do it; empathize, inspire, motivate, and urge their people to do, as my friend Dov Seidman puts it, not just do the next thing right, but do the next right thing.”
Utah gubernatorial opponents join to plead for civility
If you haven’t seen it, please see the video of Utah gubernatorial candidates as reported by Independent Voter News. “Republican Utah Lt. Governor Spencer Cox and his Democratic rival, Chris Peterson, took time during the campaign to shoot a joint PSA pleading for civility in the 2020 election -- and another encouraging the peaceful transition of power.” They pledged to work together for the benefit of the people no matter who wins. I think we can all agree that this is "the next right thing" in how we should move forward at every level of government.
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Vaccines, Testing and Solutions
Remdesivir - FDA says yes, WHO says WHOA
On October 22, 2020, the “Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its first full approval to a COVID-19 treatment, the drug remdesivir. The decision was based on three randomized, controlled trials that showed remdesivir could reduce the length of hospital stays and the chance of patients needing oxygen.” However, on October 16, 2020, Science Magazine, a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, reported that the World Health Organization (WHO), has released the interim research results of four Covid-19 therapies.The study involved 11,000 patients in 400 hospitals around the world, one of the largest studies of its kind. None of the treatments, including remdesivir, increased survival. “We would love to have a drug that works, but it’s better to know if a drug works or not than not to know and continue to use it,” says WHO’s chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan.
Is the supply chain prepared for vaccine distribution?
A July 24, 2020, analysis by Bloomberg Law concluded that “the industries that shepherd goods around the world on ships, planes and trucks acknowledge they aren’t ready to handle the challenges of shipping an eventual Covid-19 vaccine from drug makers to billions of people.” Emirates SkyCargo’s pharmaceutical division estimated that a single Boeing Co. 777 freighter can carry one million individual doses of a vaccine. Delivering enough vaccines to protect half the world’s population would require the space in about 8,000 cargo planes. A September 27, 2020, article in Memphis Commercial Appeal was more optimistic, reporting that FedEx’s “cold chain” (a temperature-controlled supply chain for goods that would otherwise perish in transit like food, flowers and vaccines) is ready for the task. DHL estimated “15,000 flights, 200,000 movements by pallet shippers and 15 million deliveries in cooling boxes would be required to ship 10 billion vaccine doses which would ensure global overage for two years.” Refrigeration is a key element needed for distribution, along with the fact that “raw ingredients are going to be made in one country, the manufacturing of the vaccines in another country, another region, and the consumption and need for this is global.”
China detects an outbreak, tests 4.5 million people in two days
With a willingness to provide resources, aided by the political will of an authoritarian regime, China tested 4.5 million people in the Kashgar area in two days, according to a October 26, 2020, story in the Washington Post. The testing came after authorities discovered an asymptomatic case of Covid-19 on Saturday, October 24. 2.8 million residents had been tested by Sunday afternoon. By Monday evening, 4.5 million had been tested.
What makes a Covid-19 superspreader?
Becoming a superspreader of Covid-19 could be the shape of one’s body, loud talking or breathing fast, according to a story in National Geo’s Science Newsletter on October 28, 2020. “Researchers examining what type of person spreads COVID-19 most widely are zeroing in on common denominators, ‘They’re not sneezing. They’re not coughing. They’re just breathing and talking,’ says Donald Milton, an aerosol transmission expert from the University of Maryland. ’They might be shouting. They might be singing. Karaoke bars have been a big source of superspreading events. We saw one at a spin cycle club up in Hamilton, Ontario, where people are breathing hard.” Read more here.
A link between Coronavirus, vitamin D and the immune system
According to Mic.com, in an October 27, 2020, story, in “a small but revelatory new study, scientists found that over 80 percent of 200 participants with coronavirus had a vitamin D deficiency … the study suggests that “a lack of vitamin D compromises our immune system in a way that makes fighting the disease especially difficult. The research also found that a higher percentage of men have this deficiency than women, which is a finding that aligns with how COVID-19 has been affecting more men as well.”
Public Trust in Science on the Rise during COVID-19 Pandemic
A story in the San Diego State University NewsCenter on October 27, 2020, reported that the general public has begun paying attention to news about testing and vaccine development and trusting science and scientists much more than the pre-COVID-19 era. This finding came from a 3M report on the state of science.
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Miscellaneous Tid Bits
Regions without mask mandates have highest rate of hospitalizations for Covid-19
The Washington Post Coronavirus Newsletter on October 28, 2020, reported that “a non-peer-reviewed analysis of cases in Tennessee by Vanderbilt University found that regions without mask mandates also have the highest rates of hospitalization for covid-19. “At hospitals where more than 75 percent of patients were subject to mask requirements, hospitalizations are nearly even this month with where they were July 1. Hospitals where less than 25 percent of patients were subject to mask requirements have more than twice as many hospitalizations as they did on July 1.” Counties in Kansas with mask requirements have seen about half as many new infections as counties without mandates.
Will the pandemic result in fewer babies in rich countries and more in poor ones?
The Economist on October 28, 2020, reported a difference in birth rates might be in the offing between rich countries and poor ones. “It is too early, by a few months at least, to be sure what the effect of Covid-19 will be on fertility rates, but different patterns seem to be emerging in rich and poor countries. Few women want to have a child in a time of uncertainty. In the rich world many are holding off starting a family or adding to it. But in the poorest places, where women often have less choice in the matter, a baby boom may be in the offing.”
National Geo announces a Covid-19 emergency fund for journalists
The National Geographic Society is launching an emergency fund for journalists all over the world who wish to cover COVID-19 within their own communities. This fund will emphasize delivering news to underserved populations, particularly where there is a dearth of evidence-based information getting to those who need it. The fund will distribute support ranging from $1,000–8,000 USD for local coverage of the preparation, response, and impact of this global pandemic.
We lacked toilet paper, in Myanmar they are eating rats
While early-on the pandemic created shortages of toilet paper, sanitizer and some food products, our shortages don’t compare with what others have suffered around the world. In Myanmar, which is facing one of Southeast Asia’s worst outbreaks, Reuters reported on October 23, 2020, that a “lockdown in Yangon has left hundreds of thousands of people … without work and precious little support.” One survey found 70% of peple were out of work. Eating rats and snakes is common in Myanmar’s rural areas, but now the practice has reached the cities where “people in some urban areas are now being reduced to getting nutrition however they can."
76% of American CEOs say they will shrink office space
More evidence is emerging about how we will work in the future because of the pandemic. A Fortune survey of 171 CEOs taken in late September found 76% will need less office space in the future. And 28% said they will need “a lot less office space.”
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Quotable
Why business must respond: “The coming together of the pandemic and social justice really put a bullseye on us. All of us in business now can’t just step aside and think these problems are going to solve themselves. All of us who are employers have to step up.”
Margaret Keane, CEO, Synchrony
On the wisdom of labor markets: “I (used to) believe that if you rely on the market, your employees will be okay…Then I put out a survey, and found that 2/3rds of our employees struggled to make ends meet at the end of the month.”
Dan Schulman, CEO, PayPal
On keeping an eye on the long term: “Our business functionally disappeared in March. It takes your breath away how profound that impact was to the business…What we do know is the virus will get behind us. We know that with virtual certainty.”
Arne Sorenson, CEO, Marriott
On managing in tough times: “Never waste a crisis. If you don’t see a silver lining, you better go and create one.
Karen Chan, CEO, AirAsia.com
All of the above from day one of the virtual Fortune Global Forum held on October 27, 2020. The focus was on how Covid has changed the nature of business. More quotes can be found here.
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Nettleton Strategies - Helping You Navigate the Big Reset
This is a challenging time for all of us, in a way we have never experienced before. Here are some things you can do to move forward.
Take this time to imagine your future. We encourage you to imagine a post-coronavirus future when you can begin to realize your dreams in a sustainable way.
Assess your current and future status. At Nettleton Strategies, our philosophy has always been that we need to know two things to find solutions and move forward:
- A clear understanding of the status of the current situation.
- A clear vision of how you want your world to be in the future.
With those two benchmarks, you can create a path from your current status to the future imagined status, eliminating the obstacles and identifying processes and resources needed to reach the future state.
Let Nettleton Strategies help! We long ago discarded our flip charts and have facilitated client needs using digital tools. Now we have successfully facilitated client strategy sessions on Zoom. We can do the same for you! Let us help you:
- Clarify your unique value proposition as an organization.
- Identify clear goals that are measurable,
- Align what you do with available funding.
- Determine who should be responsible for next steps
- Help you to emulate best practices in your field
If you would like help navigating your way forward, contact us to learn more about how we can help!
Carl Nettleton is an award-winning writer, acclaimed speaker, facilitator, and a subject matter expert regarding water, climate, sustainability, the ocean, and binational U.S. Mexico border affairs. Founded in 2007, Nettleton Strategies is a trusted source of analysis and advice on issues at the forefront of public policy, business and the environment.
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