Today we zoom in on a major headline surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, starting with Russia's
claim to have become the first country to complete a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.
We'll also discuss how the virus is taking a toll on education for over a billion students
across the world,... and whether children in the U.S. should return to the classroom.
I have joining me Eric Ding, Epidemiologist and Senior Fellow of the Federation of American
Scientists. We also have Neale Mahoney - Professor of
Economics and Policy at Stanford University.
Dr. Ding: On Tuesday, Russia claimed to be the world's first nation to approve a COVID-19
vaccine for public use. But it hasn't been tested up to the global standard. How are
scientists looking at the safety or efficacy of
this vaccine? Can we trust it? Dr. Mahoney: While Wall Street did briefly
respond positively to news of the vaccine, it ended up finishing lower on
Tuesday. Do you think this reflects general skepticism over Moscow's claims?
To both: The Russian vaccine has been named Sputnik V, reminiscent of the then-Soviet
Union's space race with the U.S. during the Cold War. Is Russia's announcement an attempt
at winning what many are seeing as a vaccine race what's in it for the country that 'wins'?
Dr. Ding: There was a report earlier this month that said the number of children becoming
infected by COVID-19 soared by 40 percent in the last two weeks of July. There was an
assumption children were less affected than adults. What's behind the sudden jump?
Dr. Mahoney: This comes amid the debate over whether schools should reopen in Autumn. The
Brookings model of the impact of school closures on the U.S. economy assumes that four months
of school closures would amount to two-point-five trillion U.S. dollars that's around 12.7 percent
of annual GDP. What do you think of this model? Is potential economic loss
reason enough to send kids back to school despite the recent surge of infections?
Dr. Ding: What are your thoughts on this? Dr. Mahoney: What are the long-term risks
of reopening schools at this point? Dr. Mahoney: UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres has warned the disruption to education is turning into a 'generational catastrophe,'
Which groups of children and young people are
likely
to suffer most from the economic impact of lost learning and access to education?
Dr. Ding: How should schools reopen in a way that best protects children and their teachers?
Dr. Mahoney: Would an early reopening of schools help boost an economic recovery, in a way
that's sustainable and meaningful?
- How should the government ensure marginalized children don't fall further behind?
This is where we wrap up the discussion today. That was Eric Ding, Epidemiologist and Senior
Fellow of
the Federation of American Scientists, and Neale Mahoney - Professor of Economics and
Policy at Stanford University. Thank
you
for
your insights