New research from across the USA has looked at mobile phone location data to find that it may be best to limit the capacity at key points of interest (POIs) rather than impose entire, community-wide, lockdowns:

“Our model predicts that a small minority of “superspreader” POIs account for a large majority of [Coronavirus] infections and that restricting maximum occupancy at each POI is more effective than uniformly reducing mobility.”

Mobility network models of COVID-19 explain inequities and inform reopening

A few additional points:

  1. This is what real science looks like. They looked at data, and they published what they found. Other people can then agree, or disagree by conducting and publishing their own research.
  2. The research also suggests that community-wide lockdowns are most punitive to people from disadvantaged socioeconomic groups.
  3. Back in May, the IOM Government published a plan for what would happen if Coronavirus re-established itself in the Manx community. The IOM Chief Minister promised a few weeks ago to reconsider this plan – given how much the science has advanced from May to November, this is a well-overdue reconsideration. Let’s hope that they take advantage of scientific developments over the last six months to end their lockdown threats.
person looking out the window
Photo by Jesse Yelin on Pexels.com

Michael Josem is a long-term consumer advocate, most prominently as a global leader in combating fraud in the online gambling industry. He was in part the inspiration for the 20th Century Fox Movie, Runner Runner, starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake.

Josem has over a decade of experience as a senior business leader working across various high-tech and online industries, and takes action to build a better community. His primary volunteer roles include service for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and Graih, the homelessness charity.