1/ Q: I am so lucky to have my health and my job. Knowing that many others don’t enjoy the same good fortunate right now, I am eager to contribute. Are there evidence-based approaches to charitable #giving?
2/ A: Absolutely. Here are three great options: (1) Donate $ to food banks; (2) Choose a charity vetted and scored by a data-driven recommendation organization (e.g. Charity Navigator); (3) Give cash directly to those in need through a trusted intermediary (e.g. GiveDirectly)
3/ More context:
We Nerdy Girls are so heartened by how many people have asked us a variant of this question. Our followers’ collective generosity blows us away! Thank you for being beacons of hope during these turbulent times.
So why do we recommend the three options above?
4/ FOOD BANKS:
Estimates suggest that as many as 1 in 4 children in numerous states are “food insecure” – lacking adequate access to food. In many places, this represents a doubling of 2018 levels. feedingamerica.org/sites/default/…
5/ Food banks serve a crucial role in serving food insecure families, and are grateful recipients of cash donations right now as they meet surging demand.
It’s best to give $ instead of food: feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/do…
6/ DATA-DRIVEN CHARITY RECOMMENDERS:
Several terrific groups rigorously vet charitable organizations using transparent and thorough ratings systems. We like Charity Navigator charitynavigator.org, which rates individual charities and gives general evidence-based tips to donors
7/ GIVE CASH DIRECTLY:
Rigorous randomized controlled trials – designed in the same way as those done for medical treatments – have demonstrated that giving cash directly with “no strings attached” to those in need can result in sustained improvements in well-being.
8/ The strong evidence base is why many economists are big cheerleaders for this “unconditional cash transfer” approach for charitable giving. GiveDirectly (givedirectly.org/research-at-gi…) is a well-respected intermediary that rigorously tests the results of its efforts.
9/ A final note: If you are able, please also consider giving blood, which is desperately needed across the country.
Note: Thanks to Mark Seyadarian, MBA/MPH, for his excellent research contributions for this post!]
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1/ Q: Has almost everyone been infected with COVID by now?
A: Recent estimates suggest around 58% of the population in the US and over 70% in England have been previously infected, with BIG increases during the Omicron wave.
3/ ➡️ During the Omicron wave from December 2021-February 2022, this estimate increased from 33% to 58%.
➡️ Rates vary a lot by age, ranging from 33.2% for those over age 65 to 75% for those under age 18.
2/ Not likely. If your kids are suddenly getting sick a lot, this is likely due to “catching up” on exposures rather than a weakened immune system.
3/ Many families w/ young kids have been hunkered down for the better part of 2 years– a good % of a young child’s entire life. While isolation had *many* downsides, we can agree that not having to suction snot out of infant noses or clean up norovirus puke was a happy upside.
1/ Q: Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve).
2/ ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge.
3/ Burning fast could be a silver lining of super transmissible #Omicron. Cases rose & fell quickly in S. Africa (w/ hospitalizations & deaths still lagging). The UK appears to have turned the Omicron corner. Many US states appear past their peak in cases, w/ regional variation:
Unfortunately, this includes New Year’s Eve plans. The perfect storm of a new variant & holiday get-togethers is hitting communities & health care w/ FORCE! Testing is in short supply.
3/ Health care is under extreme pressure with surging cases. If you can avoid even one additional contact, you are helping. This is a temporary and urgent request (from a health care provider).