Overview:
The health and economic dangers associated with COVID-19 are obvious, and they have exposed serious vulnerabilities in complex international supply chains. China has meanwhile threatened openly to curtail exports of rare earths that go into electric vehicles and even lifesaving medications.

The good news is however that, if everybody does what the CDC, OSHA, and the Surgeon General are telling us what to do, the outbreak is likely to be suppressed by summer into a still-dangerous but manageable nuisance. This conclusion is from the SIR (Susceptible, Infected, Recovered) model that shows that enough countermeasures (including but not limited to hygiene and social distancing) will send the disease into a decline before it has a chance to peak. An overview of OSHA’s recommendations for workplace safety, and other countermeasures that can be taken, will be provided.