Baicker, Dube Discuss "Super-Spreaders" and Sectors of Concern During COVID-19

Harris Public Policy Dean Katherine Baicker and Professor Oeindrila Dube co-wrote an op-ed in The New York Times with two other researchers, discussing insights from cell phone location data and self-reporting about time spent in public spaces.

"Some businesses, like some people, are 'super-spreaders,'" the authors write. "Through the lens of contagion, a yoga class, a busy corner store or a crowded neighborhood bar may look a lot like a wet market in China.

"These numbers help us flag risky industries, like beauty and nail salons, that our other metrics didn’t," the authors write of their findings. "These businesses should be particularly attentive to maintaining social-distancing measures."

Full coverage, including graphic representation of the data, available at The New York Times.