COVID-19 Implications for Research and Education on Engineered Structures and Services
distorted ( Starbird et al . 2019 ). It seems clear that , if correct , risk-relevant information is to be heeded , we shall need a new basis from which to proceed .
Private Housing
In the U . S ., private companies ’ ability to fire employees at will and without cause — even in the midst of a global pandemic — has helped create the largest number of unemployed individuals in the country ’ s history , precipitating important concerns about the ability of these individuals to cover housing costs ( Cohen 2020 ).
Concurrently , widespread quarantine measures have also required countless individuals to work and study from home , thereby shifting some direct and indirect costs associated with running a business from employers to employees . A loss of housing therefore will , for some , also represent the loss of a platform from which to work and learn .
The current U . S . hurricane season has provided glimpses of additional housing-related risks to the population introduced by hazards co-occurring with COVID-19 . Due to quarantine rules active during Hurricane Laura , for example , many emergency shelters could not operate safely , leading to busing of evacuees to “ non-congregate ” shelters such as hotels and motels ( Haines 2020 ). Some individuals concerned with infection risk due to “ congregate ” transportation elected to shelter in place — despite facing the prospect of a Category 4 hurricane ( Natario 2020 ) and its attendant effects on critical infrastructure ( Deslatte 2020 ).
Looking ahead to the COVID-19 recovery period , it is not altogether unreasonable to admit the possibility that economic deprivation induced by mass unemployment , loss of access to employer-provided health insurance , and reduced ability to meet monthly bills will lead to a massive scramble for jobs .
Perhaps an enterprising engineer might someday develop a Lyft- or Uberlike platform for “ aligning ” unemployed individuals with jobs in a wide variety of locations . But the onus would then be on employees themselves to abandon their current location and “ ramp up ” to their new positions : in other words , the start-up risks will be transferred to employees from employers . Framing this problem ( or , “ the app ”) in employee-centric terms has the potential to create a more equitable solution .
Safety at the Margin
At the margin of society , many effects of COVID-19 have been amplified and twisted . We consider three settings — in the U . S ., prisons and nursing homes ; and in Brazil , favelas — all of which are governed , regulated and regarded in ways that differ radically from those of the public at large , raising important issues regarding the design of engineered structures and services to ensure the safety of those who reside within or use them .
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