Friends2050, a network of “friends of Bangladesh” (aka FoBs) based in or outside Bangladesh with the goal of initiating agenda-shaping conversations focused on transforming the outlook on Bangladesh with the year 2050 set to signal long-term thinking.
In its core is a group of high-school friends, who left Bangladesh in the 1970s and ‘80s and several then returned as entrepreneurs and experts to serve in the various public and private sectors of Bangladesh. These friends got connected through every Sunday chat, during the global lockdown in their homes in New Jersey, Austin, Manila, Tashkent and Dhaka.
This podcast is a product of their collective need to do something for Bangladesh, and will bring to you access to their network, experience, ideas, and technologies for future Bangladesh.
The first set of episodes—the elephant in the room today—is about debunking the myths and facts of the COVID-19 crisis, through expert insights.
Dealing with the risks of exposure to airborne coronavirus: An interview with Lidia Morawska, PhD
COVID-19 has been a humanitarian crisis with a public health dimension in Bangladesh and beyond. Health service capacity is being redirected and travel restrictions, though key to limiting the spread of the virus, are affecting access to healthcare. Fear is keeping people in need of treatment away from clinics. What’s more, people are often faced with an “infodemic” – no less pernicious than the pandemic itself – that makes it difficult for non-experts to differentiate good information from mis- and disinformation, rumors and fake news.In this uncertain environment, we at friends2050 invited Dr. Lidia Morawska to discuss the different ways the novel coronavirus can spread, especially its transmissibility not just through droplets but also as aerosols emitted during breathing and talking, for example. Her findings on the aerosolized transmission of the virus has led to some recent revisions of the personal safety guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization, among others. She conducts fundamental and applied research in the interdisciplinary field of air quality and its impact on human health and the environment, with a specific focus on science of airborne particulate matter.Professor Morawska is a physicist and received her doctorate at the Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland for research on radon and its progeny. Prior to joining QUT, she spent several years in Canada conducting research first at McMaster University in Hamiltonas a Fellow of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and later at the University of Toronto. She is an author of over six hundred journal papers, book chapters and conference papers. She is a past President of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate.The recorded conversation has been orchestrated by Sohail Hasnie whose day job is that of Principal Energy Specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) based in Manila, the Philippines, and was moderated by Sam G. Samdani whose day job is that of Senior Industry Knowledge Expert at McKinsey & Company based in Summit, New Jersey, USA. Their friendship dates back to 1977 when they started their two-year boarding school journey at Dhaka Residential Model School & College for their higher secondary education in Bangladesh.What follows is a transcript of the conversation that has been edited by Mr. Samdani for clarity and legibility, and shared in two parts or installments.Part I focuses on some of the surprising ways the novel coronavirus can spread from person to person
21 Jul 2020
How best to stay informed and avoid irrational fear and anxiety
The CDC Country Director based in Dhaka, Bangladesh speaks with Sohail Hasnie based in Manila, the Philippines and Sam G. Samdani based in New Jersey, USA about how to stay safe and healthy through the ongoing pandemic. COVID-19 fear is keeping people in need of treatment away from clinics. What’s more, as they try to deal with this growing pandemic, people are often faced with an “infodemic” that makes it difficult to differentiate good information from mis- and disinformation, rumors and fake news. In this uncertain environment, we at friends2050 have come to realize that everyone has a different risk tolerance. In fact, public health is all about risk perception and an understanding of risk versus reward. To elaborate on this basic fact in the context of the current pandemic and share his perspective on the situation and outlook for Bangladesh (and beyond), we invited Dr. Michael Friedman, Director, CDC Bangladesh and Captain, US Public Health Service, US Embassy, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Dr. Friedman explains why we need to really understand our risk perception.The recorded conversation has been orchestrated by Sohail Hasnie whose day job is that of Principal Energy Specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) based in Manila, the Philippines, and was moderated by Sam G. Samdani whose day job is that of Senior Industry Knowledge Expert at McKinsey & Company based in Summit, New Jersey, USA. Their friendship dates back to 1977 when they started their two-year boarding school journey at Dhaka Residential Model School & College for their higher secondary education in Bangladesh.Part II provides some guidance on how best to stay informed and steer clear of the psychological contagion of irrational fear and anxiety
21 Jul 2020
Update on the current state and COVID-19 strategies for Bangladesh
The CDC Country Director based in Dhaka, Bangladesh speaks with Sohail Hasnie based in Manila, the Philippines and Sam G. Samdani based in New Jersey, USA about how to stay safe and healthy through the ongoing pandemic. COVID-19 fear is keeping people in need of treatment away from clinics. What’s more, as they try to deal with this growing pandemic, people are often faced with an “infodemic” that makes it difficult to differentiate good information from mis- and disinformation, rumors and fake news. In this uncertain environment, we at friends2050 have come to realize that everyone has a different risk tolerance. In fact, public health is all about risk perception and an understanding of risk versus reward. To elaborate on this basic fact in the context of the current pandemic and share his perspective on the situation and outlook for Bangladesh (and beyond), we invited Dr. Michael Friedman, Director, CDC Bangladesh and Captain, US Public Health Service, US Embassy, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Dr. Friedman explains why we need to really understand our risk perception.The recorded conversation has been orchestrated by Sohail Hasnie whose day job is that of Principal Energy Specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) based in Manila, the Philippines, and was moderated by Sam G. Samdani whose day job is that of Senior Industry Knowledge Expert at McKinsey & Company based in Summit, New Jersey, USA. Their friendship dates back to 1977 when they started their two-year boarding school journey at Dhaka Residential Model School & College for their higher secondary education in Bangladesh.Part III concludes with an update on the current state of the COVID-19 situation and potential strategies for Bangladesh going forward
21 Jul 2020
Everything you ever wanted to know about the coronavirus
The CDC Country Director based in Dhaka, Bangladesh speaks with Sohail Hasnie based in Manila, the Philippines and Sam G. Samdani based in New Jersey, USA about how to stay safe and healthy through the ongoing pandemic. COVID-19 fear is keeping people in need of treatment away from clinics. What’s more, as they try to deal with this growing pandemic, people are often faced with an “infodemic” that makes it difficult to differentiate good information from mis- and disinformation, rumors and fake news. In this uncertain environment, we at friends2050 have come to realize that everyone has a different risk tolerance. In fact, public health is all about risk perception and an understanding of risk versus reward. To elaborate on this basic fact in the context of the current pandemic and share his perspective on the situation and outlook for Bangladesh (and beyond), we invited Dr. Michael Friedman, Director, CDC Bangladesh and Captain, US Public Health Service, US Embassy, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Dr. Friedman explains why we need to really understand our risk perception. The recorded conversation has been orchestrated by Sohail Hasnie whose day job is that of Principal Energy Specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) based in Manila, the Philippines, and was moderated by Sam G. Samdani whose day job is that of Senior Industry Knowledge Expert at McKinsey & Company based in Summit, New Jersey, USA. Their friendship dates back to 1977 when they started their two-year boarding school journey at Dhaka Residential Model School & College for their higher secondary education in Bangladesh.Part I focuses on (almost) everything you ever wanted to know – but were afraid to ask – about how the novel coronavirus works
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