FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Collateral Global (‘CG’) is a non-profit company engaged in research and analysis on the COVID-19 pandemic.

But we’re not just charts and numbers.

Our goal is to take a critical look at what has happened over the past year and figure out what we got right and what we got wrong.  To do this, we cannot reduce the outcomes solely to data points.  We have to talk to people, ask difficult questions, and be open to whatever answers we receive.

Everyone must have the opportunity to hear those answers—not just a privileged few.

This website is one way we communicate what we are learning with the world.  We have been working for months to curate quality research and make it accessible.  We also produce original content highlighting everything from expert opinion and academic summaries to human stories and video diaries.

More details about the organisation can be found here.

The problem we are facing—that the world is facing–is that we currently do not have enough information to make good decisions about pandemic mitigation strategies.  The policies we are using have not been thoroughly evaluated, and a lot of unnecessary suffering has occurred.

Public health decision-makers need to know which responses to the COVID-19 pandemic were effective at slowing the spread of the virus and saving lives—and which were not.  They also need to understand the direct and indirect consequences of each method.

Without this information, we risk repeating the same mistakes next time.

Our mission is to build an evidence-based understanding of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic response measures to inform future policies and strategies for pandemic preparedness.

In other words, we want to gather information and learn from it so that we know better what to do in the future.

No.

CG is an independent organisation with contributors from all over the world and has no political or institutional affiliations.

Our only allegiance is to the enduring principles of scientific inquiry.

We keep the lights on and the keyboards clicking through donations from individuals, scientists, health professionals and charitable foundations and are grateful for any and all contributions. For more information, see our Funding Policy on our About Us page.

CG has a research evaluation process where subject area experts review a wide range of data sources, academic papers and case studies. Data is analysed for integrity, statistical relevance, and bias to build the highest quality evidence base.

Our only motivation is scientific integrity and truth.

At CG, we believe that scientific information should be available to everyone. That is why our website includes a series we call ‘Science Unlocked’ – to make the scientific data more accessible.  We include explainers, infographics, and digestible summaries of important findings, and plan to add more each week.

The scientific process is rewarding, and we hope all readers improve their understanding and gain reassurance from learning more about how it works.

CG provides an organised and broad range of curated papers and studies on the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been a large body of academic literature published since the start of the pandemic. We hope to provide a valuable overview of that literature and a framework for analysing and synthesising key data, hypotheses, and analysis.

Trust is invaluable – and in short supply. We have no political agenda or vested interest in a particular narrative. CG is steered by independent scientists and public health professionals, all of whom share a passion for learning and understanding.  The end goal is to achieve the best possible public health outcomes for everyone – not just for a few.

Such an effort requires a rigorous approach to understanding both the theory and the evidence, as well as a willingness to ask difficult questions and be open to all possible answers.

The work we do is honest, compassionate, and evidence-based, and we do it because we believe that good science benefits humanity.

We hope those values resonate.

Lack of data on the second and third-order effects of pandemic mitigation policies is problematic. How can we choose the right course of action when we do not understand the effects of our options?

We hope that by curating well-structured, evidence-based studies of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will better understand how to respond to future pandemics. This body of work will be open source and available to the public, health professionals, academia and policymakers to inform future decisions.

There are lots of ways to help.

If you would like to volunteer or work with us, reach out here.

Donations are greatly appreciated, and every little bit helps. Click here to support CG.

We are always looking for stories about how NPIs have affected people around the world.  If you are interested in sharing yours, please reach out.

And your comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome.  You can reach us here.

For all submissions, including stories, please visit our Get Involved page

CG appreciates all donations! To donate, please visit our Get Involved page.