I was super sick in Nov/Dec/Jan (or in most parts of the world, February). Did I have COVID-19 already?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
A: Nope… you probably had the flu. What makes us think it wasn’t COVID-19? We had a bad influenza year in the United States. This year’s flu vaccine did not cover one of the main flu strains that circulated this year very well–a type of influenza type B. So a lot of people who got Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the doctor?
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: YES. Please don’t let fear keep you from seeking needed medical care! Nerdy Guest Dr. Eve Bloomgarden, a co-founder of Dear Pandemic partner organization Impact (impact4hc.com), has kindly shared helpful and reassuring guidance for health care seekers. Impact is a physician-led organization developing and disseminating evidence-based advice to patients, policymakers, and other decision-makers impacted Read more…
Whoa, what is this I hear about the WHO announcing that asymptomatic COVID-19 spread is rare?!
Infection and Spread Uncertainty and Misinformation
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
UPDATE (at bottom) Q: I thought that is why we have to be so careful; this is so confusing! A: Take a deep breath—despite the click-bait headlines coming out of yesterday’s rather unclear statement, nothing dramatic has changed about what we know about COVID-19 spread. The important distinction is between TRULY asymptomatic people who NEVER Read more…
How might I make decisions about home repairs and maintenance in the age of social distancing?
Staying Safe
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Even if that leaky faucet or chipped paint wasn’t bothering you before the pandemic, chances are your extended exposure to these major and minor home issues is getting to you now. When making choices about how to approach home repairs and regular maintenance, here are a few guidelines. 1) What happens if this waits? Read more…
A few weeks ago, everyone was talking about the “peak” of the epidemic. Now, not so much. Places are reopening and it feels like everything is going back to normal. Does this mean we’re past the peak?
Infection and Spread
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
A: A lot of modelers stopped talking about the peak of the epidemic as our thinking about how to do good longer-term outbreak control matured. It also became more and more clear to those of us who study epidemics that at least in some places, we are not able to zip up social distancing enough Read more…
When can we reunite the grandparents and grandchildren?
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Slowly and safely, with a mutually agreed upon timeline and ground rules. Important efforts to protect grandparents, a higher risk group for Covid-19 complications, conflict with strong desires for intergenerational connections between grandparents and grandchildren. This is really hard on everyone! As shelter-in-place orders lift, here are some things to consider when making plans Read more…
I live a simple life. I don’t go to dance clubs or bars. If we practice social distancing, will it be okay to return to church? I miss being with other people.
Socializing Staying Safe
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: I understand. This is hard. Unfortunately, any activity (e.g., grocery store, church, birthday party) where you are in an enclosed space with a group of people poses a risk. Being outdoors and keeping interactions brief likely minimizes this risk. Take this recent CDC report of a 61-person choir that met for 2.5 hours on Read more…
My state is starting to re-open, but it isn’t clear when or if childcare or camps will be available in my area–what will we do with the kids all summer?!?
Families/Kids Reopening Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: As states move away from stay at home orders and change recommendations to permit gatherings of slightly larger groups, one option for addressing childcare needs may be for two families (i.e., households) to join together to form a slightly bigger “bubble”. Under this approach, two households combine exclusively (i.e., minimize all other outside contacts). Read more…
I’m afraid of wearing a mask because I heard it reduces oxygen intake and forces people to breathe in their own carbon dioxide. Is this true?
Masks
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Short answer: Not really. Long answer: Inhaling *high* levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (also called hypercapnia, or CO2 toxicity) can in fact cause health issues like headache, dizziness, confusion, and even suffocation. But the key word is *high.* Few people are actually at risk of hypercapnia, whether they wear masks or not. Conditions like Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the gym?
Reopening
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: Sadly, the answer is NO. Gyms are tricky environments for infection control. Below are a few of the challenges posed by Covid-19 in gyms and potential adjustments to lessen risks. If you can afford to do so, MAINTAIN YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES while taking a break from visits. Workout equipment is used by multiple Read more…
Should I be worried about my child spreading COVID-19 and/or getting strange and serious COVID-19 symptoms?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics Families/Kids Infection and Spread
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: Nope… you probably had the flu. What makes us think it wasn’t COVID-19? We had a bad influenza year in the United States. This year’s flu vaccine did not cover one of the main flu strains that circulated this year very well–a type of influenza type B. So a lot of people who got Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the doctor?
Families/Kids Staying SafeLindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: YES. Please don’t let fear keep you from seeking needed medical care! Nerdy Guest Dr. Eve Bloomgarden, a co-founder of Dear Pandemic partner organization Impact (impact4hc.com), has kindly shared helpful and reassuring guidance for health care seekers. Impact is a physician-led organization developing and disseminating evidence-based advice to patients, policymakers, and other decision-makers impacted Read more…
Whoa, what is this I hear about the WHO announcing that asymptomatic COVID-19 spread is rare?!
Infection and Spread Uncertainty and Misinformation
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
UPDATE (at bottom) Q: I thought that is why we have to be so careful; this is so confusing! A: Take a deep breath—despite the click-bait headlines coming out of yesterday’s rather unclear statement, nothing dramatic has changed about what we know about COVID-19 spread. The important distinction is between TRULY asymptomatic people who NEVER Read more…
How might I make decisions about home repairs and maintenance in the age of social distancing?
Staying Safe
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Even if that leaky faucet or chipped paint wasn’t bothering you before the pandemic, chances are your extended exposure to these major and minor home issues is getting to you now. When making choices about how to approach home repairs and regular maintenance, here are a few guidelines. 1) What happens if this waits? Read more…
A few weeks ago, everyone was talking about the “peak” of the epidemic. Now, not so much. Places are reopening and it feels like everything is going back to normal. Does this mean we’re past the peak?
Infection and Spread
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
A: A lot of modelers stopped talking about the peak of the epidemic as our thinking about how to do good longer-term outbreak control matured. It also became more and more clear to those of us who study epidemics that at least in some places, we are not able to zip up social distancing enough Read more…
When can we reunite the grandparents and grandchildren?
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Slowly and safely, with a mutually agreed upon timeline and ground rules. Important efforts to protect grandparents, a higher risk group for Covid-19 complications, conflict with strong desires for intergenerational connections between grandparents and grandchildren. This is really hard on everyone! As shelter-in-place orders lift, here are some things to consider when making plans Read more…
I live a simple life. I don’t go to dance clubs or bars. If we practice social distancing, will it be okay to return to church? I miss being with other people.
Socializing Staying Safe
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: I understand. This is hard. Unfortunately, any activity (e.g., grocery store, church, birthday party) where you are in an enclosed space with a group of people poses a risk. Being outdoors and keeping interactions brief likely minimizes this risk. Take this recent CDC report of a 61-person choir that met for 2.5 hours on Read more…
My state is starting to re-open, but it isn’t clear when or if childcare or camps will be available in my area–what will we do with the kids all summer?!?
Families/Kids Reopening Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: As states move away from stay at home orders and change recommendations to permit gatherings of slightly larger groups, one option for addressing childcare needs may be for two families (i.e., households) to join together to form a slightly bigger “bubble”. Under this approach, two households combine exclusively (i.e., minimize all other outside contacts). Read more…
I’m afraid of wearing a mask because I heard it reduces oxygen intake and forces people to breathe in their own carbon dioxide. Is this true?
Masks
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Short answer: Not really. Long answer: Inhaling *high* levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (also called hypercapnia, or CO2 toxicity) can in fact cause health issues like headache, dizziness, confusion, and even suffocation. But the key word is *high.* Few people are actually at risk of hypercapnia, whether they wear masks or not. Conditions like Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the gym?
Reopening
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: Sadly, the answer is NO. Gyms are tricky environments for infection control. Below are a few of the challenges posed by Covid-19 in gyms and potential adjustments to lessen risks. If you can afford to do so, MAINTAIN YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES while taking a break from visits. Workout equipment is used by multiple Read more…
Should I be worried about my child spreading COVID-19 and/or getting strange and serious COVID-19 symptoms?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics Families/Kids Infection and Spread
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: YES. Please don’t let fear keep you from seeking needed medical care! Nerdy Guest Dr. Eve Bloomgarden, a co-founder of Dear Pandemic partner organization Impact (impact4hc.com), has kindly shared helpful and reassuring guidance for health care seekers. Impact is a physician-led organization developing and disseminating evidence-based advice to patients, policymakers, and other decision-makers impacted Read more…
Whoa, what is this I hear about the WHO announcing that asymptomatic COVID-19 spread is rare?!
Infection and Spread Uncertainty and MisinformationJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
UPDATE (at bottom) Q: I thought that is why we have to be so careful; this is so confusing! A: Take a deep breath—despite the click-bait headlines coming out of yesterday’s rather unclear statement, nothing dramatic has changed about what we know about COVID-19 spread. The important distinction is between TRULY asymptomatic people who NEVER Read more…
How might I make decisions about home repairs and maintenance in the age of social distancing?
Staying Safe
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Even if that leaky faucet or chipped paint wasn’t bothering you before the pandemic, chances are your extended exposure to these major and minor home issues is getting to you now. When making choices about how to approach home repairs and regular maintenance, here are a few guidelines. 1) What happens if this waits? Read more…
A few weeks ago, everyone was talking about the “peak” of the epidemic. Now, not so much. Places are reopening and it feels like everything is going back to normal. Does this mean we’re past the peak?
Infection and Spread
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
A: A lot of modelers stopped talking about the peak of the epidemic as our thinking about how to do good longer-term outbreak control matured. It also became more and more clear to those of us who study epidemics that at least in some places, we are not able to zip up social distancing enough Read more…
When can we reunite the grandparents and grandchildren?
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Slowly and safely, with a mutually agreed upon timeline and ground rules. Important efforts to protect grandparents, a higher risk group for Covid-19 complications, conflict with strong desires for intergenerational connections between grandparents and grandchildren. This is really hard on everyone! As shelter-in-place orders lift, here are some things to consider when making plans Read more…
I live a simple life. I don’t go to dance clubs or bars. If we practice social distancing, will it be okay to return to church? I miss being with other people.
Socializing Staying Safe
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: I understand. This is hard. Unfortunately, any activity (e.g., grocery store, church, birthday party) where you are in an enclosed space with a group of people poses a risk. Being outdoors and keeping interactions brief likely minimizes this risk. Take this recent CDC report of a 61-person choir that met for 2.5 hours on Read more…
My state is starting to re-open, but it isn’t clear when or if childcare or camps will be available in my area–what will we do with the kids all summer?!?
Families/Kids Reopening Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: As states move away from stay at home orders and change recommendations to permit gatherings of slightly larger groups, one option for addressing childcare needs may be for two families (i.e., households) to join together to form a slightly bigger “bubble”. Under this approach, two households combine exclusively (i.e., minimize all other outside contacts). Read more…
I’m afraid of wearing a mask because I heard it reduces oxygen intake and forces people to breathe in their own carbon dioxide. Is this true?
Masks
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Short answer: Not really. Long answer: Inhaling *high* levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (also called hypercapnia, or CO2 toxicity) can in fact cause health issues like headache, dizziness, confusion, and even suffocation. But the key word is *high.* Few people are actually at risk of hypercapnia, whether they wear masks or not. Conditions like Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the gym?
Reopening
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: Sadly, the answer is NO. Gyms are tricky environments for infection control. Below are a few of the challenges posed by Covid-19 in gyms and potential adjustments to lessen risks. If you can afford to do so, MAINTAIN YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES while taking a break from visits. Workout equipment is used by multiple Read more…
Should I be worried about my child spreading COVID-19 and/or getting strange and serious COVID-19 symptoms?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics Families/Kids Infection and Spread
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
UPDATE (at bottom) Q: I thought that is why we have to be so careful; this is so confusing! A: Take a deep breath—despite the click-bait headlines coming out of yesterday’s rather unclear statement, nothing dramatic has changed about what we know about COVID-19 spread. The important distinction is between TRULY asymptomatic people who NEVER Read more…
How might I make decisions about home repairs and maintenance in the age of social distancing?
Staying SafeAshley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Even if that leaky faucet or chipped paint wasn’t bothering you before the pandemic, chances are your extended exposure to these major and minor home issues is getting to you now. When making choices about how to approach home repairs and regular maintenance, here are a few guidelines. 1) What happens if this waits? Read more…
A few weeks ago, everyone was talking about the “peak” of the epidemic. Now, not so much. Places are reopening and it feels like everything is going back to normal. Does this mean we’re past the peak?
Infection and Spread
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
A: A lot of modelers stopped talking about the peak of the epidemic as our thinking about how to do good longer-term outbreak control matured. It also became more and more clear to those of us who study epidemics that at least in some places, we are not able to zip up social distancing enough Read more…
When can we reunite the grandparents and grandchildren?
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Slowly and safely, with a mutually agreed upon timeline and ground rules. Important efforts to protect grandparents, a higher risk group for Covid-19 complications, conflict with strong desires for intergenerational connections between grandparents and grandchildren. This is really hard on everyone! As shelter-in-place orders lift, here are some things to consider when making plans Read more…
I live a simple life. I don’t go to dance clubs or bars. If we practice social distancing, will it be okay to return to church? I miss being with other people.
Socializing Staying Safe
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: I understand. This is hard. Unfortunately, any activity (e.g., grocery store, church, birthday party) where you are in an enclosed space with a group of people poses a risk. Being outdoors and keeping interactions brief likely minimizes this risk. Take this recent CDC report of a 61-person choir that met for 2.5 hours on Read more…
My state is starting to re-open, but it isn’t clear when or if childcare or camps will be available in my area–what will we do with the kids all summer?!?
Families/Kids Reopening Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: As states move away from stay at home orders and change recommendations to permit gatherings of slightly larger groups, one option for addressing childcare needs may be for two families (i.e., households) to join together to form a slightly bigger “bubble”. Under this approach, two households combine exclusively (i.e., minimize all other outside contacts). Read more…
I’m afraid of wearing a mask because I heard it reduces oxygen intake and forces people to breathe in their own carbon dioxide. Is this true?
Masks
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Short answer: Not really. Long answer: Inhaling *high* levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (also called hypercapnia, or CO2 toxicity) can in fact cause health issues like headache, dizziness, confusion, and even suffocation. But the key word is *high.* Few people are actually at risk of hypercapnia, whether they wear masks or not. Conditions like Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the gym?
Reopening
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: Sadly, the answer is NO. Gyms are tricky environments for infection control. Below are a few of the challenges posed by Covid-19 in gyms and potential adjustments to lessen risks. If you can afford to do so, MAINTAIN YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES while taking a break from visits. Workout equipment is used by multiple Read more…
Should I be worried about my child spreading COVID-19 and/or getting strange and serious COVID-19 symptoms?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics Families/Kids Infection and Spread
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: Even if that leaky faucet or chipped paint wasn’t bothering you before the pandemic, chances are your extended exposure to these major and minor home issues is getting to you now. When making choices about how to approach home repairs and regular maintenance, here are a few guidelines. 1) What happens if this waits? Read more…
A few weeks ago, everyone was talking about the “peak” of the epidemic. Now, not so much. Places are reopening and it feels like everything is going back to normal. Does this mean we’re past the peak?
Infection and SpreadMalia Jones, PhD MPH
A: A lot of modelers stopped talking about the peak of the epidemic as our thinking about how to do good longer-term outbreak control matured. It also became more and more clear to those of us who study epidemics that at least in some places, we are not able to zip up social distancing enough Read more…
When can we reunite the grandparents and grandchildren?
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Slowly and safely, with a mutually agreed upon timeline and ground rules. Important efforts to protect grandparents, a higher risk group for Covid-19 complications, conflict with strong desires for intergenerational connections between grandparents and grandchildren. This is really hard on everyone! As shelter-in-place orders lift, here are some things to consider when making plans Read more…
I live a simple life. I don’t go to dance clubs or bars. If we practice social distancing, will it be okay to return to church? I miss being with other people.
Socializing Staying Safe
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: I understand. This is hard. Unfortunately, any activity (e.g., grocery store, church, birthday party) where you are in an enclosed space with a group of people poses a risk. Being outdoors and keeping interactions brief likely minimizes this risk. Take this recent CDC report of a 61-person choir that met for 2.5 hours on Read more…
My state is starting to re-open, but it isn’t clear when or if childcare or camps will be available in my area–what will we do with the kids all summer?!?
Families/Kids Reopening Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: As states move away from stay at home orders and change recommendations to permit gatherings of slightly larger groups, one option for addressing childcare needs may be for two families (i.e., households) to join together to form a slightly bigger “bubble”. Under this approach, two households combine exclusively (i.e., minimize all other outside contacts). Read more…
I’m afraid of wearing a mask because I heard it reduces oxygen intake and forces people to breathe in their own carbon dioxide. Is this true?
Masks
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Short answer: Not really. Long answer: Inhaling *high* levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (also called hypercapnia, or CO2 toxicity) can in fact cause health issues like headache, dizziness, confusion, and even suffocation. But the key word is *high.* Few people are actually at risk of hypercapnia, whether they wear masks or not. Conditions like Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the gym?
Reopening
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: Sadly, the answer is NO. Gyms are tricky environments for infection control. Below are a few of the challenges posed by Covid-19 in gyms and potential adjustments to lessen risks. If you can afford to do so, MAINTAIN YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES while taking a break from visits. Workout equipment is used by multiple Read more…
Should I be worried about my child spreading COVID-19 and/or getting strange and serious COVID-19 symptoms?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics Families/Kids Infection and Spread
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: A lot of modelers stopped talking about the peak of the epidemic as our thinking about how to do good longer-term outbreak control matured. It also became more and more clear to those of us who study epidemics that at least in some places, we are not able to zip up social distancing enough Read more…
When can we reunite the grandparents and grandchildren?
Families/Kids Staying SafeAshley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Slowly and safely, with a mutually agreed upon timeline and ground rules. Important efforts to protect grandparents, a higher risk group for Covid-19 complications, conflict with strong desires for intergenerational connections between grandparents and grandchildren. This is really hard on everyone! As shelter-in-place orders lift, here are some things to consider when making plans Read more…
I live a simple life. I don’t go to dance clubs or bars. If we practice social distancing, will it be okay to return to church? I miss being with other people.
Socializing Staying Safe
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: I understand. This is hard. Unfortunately, any activity (e.g., grocery store, church, birthday party) where you are in an enclosed space with a group of people poses a risk. Being outdoors and keeping interactions brief likely minimizes this risk. Take this recent CDC report of a 61-person choir that met for 2.5 hours on Read more…
My state is starting to re-open, but it isn’t clear when or if childcare or camps will be available in my area–what will we do with the kids all summer?!?
Families/Kids Reopening Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: As states move away from stay at home orders and change recommendations to permit gatherings of slightly larger groups, one option for addressing childcare needs may be for two families (i.e., households) to join together to form a slightly bigger “bubble”. Under this approach, two households combine exclusively (i.e., minimize all other outside contacts). Read more…
I’m afraid of wearing a mask because I heard it reduces oxygen intake and forces people to breathe in their own carbon dioxide. Is this true?
Masks
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Short answer: Not really. Long answer: Inhaling *high* levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (also called hypercapnia, or CO2 toxicity) can in fact cause health issues like headache, dizziness, confusion, and even suffocation. But the key word is *high.* Few people are actually at risk of hypercapnia, whether they wear masks or not. Conditions like Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the gym?
Reopening
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: Sadly, the answer is NO. Gyms are tricky environments for infection control. Below are a few of the challenges posed by Covid-19 in gyms and potential adjustments to lessen risks. If you can afford to do so, MAINTAIN YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES while taking a break from visits. Workout equipment is used by multiple Read more…
Should I be worried about my child spreading COVID-19 and/or getting strange and serious COVID-19 symptoms?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics Families/Kids Infection and Spread
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: Slowly and safely, with a mutually agreed upon timeline and ground rules. Important efforts to protect grandparents, a higher risk group for Covid-19 complications, conflict with strong desires for intergenerational connections between grandparents and grandchildren. This is really hard on everyone! As shelter-in-place orders lift, here are some things to consider when making plans Read more…
I live a simple life. I don’t go to dance clubs or bars. If we practice social distancing, will it be okay to return to church? I miss being with other people.
Socializing Staying SafeLauren Hale, PhD MA
A: I understand. This is hard. Unfortunately, any activity (e.g., grocery store, church, birthday party) where you are in an enclosed space with a group of people poses a risk. Being outdoors and keeping interactions brief likely minimizes this risk. Take this recent CDC report of a 61-person choir that met for 2.5 hours on Read more…
My state is starting to re-open, but it isn’t clear when or if childcare or camps will be available in my area–what will we do with the kids all summer?!?
Families/Kids Reopening Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: As states move away from stay at home orders and change recommendations to permit gatherings of slightly larger groups, one option for addressing childcare needs may be for two families (i.e., households) to join together to form a slightly bigger “bubble”. Under this approach, two households combine exclusively (i.e., minimize all other outside contacts). Read more…
I’m afraid of wearing a mask because I heard it reduces oxygen intake and forces people to breathe in their own carbon dioxide. Is this true?
Masks
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Short answer: Not really. Long answer: Inhaling *high* levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (also called hypercapnia, or CO2 toxicity) can in fact cause health issues like headache, dizziness, confusion, and even suffocation. But the key word is *high.* Few people are actually at risk of hypercapnia, whether they wear masks or not. Conditions like Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the gym?
Reopening
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: Sadly, the answer is NO. Gyms are tricky environments for infection control. Below are a few of the challenges posed by Covid-19 in gyms and potential adjustments to lessen risks. If you can afford to do so, MAINTAIN YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES while taking a break from visits. Workout equipment is used by multiple Read more…
Should I be worried about my child spreading COVID-19 and/or getting strange and serious COVID-19 symptoms?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics Families/Kids Infection and Spread
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: I understand. This is hard. Unfortunately, any activity (e.g., grocery store, church, birthday party) where you are in an enclosed space with a group of people poses a risk. Being outdoors and keeping interactions brief likely minimizes this risk. Take this recent CDC report of a 61-person choir that met for 2.5 hours on Read more…
My state is starting to re-open, but it isn’t clear when or if childcare or camps will be available in my area–what will we do with the kids all summer?!?
Families/Kids Reopening Staying SafeAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: As states move away from stay at home orders and change recommendations to permit gatherings of slightly larger groups, one option for addressing childcare needs may be for two families (i.e., households) to join together to form a slightly bigger “bubble”. Under this approach, two households combine exclusively (i.e., minimize all other outside contacts). Read more…
I’m afraid of wearing a mask because I heard it reduces oxygen intake and forces people to breathe in their own carbon dioxide. Is this true?
Masks
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Short answer: Not really. Long answer: Inhaling *high* levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (also called hypercapnia, or CO2 toxicity) can in fact cause health issues like headache, dizziness, confusion, and even suffocation. But the key word is *high.* Few people are actually at risk of hypercapnia, whether they wear masks or not. Conditions like Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the gym?
Reopening
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: Sadly, the answer is NO. Gyms are tricky environments for infection control. Below are a few of the challenges posed by Covid-19 in gyms and potential adjustments to lessen risks. If you can afford to do so, MAINTAIN YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES while taking a break from visits. Workout equipment is used by multiple Read more…
Should I be worried about my child spreading COVID-19 and/or getting strange and serious COVID-19 symptoms?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics Families/Kids Infection and Spread
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: As states move away from stay at home orders and change recommendations to permit gatherings of slightly larger groups, one option for addressing childcare needs may be for two families (i.e., households) to join together to form a slightly bigger “bubble”. Under this approach, two households combine exclusively (i.e., minimize all other outside contacts). Read more…
I’m afraid of wearing a mask because I heard it reduces oxygen intake and forces people to breathe in their own carbon dioxide. Is this true?
MasksSandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Short answer: Not really. Long answer: Inhaling *high* levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (also called hypercapnia, or CO2 toxicity) can in fact cause health issues like headache, dizziness, confusion, and even suffocation. But the key word is *high.* Few people are actually at risk of hypercapnia, whether they wear masks or not. Conditions like Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the gym?
Reopening
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: Sadly, the answer is NO. Gyms are tricky environments for infection control. Below are a few of the challenges posed by Covid-19 in gyms and potential adjustments to lessen risks. If you can afford to do so, MAINTAIN YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES while taking a break from visits. Workout equipment is used by multiple Read more…
Should I be worried about my child spreading COVID-19 and/or getting strange and serious COVID-19 symptoms?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics Families/Kids Infection and Spread
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A. Short answer: Not really. Long answer: Inhaling *high* levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (also called hypercapnia, or CO2 toxicity) can in fact cause health issues like headache, dizziness, confusion, and even suffocation. But the key word is *high.* Few people are actually at risk of hypercapnia, whether they wear masks or not. Conditions like Read more…
Is it safe to go back to the gym?
ReopeningLindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: Sadly, the answer is NO. Gyms are tricky environments for infection control. Below are a few of the challenges posed by Covid-19 in gyms and potential adjustments to lessen risks. If you can afford to do so, MAINTAIN YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES while taking a break from visits. Workout equipment is used by multiple Read more…
Should I be worried about my child spreading COVID-19 and/or getting strange and serious COVID-19 symptoms?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics Families/Kids Infection and Spread
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: Sadly, the answer is NO. Gyms are tricky environments for infection control. Below are a few of the challenges posed by Covid-19 in gyms and potential adjustments to lessen risks. If you can afford to do so, MAINTAIN YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP FEES while taking a break from visits. Workout equipment is used by multiple Read more…
Should I be worried about my child spreading COVID-19 and/or getting strange and serious COVID-19 symptoms?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics Families/Kids Infection and SpreadAparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: If we look at the data to date (we can’t know about data that we don’t have!), children are much less likely to get COVID-19 than adults after exposure. The data also tell us that it is likely that fewer children are infected in the community than adults and that they are less likely Read more…
Should I just get it over with and go to a ‘COVID party’?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread Staying SafeAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and Spread
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/Immunity
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: For the love of peanut butter and jelly, please NO, 1000 X NO! “Health officials in a county in southern Washington state say a rise in coronavirus cases is linked to “COVID-19 parties.” NBC News Link “Walla Walla County health officials are receiving reports of COVID-19 parties occurring in our community, where noninfected people Read more…
What actually is herd immunity anyway?
Biology/Immunity Infection and SpreadA: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
Are males more at risk from COVID-19 compared to females? Why?
Biology/ImmunityJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
What is a contact tracer?
Testing and Contact TracingAlison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks Uncategorized
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Does wearing a cloth mask protect me, or protect others?
Masks UncategorizedAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening Socializing
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
What might socializing look like when shelter-in-place orders are lifted?
Reopening SocializingAshley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare!
Families/Kids Staying SafeSandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
What does a pandemic offensive line look like?
Infection and SpreadAlison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: The pandemic offensive line has 5 players: social distancing, testing, isolation, contact tracing, and treatment. The goal is to find the virus, trap it, and prevent it from finding other hosts (people) and harming them. Social distancing makes it harder for the virus to find the next host, but doesn’t tell us where the Read more…
I’m young(ish) and healthy, do I really need to worry about catching COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and SpreadJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
A: While the most serious risk for complications and mortality is still at older ages and those with co-morbidities, the course of disease in younger and middle-aged adults is proving highly unpredictable. “There’s a big difference in how people handle this virus,” says Robert Murphy, a professor of medicine and the director of the Center Read more…
