Should K-12 schools reopen in the fall, and if so, how?
Reopening School
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
** Updated on 7/18/2020 to clarify that our position is that community outbreak control is a pre-req for safe school reopening plans. Schools can only reopen safely IF there is already good community control of the outbreak in place. ** A: If we want schools to reopen for in-person instruction, here is what is needed: Read more…
How do we know who to trust?
Uncertainty and Misinformation
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI3tncoleRA We really couldn’t have said it better… thanks Dr. Fauci! You can trust us. We love facts. Link to original FB post.
What is the real death toll due to COVID-19? Are we OVER or UNDER counting deaths? Wouldn’t a lot of these people have died anyway?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: The death toll has been HIGH (specifics below), -We are likely UNDER counting deaths due to COVID-19. -While some deaths attributed to COVID-19 would have occurred during this period anyway, we can calculate “EXCESS MORTALITY” – the number of deaths above and beyond those that would have been expected based on previous years. Deaths Read more…
What is the timeline from exposure to viral shedding to symptoms? When do people stop being contagious? When can I get out of quarantine? When is a PCR test accurate?
Infection and Spread Testing and Contact Tracing
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For today’s #ThrowbackThursday, we revisit a post from May 4th about the timeline of infection. A: This timeline, which we adapted from several sources, visualizes the incubation period and infectious period (also called contagious period), along with the timeline for seeing symptoms, timing for a reliable PCR test, and the typical timeline to hospitalization and Read more…
Do you have any other tips to help kids get used to wearing masks?
Masks Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We get it, many of us have young children and are actively working on mask use with them as well! We previously posted some useful ideas for encouraging kids to wear masks and a video for kids by the fabulous Nerdy Girl, Dr. Aparna Kumar, explaining how and why they should wear them and we Read more…
When should I get tested?
Infection and Spread Testing and Contact Tracing
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Ajay Sethi, PhD, MHS. Dr. Sethi is a leading infectious disease epidemiologist at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. (@AjayKSethi on Twitter!) ____________________________________________ Q: When should I get tested? When I’m sick? When I have specific symptoms? When I’m sick and not getting better after several days? When a family member Read more…
What is pool testing?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: In simple terms, pool testing (also referred to as “group testing” or “batch testing”) combines many tests into one sample. The benefit is that it can facilitate an increase in testing capabilities as well as result in cost/resource savings (when supplies are low). This is not a new strategy to test individuals for infectious Read more…
What steps should families who want to visit relatives who are older and/or more vulnerable to complications of COVID-19 take to protect their loved ones?
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Travel
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We all miss our families (yes, us too!) and while navigating how to keep loved ones safe can feel overwhelming, the Nerdy Girls are here to help you make the best decisions possible based on the best information available! Luckily there are some key things (as highlighted in the NPR article below) you can Read more…
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
What’s happening in refugee camps?
Infection and Spread Social and Racial Justice
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
** Updated on 7/18/2020 to clarify that our position is that community outbreak control is a pre-req for safe school reopening plans. Schools can only reopen safely IF there is already good community control of the outbreak in place. ** A: If we want schools to reopen for in-person instruction, here is what is needed: Read more…
How do we know who to trust?
Uncertainty and MisinformationMalia Jones, PhD MPH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI3tncoleRA We really couldn’t have said it better… thanks Dr. Fauci! You can trust us. We love facts. Link to original FB post.
What is the real death toll due to COVID-19? Are we OVER or UNDER counting deaths? Wouldn’t a lot of these people have died anyway?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: The death toll has been HIGH (specifics below), -We are likely UNDER counting deaths due to COVID-19. -While some deaths attributed to COVID-19 would have occurred during this period anyway, we can calculate “EXCESS MORTALITY” – the number of deaths above and beyond those that would have been expected based on previous years. Deaths Read more…
What is the timeline from exposure to viral shedding to symptoms? When do people stop being contagious? When can I get out of quarantine? When is a PCR test accurate?
Infection and Spread Testing and Contact Tracing
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For today’s #ThrowbackThursday, we revisit a post from May 4th about the timeline of infection. A: This timeline, which we adapted from several sources, visualizes the incubation period and infectious period (also called contagious period), along with the timeline for seeing symptoms, timing for a reliable PCR test, and the typical timeline to hospitalization and Read more…
Do you have any other tips to help kids get used to wearing masks?
Masks Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We get it, many of us have young children and are actively working on mask use with them as well! We previously posted some useful ideas for encouraging kids to wear masks and a video for kids by the fabulous Nerdy Girl, Dr. Aparna Kumar, explaining how and why they should wear them and we Read more…
When should I get tested?
Infection and Spread Testing and Contact Tracing
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Ajay Sethi, PhD, MHS. Dr. Sethi is a leading infectious disease epidemiologist at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. (@AjayKSethi on Twitter!) ____________________________________________ Q: When should I get tested? When I’m sick? When I have specific symptoms? When I’m sick and not getting better after several days? When a family member Read more…
What is pool testing?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: In simple terms, pool testing (also referred to as “group testing” or “batch testing”) combines many tests into one sample. The benefit is that it can facilitate an increase in testing capabilities as well as result in cost/resource savings (when supplies are low). This is not a new strategy to test individuals for infectious Read more…
What steps should families who want to visit relatives who are older and/or more vulnerable to complications of COVID-19 take to protect their loved ones?
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Travel
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We all miss our families (yes, us too!) and while navigating how to keep loved ones safe can feel overwhelming, the Nerdy Girls are here to help you make the best decisions possible based on the best information available! Luckily there are some key things (as highlighted in the NPR article below) you can Read more…
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
What’s happening in refugee camps?
Infection and Spread Social and Racial Justice
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI3tncoleRA We really couldn’t have said it better… thanks Dr. Fauci! You can trust us. We love facts. Link to original FB post.
What is the real death toll due to COVID-19? Are we OVER or UNDER counting deaths? Wouldn’t a lot of these people have died anyway?
Data and Metrics Data LiteracyJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: The death toll has been HIGH (specifics below), -We are likely UNDER counting deaths due to COVID-19. -While some deaths attributed to COVID-19 would have occurred during this period anyway, we can calculate “EXCESS MORTALITY” – the number of deaths above and beyond those that would have been expected based on previous years. Deaths Read more…
What is the timeline from exposure to viral shedding to symptoms? When do people stop being contagious? When can I get out of quarantine? When is a PCR test accurate?
Infection and Spread Testing and Contact Tracing
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For today’s #ThrowbackThursday, we revisit a post from May 4th about the timeline of infection. A: This timeline, which we adapted from several sources, visualizes the incubation period and infectious period (also called contagious period), along with the timeline for seeing symptoms, timing for a reliable PCR test, and the typical timeline to hospitalization and Read more…
Do you have any other tips to help kids get used to wearing masks?
Masks Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We get it, many of us have young children and are actively working on mask use with them as well! We previously posted some useful ideas for encouraging kids to wear masks and a video for kids by the fabulous Nerdy Girl, Dr. Aparna Kumar, explaining how and why they should wear them and we Read more…
When should I get tested?
Infection and Spread Testing and Contact Tracing
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Ajay Sethi, PhD, MHS. Dr. Sethi is a leading infectious disease epidemiologist at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. (@AjayKSethi on Twitter!) ____________________________________________ Q: When should I get tested? When I’m sick? When I have specific symptoms? When I’m sick and not getting better after several days? When a family member Read more…
What is pool testing?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: In simple terms, pool testing (also referred to as “group testing” or “batch testing”) combines many tests into one sample. The benefit is that it can facilitate an increase in testing capabilities as well as result in cost/resource savings (when supplies are low). This is not a new strategy to test individuals for infectious Read more…
What steps should families who want to visit relatives who are older and/or more vulnerable to complications of COVID-19 take to protect their loved ones?
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Travel
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We all miss our families (yes, us too!) and while navigating how to keep loved ones safe can feel overwhelming, the Nerdy Girls are here to help you make the best decisions possible based on the best information available! Luckily there are some key things (as highlighted in the NPR article below) you can Read more…
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
What’s happening in refugee camps?
Infection and Spread Social and Racial Justice
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
A: The death toll has been HIGH (specifics below), -We are likely UNDER counting deaths due to COVID-19. -While some deaths attributed to COVID-19 would have occurred during this period anyway, we can calculate “EXCESS MORTALITY” – the number of deaths above and beyond those that would have been expected based on previous years. Deaths Read more…
What is the timeline from exposure to viral shedding to symptoms? When do people stop being contagious? When can I get out of quarantine? When is a PCR test accurate?
Infection and Spread Testing and Contact TracingMalia Jones, PhD MPH
For today’s #ThrowbackThursday, we revisit a post from May 4th about the timeline of infection. A: This timeline, which we adapted from several sources, visualizes the incubation period and infectious period (also called contagious period), along with the timeline for seeing symptoms, timing for a reliable PCR test, and the typical timeline to hospitalization and Read more…
Do you have any other tips to help kids get used to wearing masks?
Masks Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We get it, many of us have young children and are actively working on mask use with them as well! We previously posted some useful ideas for encouraging kids to wear masks and a video for kids by the fabulous Nerdy Girl, Dr. Aparna Kumar, explaining how and why they should wear them and we Read more…
When should I get tested?
Infection and Spread Testing and Contact Tracing
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Ajay Sethi, PhD, MHS. Dr. Sethi is a leading infectious disease epidemiologist at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. (@AjayKSethi on Twitter!) ____________________________________________ Q: When should I get tested? When I’m sick? When I have specific symptoms? When I’m sick and not getting better after several days? When a family member Read more…
What is pool testing?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: In simple terms, pool testing (also referred to as “group testing” or “batch testing”) combines many tests into one sample. The benefit is that it can facilitate an increase in testing capabilities as well as result in cost/resource savings (when supplies are low). This is not a new strategy to test individuals for infectious Read more…
What steps should families who want to visit relatives who are older and/or more vulnerable to complications of COVID-19 take to protect their loved ones?
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Travel
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We all miss our families (yes, us too!) and while navigating how to keep loved ones safe can feel overwhelming, the Nerdy Girls are here to help you make the best decisions possible based on the best information available! Luckily there are some key things (as highlighted in the NPR article below) you can Read more…
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
What’s happening in refugee camps?
Infection and Spread Social and Racial Justice
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
For today’s #ThrowbackThursday, we revisit a post from May 4th about the timeline of infection. A: This timeline, which we adapted from several sources, visualizes the incubation period and infectious period (also called contagious period), along with the timeline for seeing symptoms, timing for a reliable PCR test, and the typical timeline to hospitalization and Read more…
Do you have any other tips to help kids get used to wearing masks?
Masks Staying SafeAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We get it, many of us have young children and are actively working on mask use with them as well! We previously posted some useful ideas for encouraging kids to wear masks and a video for kids by the fabulous Nerdy Girl, Dr. Aparna Kumar, explaining how and why they should wear them and we Read more…
When should I get tested?
Infection and Spread Testing and Contact Tracing
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Ajay Sethi, PhD, MHS. Dr. Sethi is a leading infectious disease epidemiologist at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. (@AjayKSethi on Twitter!) ____________________________________________ Q: When should I get tested? When I’m sick? When I have specific symptoms? When I’m sick and not getting better after several days? When a family member Read more…
What is pool testing?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: In simple terms, pool testing (also referred to as “group testing” or “batch testing”) combines many tests into one sample. The benefit is that it can facilitate an increase in testing capabilities as well as result in cost/resource savings (when supplies are low). This is not a new strategy to test individuals for infectious Read more…
What steps should families who want to visit relatives who are older and/or more vulnerable to complications of COVID-19 take to protect their loved ones?
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Travel
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We all miss our families (yes, us too!) and while navigating how to keep loved ones safe can feel overwhelming, the Nerdy Girls are here to help you make the best decisions possible based on the best information available! Luckily there are some key things (as highlighted in the NPR article below) you can Read more…
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
What’s happening in refugee camps?
Infection and Spread Social and Racial Justice
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
A: We get it, many of us have young children and are actively working on mask use with them as well! We previously posted some useful ideas for encouraging kids to wear masks and a video for kids by the fabulous Nerdy Girl, Dr. Aparna Kumar, explaining how and why they should wear them and we Read more…
When should I get tested?
Infection and Spread Testing and Contact TracingMalia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Ajay Sethi, PhD, MHS. Dr. Sethi is a leading infectious disease epidemiologist at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. (@AjayKSethi on Twitter!) ____________________________________________ Q: When should I get tested? When I’m sick? When I have specific symptoms? When I’m sick and not getting better after several days? When a family member Read more…
What is pool testing?
Testing and Contact Tracing
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: In simple terms, pool testing (also referred to as “group testing” or “batch testing”) combines many tests into one sample. The benefit is that it can facilitate an increase in testing capabilities as well as result in cost/resource savings (when supplies are low). This is not a new strategy to test individuals for infectious Read more…
What steps should families who want to visit relatives who are older and/or more vulnerable to complications of COVID-19 take to protect their loved ones?
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Travel
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We all miss our families (yes, us too!) and while navigating how to keep loved ones safe can feel overwhelming, the Nerdy Girls are here to help you make the best decisions possible based on the best information available! Luckily there are some key things (as highlighted in the NPR article below) you can Read more…
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
What’s happening in refugee camps?
Infection and Spread Social and Racial Justice
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
Introducing Nerdy Guest Ajay Sethi, PhD, MHS. Dr. Sethi is a leading infectious disease epidemiologist at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. (@AjayKSethi on Twitter!) ____________________________________________ Q: When should I get tested? When I’m sick? When I have specific symptoms? When I’m sick and not getting better after several days? When a family member Read more…
What is pool testing?
Testing and Contact TracingAparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: In simple terms, pool testing (also referred to as “group testing” or “batch testing”) combines many tests into one sample. The benefit is that it can facilitate an increase in testing capabilities as well as result in cost/resource savings (when supplies are low). This is not a new strategy to test individuals for infectious Read more…
What steps should families who want to visit relatives who are older and/or more vulnerable to complications of COVID-19 take to protect their loved ones?
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Travel
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We all miss our families (yes, us too!) and while navigating how to keep loved ones safe can feel overwhelming, the Nerdy Girls are here to help you make the best decisions possible based on the best information available! Luckily there are some key things (as highlighted in the NPR article below) you can Read more…
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
What’s happening in refugee camps?
Infection and Spread Social and Racial Justice
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
A: In simple terms, pool testing (also referred to as “group testing” or “batch testing”) combines many tests into one sample. The benefit is that it can facilitate an increase in testing capabilities as well as result in cost/resource savings (when supplies are low). This is not a new strategy to test individuals for infectious Read more…
What steps should families who want to visit relatives who are older and/or more vulnerable to complications of COVID-19 take to protect their loved ones?
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe TravelAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We all miss our families (yes, us too!) and while navigating how to keep loved ones safe can feel overwhelming, the Nerdy Girls are here to help you make the best decisions possible based on the best information available! Luckily there are some key things (as highlighted in the NPR article below) you can Read more…
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
What’s happening in refugee camps?
Infection and Spread Social and Racial Justice
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
A: We all miss our families (yes, us too!) and while navigating how to keep loved ones safe can feel overwhelming, the Nerdy Girls are here to help you make the best decisions possible based on the best information available! Luckily there are some key things (as highlighted in the NPR article below) you can Read more…
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and SpreadAlison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
What’s happening in refugee camps?
Infection and Spread Social and Racial Justice
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening SchoolLauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
What’s happening in refugee camps?
Infection and Spread Social and Racial Justice
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
What’s happening in refugee camps?
Infection and Spread Social and Racial JusticeMalia Jones, PhD MPH
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
Introducing Nerdy Guest Dr. Paula Tavrow, who joins us to talk to us about what’s happening with COVID-19 in refugee camps. Dr. Tavrow is an adjunct professor of Community Health Sciences at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health. She has been working on African public health issues since 1984. *** A: I can speak to Read more…
“What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?”
Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe VideosMalia Jones, PhD MPH
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en Español
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
Why we can’t answer questions like “What’s my risk when I’m doing _____?” What is your risk when you’re doing _____? You may have noticed we won’t give you a straight answer to this question. Dr. Malia Jones chats about why. She shows the relationship between individual and community risk using her toy model COVID Read more…
Hay información en español sobre los riesgos de ciertas actividades para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19?
Posts en EspañolSandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
Ahora sí y por fin! Tres expertos se unieron para crear esta infografía para el publico y luego la organización Superchivas la tradujo en español. Esta infografía demuestra las actividades de bajo a alto riesgo. El nivel de riesgo de cada actividad varía basado en los siguientes factores: 1. ESPACIOS CERRADOS: las actividades que ocurren adentro Read more…
How can it be that COVID-19 cases are increasing but deaths are decreasing in the U.S.?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and SpreadAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying Safe
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
A: Timing, timing, timing. And some other factors too. As this Vox article notes, “The sinking death rates reflect the state of the pandemic a month or more ago, experts say, when the original hot spots had been contained and other states had only just begun to open up restaurants and other businesses.” We have Read more…
What Would Those Nerdy Girls Do (WWTNGD)?!
Staying SafeJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying Safe
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
A: Never mind us, What Would Fauci Do?! We get asked a lot of practical questions about how to live our daily lives as safely as possible amid this pandemic. While we will continue to answer for ourselves on our FB Q&As, we wanted to share this excellent Q&A from six public health/infectious disease experts Read more…
What can I do to continue to help the children in my life cope with the realities of the pandemic?
Families/Kids Mental Health Staying SafeAparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
Treatments
Ashley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
A: Provide children with a sense of control. Keep them informed. Get them engaged. The basic rules: 1. Answer children’s questions in a developmentally appropriate manner (using stories or play is a great way to do this for younger children). 2. Stick to routine and schedule (this is harder to do so many months into Read more…
What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?
TreatmentsAshley Ritter, APRN, PhD
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying Safe
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…
Talk to me about masks and outdoor exercise.
Masks Staying SafeSandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying Safe
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
Q: Do I really need to wear one? Will it affect my ability to exercise? A. First off, we are SO happy to hear how many people have taken up exercising outdoors!! Running, biking, walking, or any other form of physical activity is important to maintain (or start up!) especially during these pandemic times. Exercise Read more…
Throwback Thursday All About Masks
Masks Staying SafeMalia Jones, PhD MPH
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
Vaccines
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…
VACCINE NEWS ALERT
VaccinesLindsey Leininger, PhD MA
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…
