All the posts from our Those Nerdy Girls Facebook page dating back to May 1st, 2020, are currently archived here and can be searched for by category, key words, etc. Be sure to check back often as additional posts are being added each day.
A: The term “herd immunity,” also sometimes called community immunity, refers to a situation where a lot of people in a population are not susceptible to a virus–either because they have already had it and are unlikely to get it again, or because they’ve been vaccinated. That is to say, their immune systems have been Read more…
A: The FDA has granted emergency authorization to pharmaceutical company Roche for a new antibody test that is much more accurate than existing options. Quick reminder about antibody testing: It provides information about PAST (as opposed to current) infections. Reason for optimism: The new test has much (!) better accuracy than others on the market, Read more…
A: Yes. While whether men or women get infected more often is not yet clear, men are consistently over-represented among COVID-19 deaths. In hard hit New York City for example, males make up 52% of confirmed cases, but 61% of COVID-19 deaths. In Italy, men currently make up 47% of the confirmed cases, and 62% Read more…
Q2: Can I get hired to do contact tracing? Q3: Will the Apple/Google phone tracing technology replace the need for contact tracers? A1: A contact tracer… traces contacts! In an infectious disease outbreak, a contract tracer talks to people who have tested positive for the disease (a “case”) to find out all the people they Read more…
Q: What’s going to happen after the current outbreak subsides? Will there be another one? How widespread will it be? A: We wish we knew for sure, but top epidemiologists envision a few possible scenarios. “While these scenarios diverge on key details — how much transmission will decrease over the summer, for instance, and how Read more…
A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other. The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress. For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS Read more…
A: Social distancing will remain important when shelter-in-place orders are lifted. For many regions, the elements needed to reopen society have not yet been achieved: declining rates of infection, adequate testing supply, and the ability to trace the contacts of new infections to appropriately isolate and treat. When shelter-in-place orders are lifted, restructuring social networks Read more…
Q: And what can I do to prepare if so? A: We all want to say yes yes YES, but there are a number of considerations. We keep schools closed to limit the spread of infection. Past pandemics have taught us this. The data for our current pandemic are murkier; this is primarily because data Read more…
A: NPR has a great cheat sheet describing the three major types of COVID tests under discussion: (1) PCR – Test for CURRENTLY ACTIVE infections via identification of genetic material in mucus; (2) Antibodies – Test for PAST INFECTIONS in the blood; (3) Antigen – Test for CURRENTLY ACTIVE infections via identification of proteins in Read more…
A: Each of us has something valuable to contribute to our communities. In this time of great uncertainty, volunteering can build unity for a common cause and provide a helpful outlet for the mixed bag of emotions. The Corporation for National and Community Service has compiled a thoughtful list of volunteer opportunities to keep you Read more…
Q: Parenting young children while infected with COVID-19: This sounds like a nightmare! Is there anything I can do to prepare for such a scenario? A. First, let’s acknowledge – yes this is a nightmare. The virus and the need for social distancing has stripped families of their caregiver networks, forcing parents (or a single Read more…
A (short): “Remdesivir isn’t a home run but looks active and can be part of a toolbox of drugs and diagnostics that substantially lower our risk heading into the fall,” says former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb. A (long): The stock market and news media are brimming with optimism around the release of clinical trial data Read more…
Vaccines are complicated! Thank you to the virologists, lab technicians, and support teams currently developing a vaccine. A recent article in Nature offers a nice visual and tutorial on vaccines. Here is the condensed version. Roughly 90 SARS-CoV-2 (novel coronavirus) vaccines are being developed and tested. Each one works to prevent the virus from causing Read more…
COVID-19 issues like daycare, herd immunity, vaccines, social circles, testing, and more are addressed by Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH, Dr. Lindsey Leininger, PhD, Dr. Jenn Dowd, PhD, and Amanda M. Simanek, PhD, MPH. From Dear Pandemic FB Live Q&A on 4/20/20. Link to original FB post
Researchers are just beginning to understand the potential for COVID-19 to inflict damage to different parts of the body – not just the lungs. Many recent news articles have highlighted these impacts to the heart, on clotting, on toes, etc. This article from Science Magazine summarizes the damage COVID-19 can inflict by organ system (heart Read more…
POISON CONTROL: 1-800-222-1222 Data from the CDC demonstrate large increases in calls to poison centers about cleaners and disinfectants – a trend beginning in mid-March. Staying safe inside requires proactive poison prevention. Texas Children’s Hospital provides a helpful “home audit” list with a variety of good tips. Highlights include keeping dangerous chemicals out of reach and Read more…
A: A pulse oximeter is a small device that shines a red light on your fingertip to track your heartbeat and the amount of red blood cells carrying oxygen. This tool then reports your pulse and oxygen saturation. Both are helpful numbers in understanding how the body is responding to increased physiologic work, like when Read more…
A: Experiment with a pipe cleaner, glasses placement, and/or soapy water to see what works for you! The New York Times has a helpful article detailing potential ways to ward off the super annoying “glasses fog” that often accompanies mask wearing. (FYI, this Nerdy Girl finds the best luck by pulling a mask way up Read more…
Q: If I want to look at graphs of COVID-19 cases and compare across countries, should I look at graphs that are adjusted for country population size (for example, number of cases per 100,000 people) or just the total number of cases? A: Hey, whatever floats your boat, we won’t judge, but there’s a good Read more…
Q: “How worried should I be that any time I go outside, I will contract coronavirus from a fellow pedestrian, runner, or cyclist who happens to exhale as they pass by? A: The answer is, you probably don’t need to freak out about it. As long as you’re maintaining at least 6 feet of distance Read more…
