For the Harvard Chan community: Find the latest updates, guidance, useful information, and resources about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) here.

In the wake of an outbreak of coronavirus that began in China in 2019, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health experts have been speaking to a variety of media outlets and writing articles about the pandemic. We’ll be updating this article on a regular basis. Here’s a selection of stories in which they offer comments and context:

September 18: ‘Pandemic fatigue’ leads to resurgence of coronavirus in Europe where cases surge to fresh records in France and Spain (CNBC)

France and Spain are seeing a spike in coronavirus cases as people let their guard down, say experts. Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, said that success in containing the coronavirus is determined by a country’s willingness to implement the necessary measures and the public’s willingness to comply with those measures over a long period of time. “What we’ve learned from this pandemic is that there are no shortcuts,” he said. “If we’re not actively ensuring that we’re controlling the pandemic, the epidemic is not going to just burn out on the road.”

September 18: Researchers detail challenges of determining coronavirus mortality (Health Leaders Media)

COVID-19 deaths are likely underestimated, according to a new study from Harvard Chan School researchers. The study discussed ways to address the challenges in getting an accurate count. Co-authors included Mathew Kiang and Satchit Balsari, both fellows at the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, Rafael Irizarry, professor of biostatistics, and Caroline Buckee, associate professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics.

September 17: What crowdsourced big data may be able to tell us about COVID (Harvard Gazette)

Data gathered by an app called “How We Feel”—about COVID-19 daily symptoms, health status, and exposures to the coronavirus—highlight the role that crowdsourced big data could play in understanding and predicting the spread of infection, according to a new study co-authored by Xihong Lin, professor of biostatistics.

September 17: Trump Called The CDC Director’s Timeline For A Coronavirus Vaccine A “Mistake” (Buzzfeed)

Political maneuvering regarding a coronavirus vaccine has experts worried that the public won’t trust a vaccine when it becomes available. “Vaccination and prevention are life-saving efforts that apply to everybody that shouldn’t have anything to do with elections,” said former state and federal health official Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership.

September 17: Exclusive: States plan to independently vet COVID-19 vaccine data (CQ Roll Call)

Distrust of federal health agencies is leading some state officials to plan independent analyses of clinical trial data for COVID-19 vaccines. Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, said that the pandemic response is already too varied among states. “The major challenge has been we’ve had 50 states going in 50 different directions, [with] each state using their own criteria to reopen … even seeing states compete against one another for tests and supplies and PPE. That is not the way to get control of this virus. Whenever a vaccine approval occurs, that needs to be accepted by the country, across the country, with implementation as a country.”

September 17: Flu Season Looms as COVID-19 Rages (Voice of America)

Experts are urging everyone in the U.S. to get their flu shots this year, to help ease the expected burden on health care workers and hospitals as flu season converges with the COVID-19 pandemic. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, said it’s not known how much colder weather will affect the spread of the coronavirus. But with similar coronaviruses, which cause the common cold, “what we see … is that come October, November, December they skyrocket,” he said. “I hope that for some reason this virus behaves differently, but I don’t anticipate that it will.”

September 16: A public-relations campaign to build trust in COVID vaccine? (Harvard Gazette)

Even after a coronavirus vaccine becomes available, it might take a while for Americans to get immunized, in part because they won’t trust it, according to Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health. “Without trust a vaccine doesn’t do much good in the world,” he said. He said that a major information campaign may be needed to build public confidence in the vaccine.

September 16: Is Ventilation And Air Filtration In Massachusetts’ Classrooms Good Enough In A Pandemic? (WGBH)

Many Massachusetts school buildings have aging ventilation and air filtration systems that aren’t sufficient to protect against the coronavirus, according to some experts. But even in schools without adequate systems, there are ways to improve air quality, according to healthy buildings expert Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science. He said that schools should aim to completely change the air in classrooms at least three times per hour, and that simply opening the windows can achieve that goal.

September 16: There Won’t Be a Clear End to the Pandemic (The Atlantic)

Experts say the coronavirus pandemic won’t come to a definitive end, but will instead slowly peter out. Preparedness fellow Rachael Piltch-Loeb said this slow fade may make it tough for public health experts to convey to people the precautions they should take in their daily life. In “a complicated, gray landscape,” she said, “there is more room for debate, error, and nuance in who should do what and when to protect themselves, their families, and their community.”

September 16: Family of ER doctor who died by suicide: ‘Honor physicians with mental health support’ (Boston Globe)

This op-ed co-authored by Dean Michelle Williams discussed the COVID-19 pandemic’s dramatic mental health toll on health care professionals, and called on Congress to pass legislation to improve mental health resources for these workers.

September 16: How hard will COVID-19 hit Miami-Dade this fall? We explored the potential scenarios (Miami Herald)

William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, quoted

September 16: Fast coronavirus tests are coming — here’s what they can and can’t do (Nature)

Antigen tests to detect the coronavirus—while less sensitive than the gold-standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests—could be a game-changer in helping keep the pandemic at bay, because they’re fast and cheap and could spot people when they’re most contagious, say proponents. “If you’re at risk of transmitting the virus to somebody else, you’re going to have plenty of viral particles—those would certainly show up in antigen tests,” said Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology.

September 16: Boston’s School Buildings Are Old. Can They Handle A Pandemic? (WGBH)

Parents and teachers are worried about whether Boston’s old school buildings can be safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Healthy buildings expert Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science, said that even in buildings with old ventilation systems, strategies such as opening windows, installing toilet lids, and using portable air filtration systems can help.

September 16: In the race for a coronavirus vaccine, data matters more than time, Harvard professor says (Boston Herald)

Many are concerned that a coronavirus vaccine is being developed too quickly. But Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health, said at a September 15 Facebook Live Q&A that the endpoint of vaccine trials is based on adequate safety and efficacy data—not on time.

September 16: How the CDC failed local public health officials fighting the coronavirus (USA Today)

Kasisomayajula “Vish” Viswanath, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication, quoted

September 16: How Harvard is helping executives plan for the next pandemic (Yahoo Finance)

Dean Michelle Williams discussed Harvard Chan School’s new course for C-suite executives, aimed at helping them incorporate public health considerations into their businesses.

September 15: Who’ll Stop the Rain? (Harvard Medicine Magazine, Autumn 2020 issue)

COVID-19’s outsized toll on people of color reflects the harmful effects of many years of structural inequities, say experts. Mary Bassett, director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, noted that “social determinants of health—housing, education access and attainment, low income despite working two or three jobs, environmental conditions, stress—these affect health in ways that are both direct and indirect.”

September 15: Maine wedding ‘superspreader’ event is now linked to seven deaths. None of those people attended. (Washington Post)

Superspreader events—like the Maine wedding that led to more than 175 reported coronavirus infections and seven deaths—show how easily the virus can move among interconnected social networks, according to Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management. “It’s a real cautionary tale that even in a relatively rural area in Maine that there was still fuel for a fire to erupt,” he said.

September 15: Calls to declare racism a public health crisis grow louder amid pandemic, police brutality (Washington Post)

A proposed bill in Congress would formally identify systemic racism as a public health crisis in the U.S. and provide funds for interventions and research. Mary Bassett, director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, called the bill a good first step, noting that public health declarations are important because they put the focus on systems and structures rather than dismiss inequalities as the fault of the individual.

September 15: Some Urban Hospitals Face Closure Or Cutbacks As The Pandemic Adds To Fiscal Woes (NPR)

Nancy Kane, adjunct professor of management, quoted

September 15: Making Offices Safe for Workers, and Making Money Doing It (Wall Street Journal)

To ensure the safe return of employees to work, companies are looking at measures such as touchless doors, partitions bedecked with plants, and apps that can monitor office occupancy. Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science, said the effort to make buildings safer has been long overdue. “What this virus is exposing is that our buildings aren’t designed for human health first,” he said.

September 15: Randomized Testing Would Best Assess Covid Spread, Epidemiologists Say, But New York Isn’t Doing It (Gotham Gazette)

Some experts say that randomly surveying for the coronavirus would help paint a truer picture of the extent of disease. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said that one innovative way to conduct random testing would be to test for the coronavirus’ signature RNA in sewage.

September 14: Toolkit: Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 (In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt)

Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, was featured in this podcast.

September 14: Experts warn it might take up to four years to supply COVID-19 vaccine globally (Boston 25)

Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health, quoted

September 14: Cold-weather spike? Trump’s optimism on virus rebuffed by health experts’ fears (Washington Times)

Experts are worried that the coronavirus could surge as the weather turns colder as people gather indoors, at the same time that schools are reopening. Predicting how the virus will behave is difficult, they say. “One has to simply say, ‘We really don’t know,’” said Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health.

September 14: How could nursing homes have done better? (Christian Science Monitor)

More than 4 in 10 of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. occurred at senior care facilities, according to recent data. Studies have found that inadequate staffing may be a factor in COVID-19 outbreaks at nursing homes. “I think the bottom line is that it seems like nursing homes that have worse staffing have more extensive outbreaks,” said Michael Barnett, assistant professor of health policy and management..

September 14: We Need More Coronavirus Testing, Not Less (SELF)

Stephen Kissler, research fellow, and Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, discussed why fast, inexpensive, and frequent testing for the coronavirus is crucial to minimizing the spread of disease. Widespread testing can identify people with COVID-19—even those who are asymptomatic—so they can isolate themselves to avoid infecting others.

September 13: As Trump played down coronavirus, health experts’ alarm grew (AP)

Journalist Bob Woodward’s new book “Rage” reported that President Trump purposely minimized the severity of the coronavirus in public because he wanted to avoid causing panic—an admission that has drawn much criticism. Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership and a former assistant secretary for health in the Obama administration, said it would have been best for the White House to step out of the way and let public health officials unflinchingly communicate the facts during the pandemic.

September 12: Public health specialists criticize Trump administration over reports it interfered with CDC studies (CNBC)

Experts are criticizing reported efforts by the Trump administration to meddle in the release of studies about the coronavirus from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, said on Twitter that the interference “outrageous and dangerous” to public trust in the CDC, but also said it was “unsurprising.” And Atul Gawande, professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management and founder and chair of Ariadne Labs, said on Twitter that political appointees “should have no role in scientific publications. None.”

September 12: Health Officials Brace for Dual Threats of Flu Season, COVID-19 Pandemic (NBC Boston)

Health officials are urging people to get their flu shots this year. They’re worried that a double whammy of the flu plus COVID-19 could overwhelm the health care system. “This is really the most important year for [people] to get their flu vaccine,” said Paul Biddinger, director of the Emergency Preparedness Research, Evaluation & Practice Program (EPREP).

September 11: We need Covid-19 mass-testing. But who will trust the government to deliver it? (The Guardian)

With COVID-19 cases on the rise in the United Kingdom and a vaccine possibly months away, the country needs to “radically ramp up testing,” argued David Hunter, Vincent L. Gregory Professor in Cancer Prevention, Emeritus, and Richard Doll professor of epidemiology and medicine at the University of Oxford, in this opinion piece. He wrote that the government needs to be transparent about the effectiveness of any rapid tests being developed.

September 11: How Colleges Became the New Covid Hot Spots (New York Times)

There have been thousands of new coronavirus cases at colleges and universities since the beginning of September. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said the surge in cases “is completely predictable.”

September 11: Adults with COVID-19 are more likely to have dined out before getting sick, CDC report says (USA Today)

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that adults with confirmed COVID-19 are twice has likely to have eaten at a restaurant in the two weeks prior to becoming sick than those who tested negative. Paul Biddinger, director of the Emergency Preparedness Research, Evaluation & Practice Program (EPREP), said that eating can be a high-risk activity because people have to remove their masks to eat.

September 11: Trump draws fire for saying he downplayed virus to avoid ‘panic’ (The Hill)

In response to revelations that he purposely downplayed the risks of the coronavirus, President Trump said he didn’t want to cause panic. On Twitter, William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, wrote that the best way to minimize panic is to “honestly present the reality of the situation and reassure people that you are working to control it and minimize the fallout.” He added, “Failing to prepare for a real threat is not responsible. Playing down a real risk that you know is real is not preventing panic. It’s negligence.” Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership and a former assistant secretary for health in the Obama administration, said that “confronting the hard facts as unpleasant as they may be” is a key part of public health messaging.

September 10: ‘Follow the Science’ Isn’t a Covid-19 Strategy (Bloomberg)

William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, quoted

September 10: The Hidden Dangers of a Negative Coronavirus Test (AARP)

Getting a negative coronavirus test doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have the disease, because there can be false negatives, according to experts. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, said that more frequent testing would help address the problem. “Because we don’t do enough frequent testing, we’re missing people at peak [level of infectiousness],” he said.

September 10: Five things to know about frequent mass testing for COVID-19 (CBS News)

Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, said he thinks that rapid at-home coronavirus tests could help stop community spread of the virus.

September 10: It’s Been 6 Months Since Mass. Declared Coronavirus State Of Emergency (WBUR)

Research fellow Stephen Kissler discussed the past six months of coronavirus response in Massachusetts as well as what to expect in the next six.

September 10: Coronavirus: How to attend a wedding (or not) during a pandemic (Bloomberg)

Asking questions before attending a wedding—such as whether it will be indoor or outdoor, and how many guests will be there—is important during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Rachel Piltch-Loeb, a preparedness fellow. Deciding whether to attend is “a balance of protecting yourself and figuring out the characteristics of the event and your own family dynamic,” she said. She also offered tips, such as dancing or mingling in a separate area or leaving early.

September 9: ‘As an epidemiologist, I want to vomit’: Health experts slam Trump comments to Woodward on COVID-19 threat (Boston Globe)

Public health experts criticized President Trump after revelations that he acknowledged to journalist Bob Woodward in February that COVID-19 was very deadly, while downplaying the threat publicly. “If accurate, this reporting suggests that the decision to avoid a serious response was deliberate,” said Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics. “We have lost 150,000 Americans and counting, and it increasingly looks as if others will have long-term health consequences of this infection. As a scientist, those are the facts. As a citizen, it is hard to know which is worse—that this was done out of ignorance, when there was so much clear information, or that, as this reporting suggests, it was done deliberately.”

September 9: Report: Trump Downplayed COVID Threat (WebMD)

In early February, President Trump told journalist Bob Woodward that he knew how deadly the coronavirus was—although at the time, in public statements, he said the virus posed little danger and that the outbreak would soon go away on its own. He told Woodward that he played down the virus because he didn’t want to create a panic. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said he understood the president’s desire not to cause panic but said he found it “surprising” that “rather than get ready and prepare people for the crisis ahead, he tried to deny it.”

September 9: The Great Vaccine Race: Inside the Unprecedented Scramble to Immunize the World Against COVID-19 (TIME)

Assuming a coronavirus vaccine is developed, public health systems in the U.S. must plan for a massive immunization campaign, say experts. But most public health systems are already overwhelmed. “Our public-health system is highly fragmented, under-resourced, overlooked and underappreciated,” said Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership.

September 9: A Lineman’s Choice: To Defend a Super Bowl, or to Fight a Pandemic (Sports Illustrated)

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif discussed his decision to leave the Kansas City Chiefs in order to contribute his medical expertise to fight the COVID-19 pandemic—by working in a long-term care facility in Canada and enrolling at Harvard Chan School.

September 9: NPR Poll: Financial Pain From Coronavirus Pandemic ‘Much, Much Worse’ Than Expected (NPR)

In a new poll, half of households in the four largest U.S. cities reported facing series financial problems during the coronavirus pandemic. Poll co-director Robert Blendon, Richard L. Menschel Professor of Public Health and Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis, and polling team member Mary Gorski Findling, research associate, were quoted.

September 9: How Superspreaders – People and Places – Drive COVID-19 Pandemic (Voice of America)

Experts say that “superspreader” events—when a small number of coronavirus cases result in a disproportionate amount of infections—are on the rise. They worry that the events will lead to new coronavirus outbreaks and reverse the overall downward trend in COVID-19 cases and deaths in the U.S. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, said it isn’t surprising that more such events are occurring. “Short of enacting martial law or something, we were always going to see people start to move back and try to create some sense of normalcy in their life again,” he said. “I just wish we had been able to get the virus under control beforehand, before people got to this point where they just don’t care anymore.”

September 9: U.S. needs 193 million Covid-19 tests per month to reopen schools and keep up with pandemic, new report says (STAT)

Current COVID-19 testing capacity in the U.S. is roughly 21 million tests per month, but a new report from the Rockefeller Foundation finds that that nation may need up to 193 million each month to safely reopen schools and fortify nursing homes. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, praised the report for acknowledging the need for different types of tests—both very good diagnostic tests as well as tests that may be less sensitive but can be used more frequently.

September 9: The Pandemic Is an Intuition Nightmare (The Atlantic)

This article explored various mistakes the U.S. made in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, including focusing on only one fix at a time (such as vaccines or face masks), and engaging in magical thinking about how it might fizzle out. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, and Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, were quoted.

September 8: “When Will We Have a Vaccine?” — Understanding Questions and Answers about Covid-19 Vaccination (NEJM)

Health experts should focus on messages to build public trust around a COVID-19 vaccine, according to this Perspective article co-authored by Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health.

September 6: Harvard Researcher Discusses Why COVID-19 Is Devastating Communities Of Color (NPR)

In this interview with Lulu Garcia-Navarro of NPR, Jose Figueroa, assistant professor of health policy and management, discussed the different ways that COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting Black and Latino communities, and how policy makers could address the issues.

September 6: Daily Coronavirus Testing at Home? Many Experts Are Skeptical (New York Times)

Although some experts question the usefulness of rapid coronavirus tests for use at home, Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, thinks they could make a major dent in the pandemic in the U.S.

September 5: Coronavirus updates: Labor Day could fuel another rise in infections if people aren’t cautious, experts say (Washington Post)

Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, quoted

September 5: Between the Pandemic and the President: Mexico City Mayor’s Balancing Act (New York Times)

Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, quoted

September 4: Fauci warns that Labor Day celebrations could drive Covid-19 spikes (STAT)

Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, quoted

September 4: In Miami, Where Coronavirus Cases Are Highest in Florida, 20% of Those Diagnosed Refuse to Be Traced: Report (Newsweek)

Ineffective contact tracing and slow turnaround times for coronavirus testing, as Miami-Dade County has experienced, have caused people to question the usefulness of participating in testing programs, according to Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health. “When the numbers of cases are high, contact tracing simply can’t come to grips with it,” he said. “When results take days and the public knows the answer is useless, it’s hard to generate confidence.”

September 4: Coronavirus update: Global cases climb above 26.4 million, and U.S. vaccine program’s head sees very low chance of vaccine by late October (MarketWatch)

Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, quoted

September 4: Florida gets ready for COVID-19 vaccine rollout. But will it work? (Tampa Bay Times)

Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health, quoted

September 4: Harvard expert, school officials question safety of hybrid back-to-school model (Journal Inquirer)

A hybrid school model that combines in-classroom instruction and remote learning could lead to an increase in exposure to the coronavirus, according to research fellow Stephen Kissler. “The big concern with hybrid schooling is exactly what the student will do outside the time in class,” he said. When they’re not at school, children are likely to interact with more people, which could increase the spread of disease, he said.

September 4: Meet the Student Running a Rogue Twitter Account Tracking COVID-19 at ASU (Phoenix New Times)

Kasisomayajula “Vish” Viswanath, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication, commented on an Arizona State University student’s Twitter account called “ASUcovidTracker” (@as_ucovid), which shares locations of reported coronavirus cases at the university. Knowing which dorms have outbreaks has value, said Viswanath, because it can move students’ assessment of the risk of COVID-19 from a general concern to a specific threat. He also said institutions should be proactive in releasing information about COVID-19 outbreaks to fight misinformation or the sense that something is being hidden.

September 4: Coronavirus FAQ: Is It A Good Idea To Buy An Air Cleaner For My Home? (NPR)

Portable air cleaners can be a useful tool in the arsenal against the coronavirus, say experts. “It’s a relatively easy way to get clean air in a place where people are in close contact,” said Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science. Abraar Karan, MPH ’17, a Harvard Medical School physician, added that air cleaners are “not a substitution for everything else,” and that masks and distancing are important, too.

September 4: Colleges’ dilemma: Fight outbreaks or send sick kids home (Politico)

William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said he’s concerned about college and universities unwilling or unable to conduct mass coronavirus testing, because they’re likely to miss outbreaks. “By the time you become aware of the problem it is likely to already be much larger,” he said. “You are not going to detect outbreaks if you don’t look for them.”

September 4: What is the risk of getting coronavirus on a plane? (Politifact)

The risk of catching the coronavirus on an airplane is relatively low if the airline enforces mask compliance, spaces out seats, and screens for sick passengers, say experts. “If you look at the science across all diseases, you see few outbreaks (on planes),” said Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science. “It’s not the hotbed of infectivity that people think it is.”

September 3: What accelerated COVID-19 vaccine development means for safety (PBS NewsHour)

The accelerated timeline to roll out a COVID-19 vaccine does not necessarily mean that safety standards are being lowered, said Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology. But political pressure and polarization during the process could lower people’s trust in any vaccine that becomes available, he said. “I think any time we’re infusing so much divisiveness into what needs to be a concerted effort, in this case, to keep people healthy, to suppress the virus from transmitting at the population level, to get people to trust that the FDA and the CDC and the federal government are doing their due diligence to keep people safe, whether it’s from the virus or from the vaccine—it’s not surprising that there is so much concern and confusion that’s abounding in the general public,” he said.

September 3: To defeat COVID-19, ‘we need a unified national strategy,’ says public health expert Dr. Howard Koh (MarketWatch)

In this interview, Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, who served as assistant secretary of health in the Department of Health and Human Services during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, discussed what he thinks is needed for a national coronavirus plan: more testing and smarter testing; support for contact tracing efforts; cooperation among states for supplies and personal protective equipment; a national requirement for wearing face masks; and daily briefings from top health officials.

September 3: When the Temperature Drops, Boston Needs to Stay Outside (Boston Magazine)

During the coronavirus pandemic, people should continue to refrain from indoor gatherings even when cold weather hits, say experts. “We can’t rest on our laurels,” said Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management. “It’s easy to do this in the summer. It’s gonna be hard in the fall.”

September 3: COVID-19, A Stigma To Many, Quietly Taking Toll On South Florida’s Haitian Community (The Haitian Times)

At least 5% of Miami-Dade County’s COVID-19 deaths have been among Haitian Americans, although that group comprises only 4% of the county’s population. And the true percentage could be even higher because of missing data on ethnicity and hospitalizations, said Nancy Krieger, professor of social epidemiology. “It’s not possible to discern, with any precision, if Haitians are being disproportionately affected—and that by itself is a problem,” she said.

September 3: Why A Vaccine Won’t Be a Quick Fix for COVID-19 (WebMD)

A vaccine won’t end the coronavirus pandemic, according to Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health. That’s because not enough people will get the vaccine, and those who do may only get partial protection from the virus. “I am worried about incomplete availability, incomplete protection, unwillingness of a portion of a country to be vaccinated,” he said.

September 3: California’s expensive COVID-19 predictions were useless for rural areas. Here’s why. (Sacramento Bee)

Some models about how the coronavirus would spread have been way off. Experts say that’s because the models couldn’t accurately account for how stay-at-home orders and other precautions would affect the disease’s spread. Inga Holmdahl, a PhD student in the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics (CCDD), noted that modeling can’t be a panacea in public health, because people’s actions can dramatically alter the course of an epidemic. Holmdahl co-authored a May 15 New England Journal of Medicine article on the topic with Caroline Buckee, associate professor of epidemiology and CCDD associate director.

September 3: Harvard research data says DC area schools could reopen safely with precautions (Fox 5 DC)

Researchers from the Harvard Global Health Institute say that school systems in the D.C. area could safely reopen amid the coronavirus. “In the D.C. area, as long as there are safety precautions in the schools—that means improved ventilation within schools, and even, ideally, testing for students and teachers if possible—in those areas there is low enough community level transmission where the risk of transmission in schools may be relatively low versus the benefits of in-person education,” said Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management.

September 2: N.Y.C. School Plan Hinges on Hundreds of Thousands of Virus Tests (New York Times)

In order to safely reopen schools during the coronavirus pandemic, New York City is planning mandatory tests of 10% of its students and teachers once a month. The plan “strikes me as being very ambitious,” said William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology. “I’m glad they’re doing it, but I think it would be better if they’d been planning to do this in advance. This is not something that is easy to pull out of a hat.”

September 2: We Can Solve the Coronavirus-Test Mess Now—If We Want To (New Yorker)

Atul Gawande, professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management and founder and chair of Ariadne Labs, wrote that fast and easy testing could help the U.S. get back to some semblance of normalcy during the coronavirus pandemic. He outlined myriad problems with testing in the U.S. and said that the nation’s lack of investment in public health infrastructure has hampered efforts to contain the virus. “The reason we don’t [have the testing capacity we need] is not simply that our national leadership is unfit but also that our health-care system is dysfunctional,” he wrote.

September 2: Herd immunity alone won’t stop COVID-19. Here’s why. (Popular Science)

According to recent news reports, a White House adviser recommends that the administration allow the coronavirus to infect massive numbers of people in the hopes of achieving “herd immunity”—when enough people become immune so that the disease stops spreading. But experts say it’s a bad idea. “We’re talking about something that … basically would be relying upon an outbreak that would lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans,” said William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology. “The numbers of people who would be rendered vulnerable to this are surely larger than anybody should be prepared to accept.”

September 2: ‘Urgent’ request sent to states in push for coronavirus vaccine delivery by Nov. 1 (Tampa Bay Times)

The Trump administration says it plans to begin rolling out coronavirus vaccines to high-risk groups as early as Nov. 1, and is advising states to prepare for cold storage and distribution. Some experts expressed doubt that storage and distribution plans will be ready in time or be adequate. The more demanding the distribution requirements for the vaccine, the harder it will be to push out on a large scale, said Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership. “This is where a strong public health department, particularly at the local level, is critical,” he said. “And one of the challenges we’re all seeing in the middle of COVID is the weaknesses in the public health infrastructure, mostly because there have been cutbacks and layoffs for years. This is going to be a test for that system.”

September 2: Is it safe to fly right now? What to know about air travel and COVID-19 (TODAY)

Experts say that flying doesn’t appear to pose a big risk during the coronavirus pandemic. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, said the risk is likely greater in airports, where people are funneled through hallways, jetways, and metal detectors before flights. Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science, was also quoted.

September 2: These 4 Midwestern states are seeing worrying Covid-19 spikes (Vox)

Several states in the Midwest, including Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota, are seeing rising numbers of coronavirus cases. “The Midwest is taking off,” said William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology.

September 2: Viral claim that only 6% of COVID-19 deaths were caused by the virus is flat-out wrong (Live Science)

A claim circulating on social media—that only 6% of the reported COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are solely attributable to the new coronavirus—is dangerously misleading, say experts. “When you look at the number of excess deaths this year in comparison with previous years, it’s staggering,” said William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology. He said that many of those who died had nonfatal diseases, and they wouldn’t have died had it not been for contracting COVID-19, which made their existing conditions much more deadly.

September 1: It’s time to talk about how toilets may be spreading covid-19 (Washington Post)

To prevent aerosols produced by the flushing of toilets from potentially spreading COVID-19, Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science, recommended ensuring good ventilation in bathrooms and closing the toilet lid when flushing.

September 1: To Beat the Next Pandemic, Sustain and Grow Incentives for Collaborative Innovation (Influenzer.org)

In this video, Pardis Sabeti, professor of immunology and infectious diseases, discussed the value of collaborations in driving discoveries to control emerging infectious diseases before they become pandemics.

September 1: Only 6% of COVID-19 deaths have it listed as the only cause, but there’s more (WINK News, Ft. Myers, FL)

Research fellow Stephen Kissler quoted

September 1: Pursuing herd immunity is a non-strategy that could cause mass death without boosting the economy. A Trump adviser may be pushing for it. (Business Insider)

An adviser to President Trump, Scott Atlas, is reportedly urging him to pursue herd immunity—when enough people become infected to a virus so that it stops spreading—to quell the coronavirus. But experts say such a strategy could lead to mass death and economy-crippling illness. “This is simply wrong,” said Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics. “Herd immunity is not a strategy or a solution. It is surrender to a preventable virus.”

September 1: Here’s What the CDC’s COVID-19 Deaths Data Really Means (SELF)

Recently released death certificate data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that other conditions were present in the majority of COVID-19 deaths, and that only 6% of the cases listed COVID-19 as the only cause of death. But some have taken that to mean that COVID-19 was the only true cause of death in those cases, and that the disease therefore is not that deadly—a serious misinterpretation of the data, say experts. Listing multiple potential contributing factors to a person’s death is simply “a doctor doing their due diligence,” said Stephen Kissler, research fellow.

September 1: The Great Unknown (In Practice Podcast)

Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology, was a guest on this podcast that included a discussion on the coronavirus pandemic’s psychological impact, and on the intersection of stress, mental health, and physical health.

September 1: Trump’s Latest Excuse: COVID-19 Only Counts When It Kills The Perfectly Healthy (Huff Post)

Misinterpretation of death certificate data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention led President Trump and some of his supporters to promote the idea that the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t killed very many people, and that people’s underlying conditions are more to blame for many thousands of deaths since the pandemic began. Nancy Krieger, professor of social epidemiology, called the idea “ridiculous.” She said a more accurate measure of the pandemic’s toll comes from excess deaths—numbering roughly 200,000 since March. “The measure of the impact of a pandemic is its impact on the population as it already exists, not its impact on a small, healthy, isolated population with no preexisting conditions,” she said. “That’s not how diseases work.”

September 1: Why the Coronavirus Strikes Children of Color (New York Times)

People of color have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, and children in these communities appear to be more at risk as well, according to recent studies. People in these communities are more likely to be exposed to the coronavirus because of working in jobs like food service and living in large, shared households, according to research from Jose Figueroa, assistant professor of health policy and management, and colleagues. “What you have is the perfect recipe for fast transmission of Covid-19 in the Latino community,” he said. “Working adults who keep going to work because they need to put food on the table and pay the rent, and who often have young children.”

September 1: One of the best-known public health experts in the world is taking his talents to Brown University (Boston Globe)

Ashish Jha, who served as director of the Harvard Global Health Institute for six years and has been widely quoted on the COVID-19 pandemic, began a new role as dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.

September 1: Help! What Are the Best Precautions When Traveling by Car? (New York Times)

Taking a road trip? Sarah Fortune, John LaPorte Given Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases and chair of the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, recommends eating outdoors when possible; planning ahead for bathroom breaks because some typical spots (like large hotels or department stores) are either closed or closed to people from the street; and making sure to bring hand sanitizer.

September 1: White House adviser joins Florida Gov. DeSantis to tout COVID strategy: Test only those with symptoms (Miami Herald)

Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, quoted

August 31: Get Real Health – COVID-19: Know your risk (Get Real Health)

In this video interview, Caroline Buckee, associate professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, offered advice on how to navigate risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

August 31: Communities Are Trying To Help Working Parents Who Face A Child Care Gap (NPR)

With many schools opening completely online, some communities are experimenting with learning hubs, in locations such as school buildings, YMCAs, or libraries, where small groups of students can do schoolwork with the help of monitors and get Internet access that may not be available to them at home. Hubs that are not full-time may pose a coronavirus risk, however, because when kids aren’t in the hub, they could be with others—either caregivers or other kids—which means multiplying contacts. “Not adding new contacts should be the name of the game,” said William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology.

August 31: Why the future of elder care may be fewer nursing homes (Christian Science Monitor)

The rapid spread of COVID-19 infections in nursing homes has spurred plans to shift elder care in different directions, such as smaller scale facilities and communities that rely on mutual support among residents. “Nursing homes have been set up to fail,” said Michael Barnett, assistant professor of health policy and management. “They have extremely vulnerable populations. They have workers who are underpaid and are largely immigrants and minorities who live in communities that are the worst affected.”

August 31: Medical Experts Raise Questions About COVID-19 Data From Mass. Jails And Prisons (WBUR)

Research fellow Stephen Kissler quoted

August 31: Privacy COVID-19 task force tags contact-tracing as most pressing privacy issue globally (Backend News )

Caroline Buckee, associate professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, quoted

August 31: How Can India Combat COVID-19’s Collateral Damage? (The Wire)

Research from the Lancet by Richard Cash, senior lecturer on global health, and Vikram Patel, professor in the Department of Global Health and Population, was cited. The research found that, amid the coronavirus pandemic, there have been substantial reductions in the percentage of people receiving essential health care in India.

August 31: Could Rapid Coronavirus Testing Help Life Return To Normal? (WBUR)

On the WBUR radio show “On Point,” Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, discussed U.S. testing failures so far and how rapid tests could help get our lives back to normal amid the coronavirus pandemic.

August 31: “The mortality rate is the last thing to rise but then it’s very difficult to get it down” (El Pais)

A recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Spain means that there will be a mortality spike in the fall, according to experts. “The only way to significantly reduce mortality now is to reduce infections, in particular among the vulnerable population,” said Miguel Hernán, Kolokotrones Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. “And there is no other way to achieve this but early diagnosis, the tracing of contacts and isolation measures.”

August 30: States confront new Covid-19 challenge: Getting flu shots to apathetic Americans (Politico)

State health officials are hoping to convince people to get their flu shots this year to avoid overtaxed health systems amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Some experts are worried that not enough people will opt to get the vaccines, but others say that concerns about the coronavirus may prompt people to consider them. “The fear of Covid is a driver to get people vaccinated against the flu,” said Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health.

August 30: Colleges With Covid Outbreaks Advised to Keep Students on Campus (Bloomberg Quint)

Rather than sending university students home after a COVID-19 outbreak, it’s better to keep them on campus, because it makes it easier to isolate the students and to trace their contacts, say experts. If students leave a state to go home, “that will make the job [of contact tracing] very difficult, if not impossible,” said Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership.

August 30: Patchwork approach to contact tracing hampers national recovery (The Hill)

Most states don’t publicly release data about where COVID-19 cases are occurring, making it difficult to understand the risks associated with certain activities and settings, say experts. In addition, some states are struggling to keep up with infections. “I think that many parts of the country, especially outside of the Northeast … simply have too many cases to use contact tracing as the primary public health measure to control cases,” said research fellow Stephen Kissler.

August 29: Falling Covid-19 cases create opportunity and peril for Trump (Politico)

If the nation can return to some sort of normalcy, it could help boost support for President Trump in the upcoming election, but if disruptions continue—particularly school closings—it could work against him. “The problem is people’s whole lives have been disrupted,” said Robert Blendon, Richard L. Menschel Professor of Public Health and Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis, Emeritus. “If the disruption is over, the incumbent will claim credit. If it isn’t, the challenger has an advantage.”

August 28: Scientists are reporting several cases of Covid-19 reinfection — but the implications are complicated (STAT)

Reports are emerging of COVID-19 reinfection, including one case in which a Reno man developed a more serious illness the second time. But experts say each case of reinfection could be different depending on how much immunity a person developed during their first infection. “There are millions and millions of cases,” said Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology. He said the real question that should be asked is, “What happens to most people?” Mina was also quoted about COVID-19 reinfection in an article in The Hill.

August 28: The new frontier of COVID-19 testing may be in your toilet (Yahoo Lifestyle)

Monitoring wastewater for the coronavirus—a strategy being used at some universities—could help catch early outbreaks, say experts. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, called the strategy “very valuable—it’s a really creative and true public health approach to this virus.” But he added that he’s not optimistic about its widespread applicability, because resources also need to be in place so that information from wastewater data can be acted on.

August 28: Exclusive: Most U.S. states reject Trump administration’s new COVID-19 testing guidance (Reuters)

At least 33 states are spurning new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that said testing for the coronavirus may be unnecessary for people who’ve been exposed to COVID-19 but who don’t have symptoms. At least 33 states are continuing to recommend that such people be tested. “This is states almost all-out rebelling against the new guidelines,” said Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology.

August 28: Pandemic creates lifesaving ripple effects amid devastating loss (Politico)

Policies aimed at combating health threats during the coronavirus pandemic could have long-lasting positive benefits, say experts. For instance, during a ban on alcohol and cigarette sales in South Africa that aimed to free up hospital capacity and reduce crime levels, emergency room admissions for traumas caused by car accidents or violence almost halved—possibly because people were drinking less. And during lockdowns in the U.S., there were fewer car accidents. Said research scientist Anne Lusk, “If we can create positive outcomes from this—I don’t want to get tearful—then we would have memorialized in a positive way all the people who’ve died.”

August 28: Trump pressure on health agencies risks undermining public trust (The Hill)

Experts say that pressure from the Trump administration appears to have influenced recent decisions on the coronavirus from the Food and Drug and Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Government is supposed to be working together to protect the entire country, and instead we’re seeing these open disagreements that further sow public disagreement and undermine public trust,” said Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership.

August 28: Dr. Scott Gottlieb says the FDA appears to soften stance on a key requirement for home coronavirus tests (CNBC)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may be willing to allow the use of rapid, at-home coronavirus tests without requiring the results to be reported to health officials—which would make the tests cheaper and more accessible and give people faster results, according to former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb. Current FDA guidelines for these tests “put an unreasonable bar to meet,” said Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology.

August 27: A New Era of Coronavirus Testing Is About to Begin (The Atlantic)

A newly authorized coronavirus test from Abbott Laboratories is quick, inexpensive, and promising, say experts. But there are also questions about how useful it will be in getting life back to some semblance of normal. Said Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, “This is the type of test that we’ve been waiting for, but may not be the test.”

August 27: New study confirms staggering racial disparities in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts (Boston Globe)

A study from Harvard Chan School helps quantify Massachusetts’ COVID-19 cases and sheds light on why people of color have been disproportionately affected. Co-authors included Jose Figueroa, assistant professor of health policy and management, research assistant Dennis Lee and Benjamin Sommers, Huntley Quelch Professor of Health Care Economics. The study was also highlighted in a WHDH interview with Sommers.

August 27: Expensive, Sure. But Will College Testing For COVID Pay Off? (WGBH)

Although many colleges are universities are trying to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic by instituting widespread testing and safety measures, public health experts say the virus still might spread. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, predicted that the virus would get worse because “students are going to gather off-campus. That’s what students do.”

August 27: Rapid $1 Covid-19 tests exist. Why can’t we get them? (Vox)

Rapid over-the-counter antigen tests for COVID-19 could help slow the spread of the coronavirus because they are good at detecting high levels of virus—which is when people are most likely to transmit it to others. But the rapid tests are less sensitive overall than other kinds of tests and can’t meet current Food and Drug Administration standards. Experts like Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, are calling for a new way to evaluate the tests that takes their public health surveillance value into account. Said Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, “We really need to shift gears.”

August 27: ‘A very risky proposition’: As some schools punt on football, others prepare for return of fans — and tailgating (USA Today)

Allowing thousands of fans into a football stadium, even with safety measures in place, “would be a disaster” in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology.

August 27: In ‘milestone,’ FDA OKs simple, accurate coronavirus test that could cost just $5 (Science)

A new coronavirus test authorized by the Food and Drug Administration will provide results in 15 minutes and doesn’t require specialized laboratory equipment. “This is wonderful news,” said Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology. “It will be administered first by physicians as a diagnostic, but this is a big step towards the development and approvals of similar assays that can eventually be used over the counter as public health tools. I am very excited about this milestone.”

August 27: Want to buy schools time? Open the windows. (Washington Post)

Opening windows in schools during the fall can help bring in enough fresh air to disperse coronavirus particles, according to this op-ed co-authored by Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program, Jack Spengler, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation, and Jose Cedeño-Laurent, research associate and associate director of the Healthy Buildings program. The experts were also cited in a September 2 Boston Globe article.

August 27: New CDC Covid Testing Guidelines Have It Backward (Bloomberg Quint)

Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health, and William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, were quoted in this op-ed that discussed new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that say that people who don’t have COVID-19 symptoms don’t need to be tested—even if they think they were exposed to the coronavirus. “CDC is driving us all crazy,” Bloom said. “This just makes absolutely no sense.”

August 27: Trump used the RNC to gaslight America on Covid-19 (Vox)

Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, quoted

August 27: Coronavirus Winter Is Coming (New York Times)

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. should focus on resuming activities with the highest ratio of economic benefit to epidemiological risk, according to Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology. That might mean reopening workplaces with safety precautions, but not reopening wedding venues and movie theaters.

August 27: The Psychological Effects on Children Not Returning to School (BELatina)

In this Q&A, Michael Rich, associate professor of social and behavioral sciences and director of the Center on Media and Child Health, discussed the psychological risks to children as they prepare to return to school, ether in person or virtually, and offered tips and tools to help parents and kids during the return to school amid the coronavirus pandemic.

August 27: Sens. Warren, Smith press major labs over coronavirus testing delays as flu season approaches (CNBC)

Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, and Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, quoted

August 26: Thousands of Coronavirus Infections Stemmed from a Biotech Event (The Scientist)

Pardis Sabeti, professor of immunology and infectious diseases; Caroline Buckee, associate professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics; and Daniel Hartl, professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, quoted

August 26: The White House discussed changing CDC guidelines about testing asymptomatic people while Fauci was under anesthesia (Business Insider)

Experts have expressed dismay at revised guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggesting that people who don’t show COVID-19 symptoms don’t require a test for the disease—even if they had contact with an infected person. Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, said, “No new science, data, or research have been offered to justify such a change.”

August 26: From a Biogen conference to a homeless shelter: Researchers track coronavirus infections from ‘super-spreader’ events (USA Today)

New research that used genetic data to track a “super-spreading” event at a February Biogen conference in Boston found that the event led to as many as 20,000 coronavirus cases worldwide. Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health, and William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, were quoted. Commenting on the link between the event and clusters of infections in Boston’s homeless population, Hanage said, “The virus spreads in communities up and down the socioeconomic status in ways we don’t really understand.”

August 26: New Covid-19 testing guidelines, crafted at the White House, alarm public health experts (STAT)

Public health experts have expressed alarm about new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending against testing people who have been in contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases but who don’t yet have symptoms—even though evidence suggests that such people can be infectious. Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said there is no scientific justification for the new recommendation.

August 26: Misrepresentation of plasma data by FDA head erodes confidence in public health, experts say (NBC News)

In discussing the reasoning behind the decision of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said that the treatment showed “a 35 percent improvement in survival” among COVID-19 patients. He later backtracked after criticism that the claim was wrong, but experts said the incident will erode trust and confidence in health officials. Trust “is the absolute foundation,” said Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, “When trust is not upheld, then there is open confusion like we’re seeing now.”

August 26: Minnesota makes $14.6 million push for COVID-19 saliva tests (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Minnesota is planning to expand its coronavirus testing capacity by using saliva-based tests. “Many U.S. states are not now doing enough testing,” said research fellow Stephen Kissler. “I think this would go a long way toward addressing that gap in Minnesota.”

August 26: The Mental Health Toll of Going Back to School During a Pandemic (Teen Vogue)

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, every college should “have a plan for students’ emotional health, just like a plan for physical health,” said Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology.

August 26: The Debate Over Covid-19 Distancing: How Far Is Far Enough? (Undark)

The evidence isn’t definitive on how far apart people should keep from each other in order to avoid coronavirus transmission. But current guidelines—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend six feet of distance, and the World Health Organization recommends three—may not be adequate, because of the likelihood that the virus spreads in tiny aerosolized particles that remain in the air for hours. “It’s not like at 6 feet everything drops or 3 feet everything drops off,” said Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science.

August 26: How Mike Pence slowed down the coronavirus response (Politico)

In his role overseeing the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, Vice President Mike Pence didn’t work fast enough or decisively enough to curb the spread of the virus, according to sources quoted in this article. Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, was quoted.

August 26: Scientists worry FDA could be pressured to approve COVID vaccine before it’s fully tested (USA Today)

After the FDA approved the emergency use of convalescent plasma as a COVID-19 treatment— even though data on its effectiveness are limited—experts expressed concern that the agency may have made the decision because of political pressure from the White House. Now they’re worried that similar pressure could lead the FDA to approve a coronavirus vaccine prematurely. “I would hope the leadership of the FDA would stand firm on a scientific basis,” said Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health. “Otherwise, the trust in the whole scientific enterprise becomes compromised.”

August 25: Coronavirus reinfection is possible but here’s what you should know (The Ladders)

Sarah Fortune, John LaPorte Given Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases and chair of the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, quoted

August 25: Early genetic research shows how Biogen conference impacted COVID-19 spread (WCVB)

A new study estimates that a Biogen conference held in Boston Feb. 26-27 spawned roughly 20,000 coronavirus cases in Massachusetts alone, hit Boston’s homeless population particularly hard, and led to cases as far away as Sweden, Singapore, and Australia. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said, “Hopefully super-spreading events [like this] will remain rare.”

August 25: CleanLaw: Joe Goffman with Francesca Dominici on the Intersection of Air Pollution, Coronavirus, and Black Communities (CleanLaw)

In this podcast, Francesca Dominici, Clarence James Gamble Professor of Biostatistics, Population, and Data Science, and co-director of the Harvard Data Science Initiative, discussed her team’s research showing that air pollution continues to be a public health threat, that air pollution is linked with increased coronavirus death rates, and that, even as air quality improved overall between 2010 and 2016, it did not improve in Black communities.

August 25: College students prepare to head back home a week into classes as coronavirus cases on campus climb (CNBC)

Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, quoted

August 25: Oxford scientists hope their coronavirus vaccine is ready to be rolled out by the end of 2020 (WINK News)

Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health, and William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, quoted

August 25: Biogen conference likely led to 20,000 COVID-19 cases in Boston area, researchers say (Boston Globe)

A new study suggests that the Biogen conference held in Boston in February played a much greater role in spreading the coronavirus than previously thought. Caroline Buckee, associate professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, who was not involved in the study, said she had no trouble believing that the event could have led to 20,000 cases. “Super-spreading is really a key component of how we ended up with an epidemic of this gravity,” she said. “If you think about it, all the cases in the whole world originated from one case. That’s the nature of the exponential growth of epidemics.”

August 25: Why The Novel Coronavirus Is So ‘Superspready’ (NPR Goats and Soda)

The coronavirus’ ability to transmit through the air in closed indoor settings is a key feature that helps it “superspread,” according to experts. Another factor is that people can spread it before they know they’re sick. “Viral load actually increases a couple of days before symptoms show up,” said Smita Gopinath, assistant professor of immunology and infectious diseases.

August 25: Trump didn’t just fail to address Covid-19. He made the crisis worse. (Vox)

Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, quoted

August 24: Lynn emerges as a new center of COVID-19 in Massachusetts (Boston Globe)

Coronavirus cases are on the rise in Lynn, Massachusetts. The city, like others at high risk for COVID-19 transmission, is lower income, more heavily immigrant, and home to a higher share of Black and multiracial residents than most other communities in the state. Nancy Krieger, professor of social epidemiology, was quoted.

August 24: ‘Passionate strategy needed to mitigate malnutrition due to lockdown’ (Down to Earth)

S V Subramanian, professor of population health and geography, discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child malnutrition in India.

August 24: Some experts fear FDA’s plasma decision will hinder research; UMass doctor touts benefits (Boston Globe)

The Food and Drug Administration’s decision to allow convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID-19 might make it harder for researchers to study its effectiveness, according to some experts. “This announcement will hamper the ability to do clinical trials that are necessary,” said Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership. “Every patient with COVID will now be requesting this treatment and will not be willing to be randomized to any placebo arm [of a clinical trial].”

August 24: Trump turns up pressure on FDA (The Hill)

Experts fear the Food and Drug Administration’s recent decision to authorize convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 is the result of political pressure on the agency from President Trump. Some also worry he’ll push for the approval of a vaccine before it’s been adequately tested. Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, said that the wall between public health and politics is being threatened. “It’s been extraordinary to see the president explicitly undermine his own agencies,” he said. “All that does is sow confusion for the public when the public expects the government to be working together.”

August 24: Trump Is Sending Fast, Cheap COVID Tests to Nursing Homes — But There’s a Hitch (Kaiser Health Network)

The Trump administration is distributing point-of-care antigen tests to nursing homes, which have been COVID-19 hotspots. The tests are cheaper and faster than PCR tests, which must be run by a lab, but they’re not as accurate, so some experts question their usefulness. But Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, said, “I don’t see another option on the table for us. It is what we need to be doing right now.”

August 24: India’s use of less accurate coronavirus tests raise concerns (Al Jazeera)

Experts say that some areas of India may be over-reliant on antigen tests for the coronavirus. These tests are cheaper and faster than lab-based tests, but are also less accurate. Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, and Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, were quoted.

August 23: Coronavirus vaccines: We address 3 big questions about safety, distribution and adoption (Journalists’ Resource)

Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health, said he is concerned about the public’s unwillingness to receive a future vaccine to fight the coronavirus.

August 22: Coronavirus most prevalent in Boston communities with the most poverty and people of color (Boston Herald)

COVID-19’s disproportionate impact in Boston neighborhoods with the most poverty and the most people of color “is absolutely, totally an American problem,” said Barry Bloom, xxx. “It has to do with not only disparities in health, but disparities in wealth, disparities in housing and disparities in education.” Sara Bleich, professor of public health policy, said that neighborhoods with the highest percentages of the coronavirus need more testing, and health workers there need more personal protective equipment.

August 23: 5 unanswered medical questions about coronavirus (ABC News)

Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, quoted

August 22: Do-it-yourself coronavirus testing sparks kudos, and caution (Boston Globe)

Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, is among a number of public health experts trying to persuade federal regulators to authorize cheap, at-home coronavirus tests that would deliver results within minutes. While the tests are not as accurate as widely used lab-based PCR tests, they could catch people when they’re most infectious and thus help slow the spread of the pandemic. “These have so much promise because they can help squelch the infections altogether,” said Mina.

August 21: Knox County Schools will share COVID-19 dashboard but won’t release data by school (Knox News)

Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, quoted

August 21: ‘Instant Coffee’ COVID-19 Tests Could Be the Answer to Reopening the U.S. (Scientific American)

This opinion piece outlines the potential benefits of inexpensive, rapid coronavirus tests that people could take at home. While not as accurate as lab-based tests currently in use, such tests could still be helpful in greatly lowering the prevalence of the virus in communities. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, calls the rapid tests “the most important potential tool that could exist today.”

August 21: How does immunity against coronavirus work? New research shows how antibodies can block it (Washington Post)

Although early evidence suggests people develop some level of immunity after being infected with the coronavirus, there is still much that researchers are trying to understand—such as whether the presence of antibodies means that someone is impervious to infection. “It’s not black and white, like you’re immune or not immune,” said Sarah Fortune, John LaPorte Given Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases and chair of the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases. “There are gradations of immunity.”

August 21: The Trump administration’s ‘public charge’ rule and Covid-19: bad policy at the worst time (STAT)

The authors of this op-ed, including Benjamin Sommers, professor of health policy and economics, and Jose Figueroa, assistant professor of health policy and management, urge the Trump administration to reverse a rule that could dissuade families from using public programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), thus undermining public health efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

August 21: Using Data Science to Study Air Pollution Effect on COVID-19 Outcomes (Women in Data Science Podcast)

In this podcast, Francesca Dominici, Clarence James Gamble Professor of Biostatistics, Population, and Data Science, and co-director of the Harvard Data Science Initiative, and Rachel Nethery, assistant professor of biostatistics, discuss their research on how air pollution might affect a person’s vulnerability to the coronavirus.

August 21: Harvard researchers: Elementary school kids should have first priority for in-person classes (WBTW News, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)

Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, quoted

August 21: An Epidemiologist Explains Which Workouts Put You at a Greater Risk For Getting COVID-19 (POPSUGAR)

It’s safest to exercise outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic, according to I-Min Lee, professor in the Department of Epidemiology. Even for outdoor workouts, she recommended wiping down any gear you use, washing your hands before and after training, wearing a mask, and maintaining six feet of space between yourself and others, and 12 feet if you’re working out more intensely. For indoor workouts, she said to consider how close you are to others, how long your exposure might be, and how well the gym or workout area is sanitized.

August 20: The Dilemma Facing America’s Schools During COVID-19 (American Academy of Arts and Sciences)

In this virtual discussion, Sara Bleich, professor of public health policy, discussed the difficult decisions about how and when to reopen schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 20: Trump administration bars FDA from regulating some laboratory tests, including for coronavirus (Washington Post)

Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, quoted

August 20: How schools can work toward a safe year (CBS Evening News)

In this interview, Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science, said that lowering community spread of the coronavirus and implementing aggressive risk reduction strategies—such as mandating mask wearing and improving ventilation—are key to safely reopening schools.

August 20: Restorative circles, online wellness rooms and grief training: How schools are preparing for the coronavirus mental health crisis (Washington Post)

School leaders across the country are preparing for mental health problems among students related to the coronavirus pandemic and racial injustice issues. Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology, said that most children won’t experience trauma from the year’s events, because children tend to be more resilient than adults.

August 20: Mass. to provide rapid mobile coronavirus testing this fall to school districts that need it (Boston Globe)

William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said he approves of a Massachusetts plan to send a rapid-testing mobile unit to schools with suspected clusters of coronavirus cases. He cautioned that the unit may have to return to schools within days to retest students who test negative, because the virus’ presence changes over time. He also suggested that schools consider using pooled testing, which could involve testing the saliva of groups of children to see if any are infected.

August 20: Why Businesses Must Help Build Trust in a Covid-19 Vaccine (Harvard Business Review)

It will be impossible to achieve the level of herd immunity needed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic unless enough people accept a vaccine, according to this op-ed co-authored by Ariadne Labs’ Rebecca Weintraub, associate faculty member, and Julie Rosenberg, assistant director of project management, Better Evidence. The authors urged businesses to join efforts to dispel fear, mistrust, misinformation, and disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.

August 20: The Heat: U.S. politics and COVID-19 in Latin America (CGTN)

Marcia Castro, Andelot Professor of Demography and chair of the Department of Global Health and Population, discussed the coronavirus in Latin America as a panelist on “The Heat.”

August 20: The Vaccine Race Has Become A High-Stakes Geopolitical Gamble (HuffPost)

Rebecca Weintraub, associate faculty member at Ariadne Labs, quoted

August 20: 1 In 5 U.S. Nursing Homes Suffer From PPE And Staff Shortages Amid Coronavirus Surge, Study Finds (Forbes)

From May to July 2020, roughly 20% of nursing homes in the U.S. faced a severe shortage of personal protective equipment as well as staff shortages, according to a new study in Health Affairs co-authored by Michael Barnett, assistant professor of health policy and management.

August 20: School reopenings with COVID-19 offer preview of chaotic fall (The Hill)

In some newly reopened school districts across the U.S., thousands of students and teachers are already in quarantine because of coronavirus outbreaks. Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, recommended that if cases appear isolated to one cluster in a classroom, the rest of a school could probably remain open, but if there are multiple clusters, a school may need to consider shutting down.

August 20: What if We Worried Less About the Accuracy of Coronavirus Tests? (New York Times)

Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, quoted

August 20: 7 Sure Signs You’ve Already Had Coronavirus (Yahoo! Lifestyle )

Telltale signs of having had COVID-19 include long-lasting fatigue or brain fog, a dry cough that won’t go away, and loss of smell or taste that lingers. Other typical COVID-19 symptom include rashes—either raised skin bumps and inflammation on fingers and toes, according to Andrew Chan, professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases. Chan leads the COVID Symptom Study, which uses an app to crowdsource symptoms.

August 20: Is Crisis Fatigue Leading Us to Avoid the News? (The Swaddle)

Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology, quoted

August 20: What the CDC’s Guidelines for Polling Places Are Missing (Politico)

In this op-ed, co-author William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, wrote that keeping polling booths six feet apart, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, may not be necessary to protect public health and could dramatically decrease capacity for in-person voting.

August 19: It Will Take Years for People of Color to Recover From the Covid-19 Fallout (GEN)

People of color are suffering disproportionate health and economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, spurred by deep social and racial inequities, according to experts. They say the pandemic should be a wake-up call to address these structural issues. Said Dean Michelle Williams, “For generations, communities of color have faced vast disparities in education, in job opportunities, in income, in inherited family wealth, and in health care. The Covid-19 crisis has laid bare these issues.”

August 19: “No simple answer” (Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University)

Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science, was a guest speaker at a talk titled “COVID State of Play” that covered COVID-19 testing, school reopenings, and ventilation.

August 19: Experts say some classrooms may need an air purifier — and offer advice on sizing (Boston Globe)

A new downloadable calculator developed by experts at the Healthy Buildings program can help determine how powerful an air purifier is needed to help keep classrooms safe from the coronavirus. Memo Cedeno Laurent, associate director of the program and one of the creators of the calculator, and Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science and director of the program, were quoted.

August 19: UConn students evicted from dorms for holding pandemic party as schools grapple with COVID-19 crisis (NBC News)

Coronavirus outbreaks have occurred at a number of U.S. universities. Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, said that universities will have to adapt. “These clusters in the openings days of reopening make any sustained in-person learning much less likely for the upcoming fall,” he said.

August 19: Universities Move Classes Online to Prevent Campus Coronavirus Spread (Wall Street Journal)

Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, quoted

August 19: Pa. launches voluntary coronavirus tracing app (Washington Times)

A free app launched in Pennsylvania alerts users if they’ve been near someone infected with the coronavirus. The app is aimed at supporting traditional contact-tracing efforts in the state. Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, said apps can be useful in disrupting transmission but can’t replace “the really hard work” of trained personnel who trace infections and advise people what to do if they may have been infected.

August 19: Positive COVID-19 tests hit record low in New York City (The Hill)

New York City has a record-low positivity rate for the coronavirus—.24 percent—suggesting that the city is testing enough people and that the virus is under control there. “New York is like the South Korea of our country, where the test positive rates are low, the number of cases are low enough where you can snuff out the embers before they turn into wildfires,” said Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management.

August 19: How the Pandemic Is Reshaping India (TIME)

India is struggling under mounting coronavirus cases, a shrinking economy, and political repression. As of mid-August, the country had recorded more than 2.7 million cases of COVID-19, putting it third in the world, behind only the U.S. and Brazil. Said Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, “I fully expect that at some point, unless things really change course, India will have more cases than any other place in the world.”

August 19: ‘It just feels surreal’: Military posted at checkpoints as Australian state extends COVID-19 lockdown (NBC News)

Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, quoted

August 19: When Can Schools Safely Reopen? The Answer Is Part Science, Part Guesswork. (FiveThirtyEight)

In deciding whether or not to reopen schools, many U.S. communities are relying on a metric called the “positivity rate”—the rate of COVID-19 tests that come back with a positive result—as a proxy for how much virus is spreading in the community. Different jurisdictions have using different positivity rates as benchmarks. “The test positive rate is sort of just common sense,” said Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management. “It’s not like there’s a magic level for it …. Three percent is better than 5 percent, which is better than 10 percent.” Guidelines published by Tsai and colleagues at the Harvard Global Health Institute recommend that community positivity rates be below 3 percent before schools reopen.

August 18: In The Midst Of The Pandemic, Loneliness Has Leveled Out (Scientific American)

Although some social scientists worried that loneliness would worsen during the coronavirus pandemic, studies suggest it has actually eased, wrote Kasley Killam, MPH ’20, in this article. She thinks we’ve avoided a social fallout by becoming more aware and appreciative of relationships, volunteering (which can confer a sense of belonging), and using technology to stay connected with others.

August 18: Harvard doctor cautions on how we get to herd immunity (Boston 25 News)

Herd immunity—when enough of the population is immune to a disease so that it can’t keep spreading—can be achieved either by people being vaccinated or by developing antibodies after being infected. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said that achieving coronavirus herd immunity via the latter path could have dire consequences. “If we can get to herd immunity with a vaccine that is a good thing,” he said. “If we get there without one the cost is hundreds of thousands of people dead, many more than we have now.”

August 18: Rapid tests for the coronavirus may be what we need to fight the pandemic (The Hill)

Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, quoted

August 18: How schools can reopen safely during the pandemic (Nature)

Face masks, small class sizes, hygiene measures, and, especially, low community transmission of the coronavirus are key to opening schools safely during the pandemic, say experts. Senior research scientist Edward Goldstein was quoted.

August 18: Quest Diagnostics says it cut coronavirus testing turnaround to one to two days, but warns it could slip (CNBC)

Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, quoted

August 17: Scientists worried the pandemic would cause malaria deaths to soar. So far, it hasn’t happened (Science)

Although malaria deaths have not yet increased during the coronavirus pandemic, some experts worry it could happen if there are problems distributing mosquito-fighting bed nets, or if patients can’t get to clinics for malaria treatment. “What I really worry about is a child who won’t be treated and deaths will go uncounted,” said Regina Rabinovich, ExxonMobil Malaria Scholar in Residence.

August 17: Is It Safe Again to Take the Bus or Subway? (WebMD)

Transit agencies have developed numerous safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic, such as disinfection and deep cleaning subways and buses, mandating face masks for workers and riders, and ensuring proper ventilation. Both Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science, and William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, cautioned that, even with safety measures, overcrowding could increase the risk of transmission.

August 17: Museum of Science Launches COVID-19 AI Experience (AP)

A new interactive exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Science features a “virtual” Ashish Jha answering questions about COVID-19. The exhibit allows people both on-site and remotely to ask a digital image of Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, a multitude of questions. The answers are based on Jha’s responses to more than 550 COVID-19-related questions.

August 17: What if ‘Herd Immunity’ Is Closer Than Scientists Thought? (New York Times)

Scientists have estimated that roughly 70% of a given population must be immune to the coronavirus for that population to achieve herd immunity—the point at which the virus would no longer spread because there are not enough vulnerable people left for it to infect. Some researchers think the threshold could be lower, in the 50% range. “I’m quite prepared to believe that there are pockets in New York City and London which have substantial immunity,” said William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, added that vaccinating those most likely to be exposed could be a valuable strategy toward building herd immunity.

August 17: COVID-19 spikes in South Africa, Melbourne offer America clues ahead of winter 2020 (NBC News)

A study by co-authored by research fellow Stephen Kissler, Christine Tedijanto, a PhD student in the Population Health Sciences Program, and colleagues in Harvard Chan School’s Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics was cited in this opinion piece.

August 17: Why Europe is vulnerable to second wave of COVID-19 (Arab News)

Sarah Fortune, John LaPorte Given Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases and chair of the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, quoted

August 17: What This Epidemiologist Wants Americans to Know About Covid-19 Right Now (Medium)

Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, was quoted on a range of issues regarding the coronavirus, including the fact that it will continue to spread as long as people are susceptible and that masks are an important way to slow the spread.

August 17: New York Has Tamed the Virus. Can It Hold Off a Second Wave? (New York Times )

Even though coronavirus cases have reached a very low rate in New York, experts are worried that the virus will resurge. Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, was quoted.

August 16: U.S. companies urged to appoint Covid-19 experts to boards (Financial Times)

Public health professionals should be on the boards and in the top executive ranks of companies to help manage the ongoing coronavirus threat, according to Dean Michelle Williams.

August 16: 6 public-health experts offer a coronavirus agenda for Biden and Harris’ first day in office, should they win (Business Insider)

Six public health experts offered advice for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on how they should fight the coronavirus pandemic on day one if they win the election. Their suggestions included: Restore the authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, institute daily press briefings, mandate mask-wearing for everyone, and ramp up testing. Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, was quoted.

August 15: Summer was always a heat and health risk for UPS workers. Then came COVID-19. (NBC News)

UPS workers say it’s been a struggle maintaining COVID-19 safety precautions—such as wearing masks inside stifling un-air-conditioned delivery trucks—during the summer. “The challenge is compounded now that you have a pandemic risk on top of the heat risk in the summer,” said Aaron Bernstein, interim director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE). “We have to make sure, especially now that so much is dependent on package delivery, that those workers are protected—both from heat and infection.”

August 15: ‘No way to spin that,’ Romney says of U.S. coronavirus deaths, blaming Trump administration (Washington Post)

As of August 14, the U.S. was administering roughly 750,000 coronavirus tests per day, but Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said that millions are needed get a handle on the pandemic.

August 14: Older Children and the Coronavirus: A New Wrinkle in the Debate (New York Times)

Although a recent study from South Korea suggested that children aged 10-19 spread the coronavirus more frequently than adults, new research is questioning that conclusion. But experts say the overall message of the study—that children under age 10 don’t spread the virus as much as adults, and that the ability to transmit appears to increase with age—has not been negated. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said that all available evidence so far suggests that older children, particularly those closest to adulthood, spread the virus as much as adults.

August 14: What’s slowing Miami’s COVID spread? Partial ‘herd immunity’ may play a part (Miami Herald)

It’s possible that some level of herd immunity is helping slow the spread of the coronavirus in Miami. But experts say that partial herd immunity is not enough to end the pandemic. Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, said that even though cases are declining in South Florida, control measures are still important. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, was also quoted.

August 14: It’s deadline day for Massachusetts school districts to submit reopening plans (WCVB)

William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, quoted

August 14: How will COVID-19 affect the coming flu season? Scientists struggle for clues (Science)

Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, quoted

August 14: ‘Pandemic Pods’ popping up to teach children as more school districts opt for remote learning (WHDH)

William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, quoted

August 14: The Plan That Could Give Us Our Lives Back (The Atlantic)

This article discusses why U.S. coronavirus testing has been so problematic and reviews various types of testing—including inexpensive and rapid antigen tests that people could take at home on a regular basis. Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology, who has been urging the U.S. to begin mass producing these rapid tests, is quoted extensively.

August 14: The Acceleration of Science (Harvard Political Review)

Scientific articles about the coronavirus have proliferated in recent months. But in the rush to share vital information, some flawed findings have been published, particularly in non-peer-reviewed preprint servers. Robert Blendon, Richard L. Menschel Professor of Public Health and Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis, Emeritus, is worried that these errors will cause people to lose trust in science. “I want to be careful that there is not some tipping point where people get so cynical about what’s going on that they won’t believe anything,” he said.

August 14: Is it safe? And three other questions to ask before you go back to the office (World Economic Forum)

Before returning to work in office buildings, employees should consider why and how they’re being asked to return, how they feel about having their health tracked daily, how healthy their building is, and how they can protect others. Healthy buildings expert Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science, assistant professor of exposure assessment science, was quoted.

August 14: Chronic Stress Is an Underestimated Pandemic Risk Factor (Elemental)

Americans who bear the most chronic stress—mostly people of color—are at particularly high risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, say experts. Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology, said she is especially concerned that people of color, disproportionately affected by grief over losing loved ones, will face long-term effects such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and increased alcohol use.

August 14: ‘Hybrid’ school plans sound safe, but they’re the riskiest option we have (Washington Post)

In this op-ed, William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, explains why hybrid school plans are risky. If parents need child care on their kids’ remote learning days, they might seek the help of another family member, a nanny, or they might join with other families so that their kids can learn remotely together, with parents taking turns supervising. “What all of these have in common is that they introduce additional contacts beside the ones that happen in school or in the families on their own,” Hanage said. “Hybrid school plans make it easier for the virus to transmit into schools, simply by producing more links between schools and families along which the virus can travel.”

August 14: Coronavirus antibodies disappear in months. Is that a cause for concern? (Japan Times)

Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health, quoted

August 14: Is Your Child’s School Ready to Reopen? (New York Times)

This article uses guidelines from the Harvard Global Health Institute in an analysis suggesting which school districts across the U.S. can safely reopen. Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, is quoted.

August 14: Warp Speed COVID-19 Clinical Trials Boost Future Vaccine Development (Pharma News Intelligence)

Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health, quoted

August 13: Could the same measures meant to slow the spread of coronavirus also make the upcoming flu season a mild one? (KNX1070 Radio)

Social distancing measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus could also help reduce flu transmission, said Caroline Buckee, associate professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, in this radio interview. But she said people should still be sure to get a flu shot.

August 13: Massachusetts data fuels more concerns about use of rapid COVID-19 testing (WCVB)

Many people are taking rapid antigen tests for COVID-19. But Massachusetts data shows that 98% of the more than 62,000 antigen tests conducted in the state came up negative for COVID-19. Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, stressed that the test is not for people who are asymptomatic or expecting a negative result, noting that the rate of false negatives from antigen tests can be 50% or more. “If you’re feeling fine, if you have no symptoms and you get a negative test, that does not mean you’re not infected, and it is not meant and should not be seen as a clean bill of health,” he said. He noted that the tests are most helpful when conducted on a regular basis on the same people, in places like nursing homes or schools.

August 13: CDC director says we could have ‘worst fall’ in US public health history (WINK News)

Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, quoted

August 13: ‘Balance of Power’ (Bloomberg News)

Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, was a guest on the show “Balance of Power.”

August 13: ‘We need more testing in Massachusetts’: Ashish Jha shares what he would do if he were Charlie Baker (Boston.com)

Although Massachusetts’ testing capacity for COVID-19 is better than in most other states, it still needs to improve, said Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute.

August 13: This physician has battled epidemics, quakes, and poverty in Haiti. Now, she’s taking on COVID-19 (Science)

Barry Bloom, Joan L. and Julius H. Jacobson Research Professor of Public Health, quoted

August 13: Some Mass. schools are pursuing hybrid schooling. The plan could be a public health disaster (Boston Globe)

Some infectious disease experts are speaking out against hybrid schooling, in which children would learn through a combination of in-school and at-home learning. They say that alternating schedules could expose children to more people and thus increase the risk of coronavirus transmission. Hybrid schooling “sounds initially like a good idea, but like all things with this virus, you have to think really critically about it,” said William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology. “When you start to do that, you realize that hybrid schooling actually produces more networks by which the virus can spread.”

August 13: What Wolves Can Teach Us About Covid and the Economy (Wall Street Journal)

Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for C