Want to avoid another shutdown? Wear a mask, experts advise
Duke doctors brief media on how best to move forward in the pandemic
If you’re in public and see someone wearing a mask, that person is doing it for your benefit.
So return the favor.
That was one of several themes to emerge Thursday from a media briefing featuring two Duke medical scholars with vast expertise in vaccines, immunology and the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19.
Drs. Sallie Permar and Cameron Wolfe took questions for an hour on myriad issues. Here are excerpts:
In pandemic, experts offer ways to help vulnerable Hispanic communities
More resources and health protections are critical to protect Hispanic communities – many filled with essential workers – during the ongoing pandemic, three Duke health experts said Wednesday.
These resources range from simple public health education targeting their communities to paid sick leave, health insurance and the ability to distance while on the job, the health experts said during a question-and-answer panel with media.
Here are excerpts from the conversation:
‘A call to action’: Duke researchers, Durham community leaders confront COVID-19 health disparities in North Carolina
See all talks from Duke researchers and Durham community partners on the forum website.
In North Carolina, Hispanics and Blacks are contracting COVID-19 at disproportionate rates relative to their representation in the population, and Blacks are dying of COVID-19 at higher rates.
Evolution of pandemic coronavirus outlines path from animals to humans
The virus’s ability to change makes it likely that new human coronaviruses will arise
A team of scientists studying the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that has caused the COVID-19 pandemic, found that it was especially well-suited to jump from animals to humans by shapeshifting as it gained the ability to infect human cells.
New SARS-CoV-2 Test From Singapore Can Detect Neutralizing Antibodies In An Hour
Test sees the antibodies that would grant immunity to COVID-19 – if it occurs
Researchers at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore have announced a new blood test for neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and have formed public and private partnerships to begin working toward making the tests clinically available.
Understanding COVID-19 Antibodies is Crucial to Vaccine Development
A trio of researchers at Duke University School of Medicine who have long collaborated to study how the immune system’s antibodies respond to HIV infection are now focusing on the new coronavirus.
COVID-19, the Latinx community, and mental health: An interview with Gabriela Nagy, PhD
Even before the COVID-19 epidemic Latinx immigrants were a vulnerable population. Now, they are among those hardest hit, with a greater likelihood to have jobs that are insecure or increase their likelihood of exposure, and reduced access to health care or accurate information about how to protect themselves.
Medical Education in a Time of COVID-19
The arrival and rapid spread of COVID-19 in mid-March disrupted virtually all normal operations at Duke. Administrators, faculty, students, and staff had to move quickly to revise plans, adapt procedures, move operations, and improvise on the fly.
School of Medicine hosts virtual COVID-19 research day to facilitate quick faculty collaboration during pandemic
More than 700 faculty, staff and students tuned into the Duke University School of Medicine’s first COVID-19 Research Forum, held virtually on Friday, April 17, 2020.
The goal of the event was to highlight important work, share knowledge, discuss opportunities and encourage partnerships and collaboration among researchers.
Why do some people infected with coronavirus fare worse than others? School of Medicine researchers search for answers
When infected with SARS-CoV-2, why do some people—such as smokers and older adults— have extreme respiratory and cardiovascular distress while others have no symptoms at all?
A multi-disciplinary Duke team including a virologist, pulmonologist, and a pediatrician are working to answer this question by studying a surface molecule found on the thin layer of epithelial tissue that lines the lungs, heart and most other organs in the body.