COVID-19 Research News

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:

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

The HERO registry, which can be joined at HeroesResearch.org, will enroll thousands of healthcare workers to answer crucial questions about the impact of novel coronavirus on their lives.

The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI)-led Healthcare Worker Exposure Response & Outcomes (HERO) Registry launched today, inviting U.S. healthcare workers to share clinical and life experiences in order to understand the perspectives and problems faced by those on the COVID-19 pandemic front lines.