Coronavirus Research

Two medical professionals in full PPE intubate a patient on a hospital bed.

Researchers begin forming guidance on properly managing COVID-19 patient airways

As the pandemic continues and knowledge about it evolves, a team of researchers has worked to form a consensus on topics including intubation, high-flow nasal oxygen, and the use of personal protective equipment.

Years of research laid groundwork for speedy COVID-19 shots

Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about using mRNA to develop efficient vaccines. “Instead of growing up a virus in a 50,000-liter drum and inactivating it, we could deliver RNA and our bodies make the protein, which starts the immune response,” he said.

Heart rate being monitored on cardiogram in a hospital room.

COVID-19 patients survive in-hospital cardiac arrest at pre-pandemic rates

Resuscitation and survival rates are much higher than earlier reports of near-zero, and variation at the individual hospital level may have affected overall numbers.

Illustration of a T cell releasing signaling molecules, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13

Charting a path forward with unifying definition of cytokine storm

Penn Medicine researchers have developed a unifying definition of “cytokine storm” to provide a framework to assess and treat patients whose immune systems have gone rogue.

The COVID-19 symptoms to watch out for

Richard Doty of the Perelman School of Medicine said one COVID-19 symptom is a distorted sense of smell or taste. “Even water can become unpleasant,” he said.

Masking and vaxxing for the public good

Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication joined a conversation about how to promote healthy behaviors amid the pandemic.

a cartoon of four researchers one with a notebook, one looking through a microscope, one injecting liquid into a test tube, and one looking at two flasks

Translating groundbreaking scientific discoveries into practical technologies

Amidst the numerous challenges posed by COVID-19, the Penn Center for Innovation has continued to facilitate impactful innovations created at Penn, fostering partnerships and helping to realize new products and businesses.

Can dogs smell COVID? Here’s what the science says

Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine spoke about training dogs to identify COVID-19 infections by scent. “The dogs can do it. The challenge is the ignorance that we have as humans as to what can confuse the dogs,” she says.

Uniting against an invisible foe

All across the University, researchers have launched new areas of study, reaching across disciplinary boundaries to make stunning progress in combating COVID-19.

At-home health tests are booming amid coronavirus. Experts warn about their safety

Perelman School of Medicine researchers, led by Louiza Kalokairinou, studied the pros and cons of at-home COVID-19 testing and found an increased risk of consumers misinterpreting test results.

Filters