Coronavirus | Penn Today

How nurses can be at the forefront of battling pandemic misinformation

A study from the School of Nursing concluded that nurses can play a major role in helping patients navigate information and misinformation about the pandemic. “We have to craft our messages, and then we, as individuals, need to also have some level of health and science literacy, and I think we can help in garnering that as well,” Dean Antonia Villarruel said.

Should you still wear a mask?

David Rubin of the Perelman School of Medicine said most children have a lower risk of serious illness than adults when it comes to COVID-19.

A movie marquee with the words "1. Elbow Bumps 2. Foot Shakes 3. Just Wave!"

Perceptions shaped social behavior during the pandemic

Research from Penn psychologists found that Americans who most feared losing their connections continued interacting with others, paradoxically acting in ways that risked prolonging disease-mitigating social restrictions.

9,000 Pennsylvanians died in the omicron surge: ‘One of the most deadly waves we’ve seen’

P.J. Brennan of the University of Pennsylvania Health System said COVID-19 related hospitalizations have fallen more than 80%: “We continue to see a steady and encouraging decline in patients with COVID seeking care.”

Opinion: Why the FDA was wrong to delay authorization of vaccines for kids under 5

Emily Largent of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues from Stanford University and the University of Denver denounced the FDA’s decisions to delay authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children younger than 5. “Waiting for third-dose results before opening access will inevitably lead to thousands more children being infected with the coronavirus without the protection of a vaccine,” they wrote.

The politics of getting to the next phase of the coronavirus pandemic

PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel said lifting indoor mask mandates is premature and that the public needs clearer guidance on when it will be possible to return to normal.

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Combating health misinformation

A new article from Penn Nursing explains how unreliable and false health information accelerated during the pandemic, and how social media platforms amplified the problem.

Vaccine scientists have been chasing variants. Now, they’re seeking a universal coronavirus vaccine

Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine said the trouble with adapting COVID-19 vaccines to new variants is that the virus is continually mutating. “They’re going to pop up until the world is vaccinated,” he said.

Hyperbaric treatment, carbon monoxide poisoning spiked amid COVID-19

Penn Hyperbaric Medicine donated carbon monoxide detectors to patients who come in contact with carbon monoxide poisoning but don’t have a detector, and to families in transitional housing.

Dean Andrew Hoffman at New Bolton Center campus

Q&A

A veterinarian’s take on vaccine hesitancy

In a conversation with Penn Today, School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Andrew Hoffman shares his perspective on the important role veterinarians can play in supporting underserved communities.

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