Coronavirus | Penn Today

Understanding and addressing barriers to COVID vaccine acceptance

Different communities have different reasons for wanting to wait on this shot. Getting to the heart of those concerns can help meet people where they are.

Amid record pandemic travel, what’s safe? And the debate over vaccine passports

PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel spoke about so-called “vaccine passports” and privacy. “In public health there’s a principle that you should use the least restrictive method necessary,” he said. “This allows us to say, ‘Those people who’ve gotten vaccinated, you don’t have to adhere to certain restrictions because you are now immune.’”

Selfie of David Roos in front of two desktop computer monitors and a laptop.

David S. Roos on the future of COVID-19

The E. Otis Kendall Professor of Biology and infectious disease specialist discusses the virus, its variants, and vaccines in a Q&A.

The power of architecture to address public health and environmental crises

Two new studies, one on UV sterilization in occupied rooms and another on radiative cooling, show how architecture can help create interior spaces that are both COVID-safe and energy-efficient.

Newton’s cradle where one end swinging ball is a covid virus cell and the other is a content happy face.

Anxiety in a post-COVID world

A return to the next normal post-pandemic may trigger anxiety for people anticipating a more public-facing life after a year of isolation.

Employees could be heading back to the office sooner than they think

Peter Cappelli of the Wharton School spoke about the shift to remote work, which he views as an impermanent arrangement. “My bet is, within a year, things will retreat back to normal,” he said. “It’s hard to change workplace behavior.”

The next stage of the vaccine drive: Persuading the hesitant

Alison Buttenheim of the School of Nursing spoke about how COVID-19 vaccine discourse may evolve during the next few months. While the public conversation is currently focused on vaccine scarcity, “pretty soon, I would say in four to six weeks, it’s going to be about finding people and persuading people,” she said.

As nation speeds to vaccinate all, Maryland’s path shows challenges ahead

Alison Buttenheim of the School of Nursing spoke about what will be necessary for states to meet President Biden’s vaccination goals. “It really is going to be the start of much more surveillance and analysis being needed to make sure that this was both a fast and a fair rollout of the largest vaccination campaign in human history,” she said.

Mysterious ailment, mysterious relief: Vaccines help some COVID long-haulers

John Wherry of the Perelman School of Medicine weighed in on reports that COVID-19 vaccines have alleviated symptoms in patients with long COVID. "Right now, we have anecdotes. We'd love it to be true. Let's wait for some real data," says Wherry.

Vaccines are about to become a free-for-all. Here’s how to ensure it’s done equitably

Harald Schmidt of the Perelman School of Medicine co-authored an op-ed calling for equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution. “Three things are central: prioritizing more vulnerable communities; conveying that doing so is good for both public health and equity; and making clear that equity is not the enemy of efficiency,” Schmidt and his co-authors wrote.

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