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Coronavirus

Exacerbating the health care divide
Large rendering of the healthcare cross symbol with people standing both on top of and below the symbol against a background featuring the coronavirus germ floating nearby.

Exacerbating the health care divide

With rates of diagnoses and death disproportionately affecting racial minorities and low-income workers, experts from the School of Arts & Sciences address how COVID-19 has further exposed already dire health outcome inequalities.

From Omnia

COVID-19 is devastating communities of color. Can vaccines counter racial inequity?

COVID-19 is devastating communities of color. Can vaccines counter racial inequity?

Harald Schmidt of the Perelman School of Medicine said an approach that reserves doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for the populations hit hardest by the disease is politically savvy. By “baking metrics that grapple with race into the hardware of vaccine distribution decisions,” states avoid the perception of favoritism, he said.

First COVID-19 vaccines arrive at Penn Medicine
A person in scrubs sitting in a chair in an auditorium. A person in darker scrubs stands above, with other people walking and moving in the background.

Eric Young (left), an Emergency Department nurse at Pennsylvania Hospital, after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, Dec. 17. (Image: Dan Burke)

First COVID-19 vaccines arrive at Penn Medicine

By week’s end, the health system expects to receive about 9,275 doses of the Pfizer vaccine for its frontline teams.

From Penn Medicine News

COVID and communities of color: health disparities and vaccine hesitancy

COVID and communities of color: health disparities and vaccine hesitancy

Florence Momplaisir of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about what is being done to address high rates of vaccine hesitancy in Black communities. “I think there was a lot of reluctance due to the fact that people linked the vaccine to the Trump administration, which for the most part was seen as the picture of white supremacy,” she said.

MAGA-world may resist the vaccine, but it still wants Trump to get credit

MAGA-world may resist the vaccine, but it still wants Trump to get credit

Melanie Kornides of the School of Nursing spoke about vaccine hesitancy. “The people that are worried about the vaccine because of side effects will be reassured as they see people get vaccinated and as more data comes out showing that the vaccine is safe,” she said. “But the people that don't believe that a certain political party has their best interests at heart are going to be difficult to convince otherwise.”

Tyson joins growing list of companies hiring chief medical officers amid pandemic

Tyson joins growing list of companies hiring chief medical officers amid pandemic

Peter Cappelli of the Wharton School commented on the hiring of in-house medical professionals by companies. “I think it’s smart. Companies are thinking about bringing more employees back to work. They are concerned about getting sued by employees, so they need credible advice,” he said. “They also want to assure employees—maybe customers in some cases as well—that what they are doing is safe. A chief medical officer looks credible, more so than getting advice from outside consultants.”

COVID-loss case by restaurant is first U.S. test for insurers

COVID-loss case by restaurant is first U.S. test for insurers

Tom Baker of the Law School commented on a lawsuit in which a New Orleans restaurant is suing its insurer for coverage of pandemic-related losses. “This is the first opportunity business owners have to prove the virus can cause physical damage or loss,” he said. “The decision will have an impact on whether other cases can move forward.”

Project Quaker testing program key to a safe campus reopening
a person looking at a robotic pipetting machine on the other side of a glass partition

Project Quaker testing program key to a safe campus reopening

Developed in partnership with Penn Medicine, the program aims to conduct 40,000 COVID-19 tests each week and will support ongoing plans to bring students back to campus this spring.

Erica K. Brockmeier

From preserving mummies to practicing medicine
Charlotte Tisch wearing a white medical coat and stethoscope standing next to a fresco of a mummy.

From preserving mummies to practicing medicine

Physician-in-training Charlotte Tisch draws on her background in archaeological artifacts for her medical training, even reaching out to museums for PPE during the pandemic.

From Penn Medicine News