Coronavirus | Penn Today

Face of high school student wrapped in a paper face covering mask with sensors attached that are glowing green.

High school students lead ‘Maskathon’ during remote summer program

A virtual Maskathon showcased high school students’ problem solving, product development, and creativity with their tech-integrated face masks.

small child receiving a vaccine shot in the upper arm.

Countering anti-vaccination influences from social media—with conversation

A new study explores to what extent social media messages effect vaccination behavior, and finds individuals exposed to negative online discussions about flu vaccines makes them less likely to get a flu shot.

When will long-term care facilities reopen to visitors?

Jason Karlawish of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the effect of social-distancing requirements on long-term-care facilities. “It’s not just COVID that’s killing residents in long-term care,” he said. “It’s the isolation, the loneliness.”

Chicago restaurants struggle to stanch losses as they hold out for insurance coverage. ‘We’re just hoping it’s not too little too late.'

Tom Baker of the Law School said more than 1,000 lawsuits pertaining to business-interruption insurance have been filed since the pandemic began.

What does the COVID-19 summer surge mean for your cats and dogs?

Shelley Rankin of the School of Veterinary Medicine spoke about pets and COVID-19 transmission. “If you are not taking precautions … you are putting both yourself and your animal at risk,” she said. “If you are a responsible pet owner, then it is probably safe to say that your animal’s risk [of infection] is lower than yours.”

These COVID-19 vaccine candidates could change the way we make vaccines—if they work

Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine said mRNA-based vaccines can be quickly developed and easily administered. “All modified RNA vaccines for COVID are given intramuscularly, just like old-fashioned flu shots,” he said.

Defense Department should avoid a rush to vaccinate

PIK Professor Jonathan Moreno and CERL board member Stephen N. Xenakis argued that the Department of Defense should be cautious in its approach to vaccinating military personnel for COVID-19. “In a politically charged atmosphere, the men and women who wear the uniform should not suspect that they are being used as ‘guinea pigs’ for an unproven vaccine,” they wrote.

Why are COVID-19 cases in kids rising? It's mostly the adults around them

Susan Coffin of the Perelman School of Medicine commented on reports that the U.S has experienced a 90% increase in pediatric COVID-19 infections since early July. “The array of activities that all of us are doing has expanded,” she said.

Person standing outside in front of trees and flowers hiding an iron fence.

Experiencing the pandemic from abroad

When rising junior Julia Mitchell learned in March that France was about to shut down, she decided to immerse herself further in the language rather than come home, quarantining with her homestay family and finishing courses remotely.

How COVID sends some bodies to war with themselves

Nuala Meyer of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the problem of immune-system overreaction in response to coronavirus. “In both sepsis and [acute respiratory distress syndrome], we haven’t made the strides we wish we could have,” she said.

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