News from

Public Health

Reset All Filters
901 Results
Philadelphia home repair grants linked to decreased neighborhood crime, Penn study finds

Philadelphia home repair grants linked to decreased neighborhood crime, Penn study finds

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, School of Arts & Sciences, and Stuart Weitzman School of Design found that the crime rate on a given block was reduced by nearly 22% when the city of Philadelphia funded repairs for even a single house. “The social fabric of a neighborhood is very connected to the physical environment,” said the medical school’s Eugenia South.

Public trust in CDC, FDA, and Fauci holds steady, survey shows
Anthony Fauci speaking at a podium with an American flag in the background.

NIAID Director Anthony Fauci. Image: NIAID

Public trust in CDC, FDA, and Fauci holds steady, survey shows

The top U.S. health agencies retain the trust of the vast majority of the American public, as does Anthony Fauci, the public face of U.S. efforts to combat the virus, according to a new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

From the Annenberg Public Policy Center

Conservative media diets tied to distrust in health officials

Conservative media diets tied to distrust in health officials

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center spoke about the politicization of public health information on COVID-19 in the U.S. "When you begin to reduce trust in experts and agencies telling you that vaccines are safe, you're creating all kinds of susceptibilities that can be exploited for partisan gain," she said.

Community concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine tracked by Twitter
Six maps of the US highlighting Twitter keywords reflected in a word map.

COVID-19 Vaccine Topics Vary Across Eight ACP Communities. Adapted from Guntuku et al., Vaccine, 2021. (Image: Penn LDI)

Community concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine tracked by Twitter

A study of vaccine-related Twitter posts reveals significant differences in concerns people have when broken down by age, race, population density, and religious beliefs.

From Penn LDI

The long view on COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy
covid-19 virus

A creative rendition of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, not to scale. As of mid-July, the virus has sickened more than 186 million people worldwide and more than 4 million people have died from it, according to the World Health Organization. Globally, more than 3.3 billion vaccine doses have been administered. (Homepage image: NIAID)

The long view on COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy

Penn researchers weigh in on the regulatory and scientific efforts to track COVID-19 vaccines.

Katherine Unger Baillie , Michele W. Berger

Vaccine conversations go door-to-door
Yuhnis Syndor stands on the steps holding a clipboard and wearing a mask, speaking to Cristal LaTorre on their front porch with two children.

Canvasser Yuhnis Syndor, 57, speaks to Cristal LaTorre, 35, about the vaccine in West Philadelphia, PA, on May 20, 2021. (Image: Penn Medicine Service in Action)

Vaccine conversations go door-to-door

Canvasser with the West Philadelphia Vaccine Street Team Pilot Program go door to door to dispel misinformation and show their neighbors that vaccination is safe, by example.

From Penn Medicine Service in Action

Pandemic preparedness, three years early
Students work at a table covered with paper, water bottles and markers.

Participants in the first PennDemic, which took place in 2018, lay out a timeline of the “outbreak.” Two additional simulations have since taken place, with one more scheduled for this coming fall.

  • Q&A

    • Pandemic preparedness, three years early

    In a Q&A, team members behind the outbreak simulation PennDemic discuss how the exercise, now in its fourth iteration, equipped an interdisciplinary group of grad students for COVID-19 and beyond.

    Michele W. Berger

    The number of Philly high school students who are homeless may be four times higher than what’s been reported

    The number of Philly high school students who are homeless may be four times higher than what’s been reported

    Dan Treglia of the School of Social Policy & Practice co-authored a report about homelessness among high school students. The survey corrects for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s tally of those living in shelters and on the street, which Treglia says misses homeless high schoolers who are staying with friends.

    What to expect as Penn transitions to a fully in-person fall semester
    two people wearing masks walk down penn commons

    As Penn looks forward to a fully in-person campus experience for the fall semester, this summer will be a period of transition as faculty, staff, postdocs, and students navigate evolving public health measures while returning to campus in a way that helps keep the community safe.

    What to expect as Penn transitions to a fully in-person fall semester

    Penn Today looks at guidelines for those on campus this summer, what members of the community can expect as they return to campus, and the role that vaccines have in safely resuming in-person activities.

    Erica K. Brockmeier