Health Sciences

Illustration of a T cell releasing signaling molecules, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13

Navigating cytokine storms

Pairing their expertise, Nilam Mangalmurti of the Perelman School of Medicine and Christopher Hunter of the School of Veterinary Medicine have been working to understand the protective and harmful aspects of the immune response, including in COVID-19.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・

close-up image of bat on a tree trunk; three bare trees are in the right background

Bats and COVID

A new study from Penn Vet's New Bolton Center tests the guano of North American bats currently in Pennsylvania wildlife rehabilitation centers for the presence of COVID-19.

Kristina García ・

On the left side of the screen, fireworks in the night sky, on the right, two military members in combat gear in front of an explosive device.

The overlooked effects of fireworks

For veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder, fireworks and loud pyrotechnics can add stress and trigger physical reactions, as they mimic the stimuli of combat.

From Penn Medicine News ・

Elderly person lying alone in hospital bed.

Social distancing and dying alone

COVID-19 has led to drastic changes in how hospitals provide end-of-life care to patients and their families. With strict no-visiting limitations in place in an effort to stem contagion, patients have been dying alone.

By Penn Nursing News ・



In the News


The New York Times

Who gets a vaccine first? U.S. considers race in coronavirus plans

Harald Schmidt of the Perelman School of Medicine said courts would likely strike down any vaccine prioritization model based on race and ethnicity, proposing instead an approach that considers socioeconomic status. “It’s imperative that we pay attention to how COVID has impacted the health of minorities differently; otherwise it compounds the inequalities we’ve seen,” he said.

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Axios

Fighting the coronavirus infodemic

Alison Buttenheim of the School of Nursing spoke about the spread of misinformation online. "In our hyper-polarized and politicized climate, many folks just inherently mistrust advice or evidence that comes from an opposing political party," she said.

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BBC News

Coronavirus: Wear masks in crowded public spaces, says science body

Paul Edelstein of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the effectiveness of face masks in preventing the spread of COVID-19. "There are people without symptoms going about their daily business who are unknowingly breathing out droplets that are carrying the virus," he said. "If they had their faces covered the majority of those droplets would be caught before they can infect other people. Wearing face coverings can help save lives and prevent disabling illnesses."

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NBC News

How blood type may affect your coronavirus risk

Lewis Kaplan of the Perelman School of Medicine said people with a lower risk of contracting COVID-19 according to their blood type shouldn’t get overly confident. "It might mean they have less risk, but if you engage in risky behavior, we don't know just how much risk you need to incur to overwhelm whatever potential protection you might have," he said. "We have no clue."

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The New York Times

The wilderness of rare genetic diseases and the parents navigating it

Jim Wilson of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about his research at Penn’s Orphan Disease Center. “When I was practicing clinical genetics, it was limited to diagnosis and prognosis,” he said. “Now, in a limited number of diseases, there are potential treatments, if not cures.”

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