For the Harvard Chan community: Find the latest updates, guidance, useful information, and resources about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) here.
In the wake of an outbreak of coronavirus that began in China in 2019, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health experts have been speaking to a variety of media outlets and writing articles about the pandemic. We’ll be updating this article on a regular basis. Here’s a selection of stories from September 2021 in which they offer comments and context:
January 28: Wastewater COVID is down 90% from its omicron peak. Experts are still concerned (WBUR)
COVID wastewater concentrations have fallen significantly in the Boston area, but experts note that transmission is still high. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said that he expects cases will decline but numbers might plateau at a high level or even tick back up if people begin to socialize more.
January 27: Yes, Omicron Is Loosening Its Hold. But the Pandemic Has Not Ended. (New York Times)
Immunity gained through vaccination or infection with Omicron is expected to bring us closer to the end of the pandemic, although the journey may be rocky at times, according to experts. Even if the next variant is generally mild, like Omicron, if it’s highly contagious it could still overwhelm the health care system. “When you’ve got something as transmissible as Omicron, you don’t need it to be incredibly severe to really screw things up,” said William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology.
January 26: Hanage and other scientists keep close watch on Omicron subvariant (Harvard Gazette)
William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, and other Harvard experts discussed an Omicron subvariant called BA.2 and the overall pandemic landscape. Hanage noted that increasing COVID-19 immunity—from exposure to past variants, vaccines, and boosters—means that future variants will likely cause less severe disease among “immunologically prepared” people over time.
January 26: Moderna starts trial on omicron-specific Covid booster in adults (NBC News)
William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, quoted.
January 26: A man claims a Boston hospital is denying his heart transplant because he’s unvaccinated. Doctors say it’s not that simple. (Boston.com)
Daniel Wikler, Mary B. Saltonstall Professor of Ethics and Population Health, discussed how hospitals make difficult decisions regarding transplants. “Transplant teams have to make very difficult choices in selecting those who will receive the very scarce organs, and requiring a COVID vaccine is reasonably related to that valid goal,” he said.
January 25: The rise of rapid tests has made diagnosis easier. But it could make Omicron data ‘dodgy in the extreme.’ (Boston Globe)
The use of rapid at-home COVID-19 tests has ballooned along with the Omicron surge, but experts noted that the results from many of those tests go unreported, making it difficult to know the true prevalence of the virus. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, and Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health, were quoted.
January 25: Charts show hospitalizations falling in Mass. as Omicron weakens, but deaths are still rising (Boston Globe)
Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health, noted that rapidly dropping case rates of COVID-19 in Massachusetts are a “great relief.” But he added that “the current level of hospitalizations and deaths remains unacceptable,” and he urged people to get fully vaccinated and boosted.
January 25: What Does ‘Endemic’ Covid Mean? The Experts Don’t Agree (Washington Post)
This opinion piece explored what endemic COVID-19 will be like, and how people are likely to proceed with life amid the ongoing risk. The article cited recommendations from two Harvard Chan School experts—Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program, who has called for healthier buildings to reduce the spread of disease, and William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, who has said that, to prepare for a future with waves and lulls of disease, better surveillance and data is needed.
January 24: Opinion: Biden has failed to defeat covid-19 as promised. Here’s how he must shift his strategy. (Washington Post)
Dean Michelle Williams listed five goals for President Biden as he tackles COVID-19 in the year ahead: Level with the American people, vaccinate the world, protect our health-care workers, value public health, and “prepare, prepare, prepare” for new and potentially more deadly diseases that may emerge.
January 24: New Studies Attribute Omicron’s Rapid Spread to Variant’s Immune Evasion Ability (Weather.com)
Yonatan Grad, Melvin J. and Geraldine L. Glimcher Associate Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, quoted.
January 22: Omicron could be peaking in the US — but experts urge caution (The Hill)
Amid what appears to be a possible national peak in Omicron cases, the Biden administration has been rolling out measures such as free N95 masks and a website to order free rapid tests. But the tools aren’t likely to be widely available until the worst of the wave has passed. “There’s a metaphor here which involves horses and stable doors,” said William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology. “It should have been done way in the past.”
January 20: Why Covid-19 is always one step ahead of the US response (Vox)
Experts say the main factors in the U.S. government’s slow response to Omicron was an over-reliance on vaccines, a failure to develop contingency plans, and a lack of expert consensus on appropriate public health interventions. Justin Feldman, research associate at the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center of Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, and William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, were quoted.
January 20: COVID-19 cases have peaked in Massachusetts (Boston Globe)
With new COVID-19 cases dropping swiftly in Massachusetts, experts are cautiously optimistic that the state is headed toward a respite. Stephen Kissler, research fellow in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, said he expects cases will continue to drop and is “cautiously optimistic” that, by summer, the acute phase of the pandemic will end and the disease will become endemic. He said he envisions a time when COVID-19 spread will be more predictable, perhaps requiring the resumption of precautionary measures every winter. “One of the things that won’t go away is some degree of masking during the winter months,” he said.
January 20: Omicron optimism and shift from pandemic to endemic (Harvard Gazette)
Some experts are expressing cautious optimism as Omicron peaks in some U.S. states, and they envision a transition from pandemic to endemic. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, cautioned that an “endemic” can still cause many deaths, and said he remains wary of future surges and variants.
January 20: Omicron is “the fastest-spreading virus known to humankind.” (PolitiFact)
While measles is the most contagious virus on the planet, Omicron spreads more quickly, according to experts. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, explained the science behind transmission.
January 20: Analysis-How Omicron highlights fading hope of herd immunity from COVID (Reuters)
Omicron’s ability to infect people who were vaccinated for COVID-19 or who had a prior infection makes the possibility of herd immunity against the virus unlikely, according to experts. Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard Chan School, and science director of the CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, said that two factors have undermined vaccines’ ability to protect against SARS-CoV-2: one, that immunity to infection wanes quickly from the current vaccines, and two, that the virus can mutate quickly enough to evade immunity, even if it hasn’t waned.
January 20: Why do more men die of COVID? It’s likely not what you think (Harvard Gazette)
Social factors appear to play a greater role than biological differences in the fact that men die of COVID at a higher rate than women, according to new research from Harvard’s GenderSci Lab. Factors at play include timing of surges, state health policies, gender-associated health behaviors, race, income level, and occupation, according to the study. “Without considering [social and contextual] factors, you’re missing part of the picture of why people might be getting exposed or getting a more severe case,” said Tamara Rushovich, a Harvard Chan graduate student and GenderSci Lab researcher.
January 19: Opinion: 5 steps we must take to vaccinate the world’s vulnerable—and end the pandemic (NPR)
In this opinion piece, two Harvard Chan School students, Edward Cliff and Isaac Chan, and Salmaan Keshavjee, a Harvard Medical School professor, wrote about what it will take to end the pandemic. They recommending producing billions more vaccines; funding “last mile” delivery that ensures vaccines make it through the final steps in the supply chain; setting bold vaccination goals; building more trust in vaccines; and ensuring that vaccines benefit people, not just companies.
January 19: How does Omicron spread so fast? A high viral load isn’t the answer (Nature)
Preliminary research from Yonatan Grad, Melvin J. and Geraldine L. Glimcher Associate Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, suggests that Omicron’s high level of transmissibility isn’t because it causes high viral load, but because it’s able to evade immunity either from vaccination or prior infection.
January 19: Epidemiologists warn impacts of omicron could linger ‘if you declare victory too quickly’ (WBUR)
Even though Omicron cases are quickly declining in Massachusetts, experts say we shouldn’t relax precautions until hospitals are less overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. But soon, Omicron-related disruptions in schools, hospitals, and in the airline industry are likely to start subsiding, according to William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology.
January 19: After Omicron, This Pandemic Will Be Different (New York Times)
In this opinion piece, William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, wrote that Omicron’s extraordinary spread is generating immunity quickly, which could help make COVID-19 a more manageable illness. Although the pandemic will continue for now, “we should be confident that future surges of infections, whether with Omicron or whatever variant comes next, will make fewer of us seriously ill than they would have before.”
January 19: Why Joe Biden Gave Up on Covid (The New Republic’s The Politics of Everything podcast)
Justin Feldman, research associate at the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center of Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, spoke about the Biden administration’s COVID response. He said the administration focused on vaccination as the primary way to tamp down the pandemic, and less on shoring up measures such as testing capacity, which led to current test shortages.
January 19: Experts reveal why most data-driven initiatives failed to impact COVID-19 public health crisis (News Medical)
This article reviewed an opinion piece that was co-authored by Caroline Buckee, professor of epidemiology; Satchit Balsari, assistant professor in the Department of Global Health and Population; and Andrew Schroeder of Direct Relief, that described the major challenges in successfully using data from technology companies during times of crisis. The authors are part of Crisis Ready, a platform that aims to embed data-driven decision-making into local disaster planning around the world.
January 18: A year in, experts assess Biden’s hits and misses on handling the pandemic (NPR)
Dean Michelle Williams spoke about some challenges facing the Biden administration regarding COVID-19 response, such as working to overcoming vaccine hesitancy and increasing the accessibility of testing and high-quality masks.
January 18: U.S. faces a wave of omicron deaths in coming weeks, models predict (PBS NewsHour)
Some experts predict that there could be 50,000 to 300,000 more deaths in the U.S. from Omicron over the next couple of months. Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard Chan School, and science director of the CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, noted that overburdened hospitals could contribute to more deaths. “In places with extremely short staffing and overloads of patients, as the medical professionals have been telling us, the quality of care begins to suffer,” he said. “That may also lead to higher death rates.”
January 18: Still testing positive for COVID-19 after 10 days? Here’s what to know (TODAY.com)
People with COVID-19 will likely test positive on an at-home rapid test for about six to 10 days, and sometimes longer, according to Stephen Kissler, research fellow in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases. He said if you continue to test positive you may still be contagious, but he added that people tend to be most infectious right at the beginning of their infection, so that by day 8, 9, or 10, “you still have the chance to spread to other people, but it’s probably not as much as you did early in the course of your infection.” If you need to stop isolating, he recommended avoiding enclosed spaces with others and wearing a good mask.
January 18: COVID: Do multiple boosters ‘exhaust’ our immune response? (Deutsche Welle)
With some countries, such as Israel, beginning to provide 4th doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to their citizens, some experts said it’s possible the shots could have a negative impact on immune response. But other researchers said there’s no proof that would happen. Sarah Fortune, John LaPorte Given Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases and chair of the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, addressed the concern that our bodies’ T cells, which aid in immune response, may become “exhausted” after seeing antigens—like those provided by vaccines—multiple times. She said that the science on T cell exhaustion is more complicated that merely seeing antigens repeatedly.
January 18: Omicron cases may be peaking in some U.S. states, but Covid is overwhelming hospitals. (New York Times)
Even though Omicron seems to be peaking in the northeastern U.S., there are still a huge number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals, straining already hollowed-out staffs. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said that after this wave, while future outbreaks from Omicron will be possible, “we expect them to be milder.”
January 17: How Will the Pandemic End? (Voice of America)
Stephen Kissler, research fellow in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, said he thinks that, eventually, COVID-19 will reach a state where it’s more like another infectious disease: the flu.
January 17: What’s the difference between a pandemic and an endemic? (ABC News 10)
Experts think that COVID-19 will move from pandemic to endemic eventually, becoming more like the seasonal flu with areas of outbreaks. “Since viruses spread where there are enough susceptible individuals and enough contact among them to sustain spread, it’s hard to anticipate what the timeline will be for the expected shift of COVID-19 to endemicity,” said Yonatan Grad, Melvin J. and Geraldine L. Glimcher Associate Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases.
January 15: Canadian COVID-19 vaccine study seized on by anti-vaxxers — highlighting dangers of early research in pandemic (CBC)
Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard Chan School, and science director of the CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, quoted.
January 15: When It Comes to Living With Covid, Businesses Are on Their Own (New York Times)
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, businesses may opt to manage the risk of the virus in their offices or work sites instead of trying to prevent cases from occurring at all, according to experts. “If you’ve mandated vaccines, encourage boosters, have good ventilation and filtration—amazing, you’ve done what you need to prevent the worst outcomes,” said Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program.
January 14: Dozens of Mass. doctors, scientists sign on to letter supporting Fauci, decrying attacks on him (Boston Globe)
Dean Michelle Williams, who was one of dozens of doctors and scientists who signed an open letter supporting Anthony Fauci against Republican attacks, said, “The vitriol directed towards Dr. Fauci over the past two years … is entirely unacceptable.”
January 14: The Worst of the Omicron Wave Could Still Be Coming (The Atlantic)
Experts said that Omicron cases in the U.S. could descend precipitously from a high peak, but could also drop more gradually and even increase at times. Yonatan Grad, Melvin J. and Geraldine L. Glimcher Associate Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, said he thinks the initial downslope will be precipitous, but added that as the virus progresses through more rural parts of the U.S., it will peak at different times in different places, slowing the overall decline.
January 14: The omicron surge may be starting to peak in some parts of the U.S. (NPR)
While Omicron appears to be peaking in some northeastern and mid-Atlantic states, infections are still rising in many other places, such as the Midwest, according to William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology—which means that the number of people getting sick and hospitalized will continue to rise for weeks.
January 13: Omicron may be plateauing in Northeastern cities (The Hill)
William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, quoted.
January 13: Scores of doctors and scientists sign a statement condemning personal attacks against Fauci. (New York Times)
Dean Michelle Williams was one of the more than 200 leading U.S. doctors and scientists who signed an open letter in support of Anthony Fauci, who has been the subject of Republican attacks.
January 13: ‘Menace to public health’: 270 doctors criticize Spotify over Joe Rogan’s podcast (The Guardian)
William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, was one of 270 doctors, scientists, healthcare professionals and professors who signed an open letter to the streaming company Spotify expressing concern about medical misinformation, particularly about COVID-19, on the platform’s most popular program, The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
January 13: Is Omicron Peaking? (New York Times)
Omicron appears to be peaking in parts of the Northeast, possibly following a similar trajectory as in some places where it arrived earlier, such as South Africa. Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program, called that cycle—a large surge followed by a steep decline—“a familiar pattern.”
January 12: Tensions Rise Between Fauci, GOP Over Covid-19 Pandemic Response (Wall Street Journal)
At a January 11 congressional hearing, Republican lawmakers clashed with White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci about the Biden administration’s COVID response. Speaking about the divisiveness, Robert Blendon, Richard L. Menschel Professor of Public Health and Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis, Emeritus, said that “we have politicized this [COVID-19 response] between parties and we’ve never had epidemics or natural disasters politicized. In polio, there wasn’t a Democratic or Republican view.”
January 12: ‘Unambiguously good news’: Sharp decline in COVID wastewater levels in Boston area (WBUR)
There’s been a steep decline in COVID levels in Boston-area wastewater—“unambiguously good news,” according to William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology. “When I refreshed the website and saw it, I literally punched the air and let out a hoot because it was something I’ve been hoping for.”
January 12: ‘This is not a virus to fool around with,’ an expert says, as the return-to-classroom debate rages on (CNN)
Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program, was quoted on the importance of keeping kids in school in spite of the Omicron surge.
January 12: Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Ever End? (Voice of America)
Amid the ongoing pandemic, experts say that society will have to evolve. Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology, noted that more people in the U.S. may choose to wear masks most of the time and that it may become unacceptable for people to go to work or school when they’re sick.
January 12: The Newest Corporate Perk (New York Times)
At some of America’s largest firms, rapid COVID tests are free and often readily available. “It doesn’t surprise me that many organizations who were recognizing they need these tests to stay in business were buying them,” said Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program.
January 11: Biden vowed to fix testing. But he didn’t plan for Omicron. (CNN)
Experts discussed the importance of ensuring that people have access to COVID tests as the pandemic continues. “What we’ve been hampered by is thinking that the role of testing is sort of secondary and optional, where really the role of testing is foundational throughout the course of the pandemic and throughout the exit from the pandemic,” said Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management.
January 11: Greater Boston could be past its latest coronavirus peak, new wastewater data shows (WGBH)
COVID levels in Boston-area wastewater are dropping, a sign that case counts will soon drop too. But William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said it’s important to maintain mitigation efforts. “We still have to be concerned about infections among older adults, especially those unvaccinated, which are likely to be a problem for some time,” he said.
January 11: CDC may start recommending N95 masks (Washington Post)
Amid debate about whether people should start wearing better-quality masks such as N95s or KN95s to prevent infection with the Omicron variant, Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program, said he doesn’t think people need to wear them all the time. “Context matters. If you’re with a group of people who are fully vaccinated and boosted, your risk is low, your risk of a severe outcome is very low,” he said.
January 10: Should you report your rapid test? The state says no (Boston Globe)
Massachusetts doesn’t have a system allowing residents to report the results of rapid COVID tests taken at home. Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health and former assistant U.S. secretary of health and Massachusetts public health commissioner, said he expects that cases are substantially underreported, which skews the data necessary to plan hospital capacity and staffing. The lack of data about home tests is just “the latest example of the overwhelming need for better public health systems in a time of crisis,” Koh said.
January 10: Omicron Is Forcing Us to Rethink Mild COVID (The Atlantic)
The fast-moving Omicron variant is taking a toll on health as well as leading to staffing shortages at hospitals, schools, airlines, businesses, and more—meaning that there will be unpredictable cancellations, according to experts. “It’s going to be a messy few weeks,” said Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program. “I don’t think there’s any way around it.”
January 10: To keep schools open during COVID, Governor Baker must make them safer (Boston Globe)
In this opinion piece, Alan Geller, senior lecturer on social and behavioral sciences, wrote that the state of Massachusetts needs to do more to keep schools open safely during the Omicron surge. “It requires implementing four recommendations—vaccinate, test, ventilate, and mandate masks in schools,” he wrote.
January 9: US hospitals strained with influx of patients amid latest COVID-19 surge, staffing shortages (ABC News)
Rebecca Weintraub, associate faculty member and director of the Better Evidence program at Ariadne Labs, quoted.
January 9: The pandemic is changing. Will omicron bring a ‘new normal’ for COVID-19? (USA Today)
Bruce Walker, professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, quoted.
January 9: Omicron is surging — and Democrats aren’t shutting things down this time (Politico)
Democratic mayors and governors are pushing to keep schools and businesses open during the Omicron surge. Democratic leaders “see an upcoming election, they see backlashes,” said polling and political strategy expert Robert Blendon, Richard L. Menschel Professor of Public Health and Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis, Emeritus. “They can’t close things down, and there is no public tolerance for serious disruptions in people’s lives. People have run out of patience.”
January 8: Omicron has completely changed the pandemic — it’s time to change how we respond to it (CBC)
Experts discussed the importance of slowing down the Omicron surge to protect the healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed. Omicron has brought us “back to flattening the curve,” said William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology.
January 8: COVID may become endemic — meaning the virus and its mutations may never disappear (Boston Globe)
A time will come when COVID-19 will not be so disruptive to life, according to experts. “I don’t think there will be a certain day we declare victory,” said Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard Chan School, and science director of the CDC’s new Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics. “But we could be moving toward a world in which the virus is endemic but it’s less harmful to us—not because the virus has changed, but because we have.”
January 7: Omicron: U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments about vaccine mandate amid latest surge (Yahoo! Money)
Thomas Tsai, senior fellow at the Harvard Global Health Institute and assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Harvard Chan School, discussed legal challenges to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, vaccine strategy in the future, healthcare burnout, and what living with the virus will be like in the future.
January 7: Vaccination rates for Massachusetts children, ages 5-11, are a ‘tale of two states’ (Boston Globe)
There are wide disparities in vaccination rates among Massachusetts communities, according to an analysis by Alan Geller, senior lecturer on social and behavioral sciences. The lowest rate are in many of the poorest communities. “What we really need is a massive education campaign led by the state, coupled with vaccine ambassadors,” said Geller.
January 7: CDC director, under fire for confusing guidance, seeks to reshape messaging (Washington Post)
Experts have been criticizing confusing COVID-19 messaging from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky. Jay Winsten, director of the Initiative on Communication Strategies for Public Health, said that the communications situation is at a “tipping point.”
January 7: From skiing to shopping to testing, here’s what you need to know to stay safe during Omicron (Boston Globe)
Eve Wittenberg, senior research scientist in the Center for Health Decision Science, was among experts discussing how best to stay safe during the Omicron surge. She said it’s important to consider your situation—such as whether you’re vaccinated, boosted, wearing a high-quality mask, and whether you or people you live with have any medical conditions that put you at risk—when deciding which activities to do.
January 6: ‘Schools should not close’ (Harvard Gazette)
Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program, discussed why it’s important to keep schools open even amid the Omicron surge.
January 6: Fact Check-What is the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)? (Reuters)
Stephen Kissler, research fellow in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, spoke about the benefits of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). He said the system, although imperfect, helps empower people to make data-based decisions about their health and about community health.
January 6: Biden, in Shift, Prepares Americans to See Covid-19 as Part of Life (Wall Street Journal)
Amid changing messaging about COVID-19 from the Biden administration, Vish Viswanath, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication, said that the administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should offer more context when issuing recommendations. “You have to give credit to the American public,” he said. “They can appreciate that science and evidence is changing.”
January 6: Rapid nasal COVID tests feared to be returning false negatives (Axios)
Early evidence suggests that rapid COVID-19 tests are missing some Omicron cases when people are infectious. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, said that “we should start testing saliva, although … we are having to make important decisions in the absence of what would count as a good evidence base.”
January 5: ‘These deaths could have been averted’: Doctors lament that too many residents went without life-saving vaccines upon Mass. exceeding 20,000 COVID deaths (Boston Globe)
Alan Geller, senior lecturer on social and behavioral sciences, quoted.
January 4: Omicron and masks: What you need to know to stay safe (WGBH)
Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program, talked about the importance of wearing a mask with good filtration and good fit, and offered advice about three types of masks: N95, KF94, and KN95 respirators; surgical masks; and cloth masks.
January 4: Kizzmekia Corbett on the omicron variant and the the future of mRNA vaccines (Washington Post Live)
Kizzmekia Corbett, assistant professor of immunology and infectious diseases, spoke about leading the team behind Moderna’s mRNA vaccine, the Omicron variant, and the development and future possibilities of mRNA vaccine technology.
January 4: Public Health Expert Says Keeping Schools Open Is Critical (WBZ)
Joseph Allen, associate professor of exposure assessment science and director of the Healthy Buildings program, said that in-person learning is critical, even if it’s bumpy because of the Omicron surge.
January 3: Some Infectious Disease Specialists See COVID Approaching ‘Endemic’ Stage After Omicron (Newsweek)
Stephen Kissler, research fellow in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, said that he believes COVID-19 will reach the endemic stage, “much like the flu is endemic.”
January 3: Attitudes Toward Contract Tracing Among Undocumented Immigrants (Contagion Live)
A new study found that immigrant communities may be more hesitant to disclose personal health information during contact tracing, because they fear bullying or deportation. The study was co-authored by MPH student Hye Young Choi.
January 3: How will pandemic end? Omicron clouds forecasts for endgame (AP)
Experts say that COVID-19 will eventually become endemic, which Stephen Kissler, research fellow in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, defined as “some sort of acceptable steady state” in which the coronavirus continues to circulate much like the flu.
January 1: Much has changed since the start of the pandemic. But the nation’s public health system remains fractured. (Washington Post)
Experts say that the U.S. public health system needs shoring up. Jay Winsten, director of the Initiative on Communication Strategies for Public Health, noted that, over the past two years, there hasn’t been enough focus on organizational overhauls or preparation for future pandemics. He added that public health messaging has too frequently been incomplete or contradictory.
January 1: Scientists Predict Omicron Will Peak in the U.S. in Mid-January But Still May Overwhelm Hospitals (Yahoo News/The New York Times)
The news that South Africa has passed its peak of coronavirus cases caused by the omicron variant suggests that the U.S. omicron surge may also peak quickly, say experts. But with case numbers increasing in the U.S. so fast, hospitals could still be overwhelmed. “The context for all of this is that hospitals are struggling,” said William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology. “We don’t have that much spare capacity. And of course, omicron makes that worse.”
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