Working paper shows COVID-19 is spiking in Red counties, flat in Blue this fall

Graph showing surge in Covid-19 in Red States; Blue States flat

A Harvard Pop Center Working Paper, “The changing political geographies of COVID-19 in the US,” shows that this fall there is a reverse in the trend from the spring, when case counts and excess death rates were higher in counties that lean Democratic. This fall, the counties that lean most Republican are experiencing a spike in cases and death rates, whereas the rates in counties that lean more Democratic are…

Does cognitive function in older population living in South Africa differ based on HIV status?

Older men and women in South Africa part of the HAALSI study

A team of researchers affiliated with the HAALSI study have published their findings in Nature indicating that cognitive function scores varied depending on whether participants were being assessed using conventional measurement instruments versus one designed for low-literacy settings.

1-2-3: Counting the missteps of the U.S. Federal Government’s handling of COVID-19

Brick wall with graffiti

A new Harvard Pop Center Working Paper assesses the impact of the U.S. Federal Government’s “missteps” regarding the entry, spread and inequities associated with COVID-19. Authors include: William P. Hanage, Christian Testa, Jarvis T. Chen, L. Davis, Elise Pechter, Mauricio  Santillana, and Nancy Krieger. Photo credit: Nancy Krieger

Behavioral scientists call for “common-sense” federal policy to help curb diet-related diseases

Head shot of Anna Grummon

In this JAMA Viewpoint, Harvard Bell Fellow Anna Grummon, PhD, along with her colleague Marissa G. Hall, PhD, make a strong case for the implementation of a federal policy mandating that products containing high levels of unhealthy nutrients (e.g. sugar, salt, saturated fat) be labeled with a simple, prominent nutrient warning. Follow the media coverage: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health News Post

Transgender young women with supportive mothers less likely to have suicidal thoughts

Head shots of Adedotun Ogunbajo and Sari Reisner

The findings of a paper published in LGBT Health by Harvard Pop Center postdoctoral fellow Adedotun Ogunbajo, PhD, and faculty affiliate Sari Reisner, ScD, and their colleagues suggest that interventions targeting the parents of transgender young women could be an effective way to reduce the chances of this population experiencing suicidal ideation.

Dr. Kenneth Mayer named as History Maker

Head shot of Dr. Kenneth Mayer

Harvard Pop Center faculty affiliate Kenneth Mayer, MD, is the recipient of the The History Project’s 2020 HistoryMaker Award. Since 2009, the awards have gone to “those whose lifetime achievements have had a significant and positive effect on Boston and Massachusetts’ LGBTQ communities.” Dr. Mayer will be “celebrated” online on October 15th at 7pm. 

Pregnant women exposed to increased threat of eviction within their county at greater risk of premature birth, lower birth weight

Eviction notice taped to a door

Harvard Pop Center graduate student affiliate Aayush Khadka, MS, faculty member Margaret McConnell, PhD, and colleagues Günther Fink, PhD, and Ashley Gromis, PhD, have published a paper that advances the growing body of evidence linking threatened evictions with poor health outcomes. Photo: David Jackmanson on Flickr

Geo-mapping risk of COVID-19 in India

Map of India with PC districts in background with headline Geo-mapping of COVID-19 Risk Correlates Across Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies

A paper published in a special edition of the Harvard Data Science Review utilizes geo-mapping to identify high-risk areas for the spread of COVID-19 across the Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies of India. The researchers focus on four risk correlates including: population density percentage of population that is exposed to crowding in a household, percentage of population without access to handwashing facilities percentage of population over 65 years of age These…