Jessica Irvine 121 posts 0 comments

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, adults aged 65 and older have been disproportionately affected. These individuals are at higher risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19 and account for around 66% of pandemic related hospital admissions. Additionally, stay-at-home orders have a disproportionate…

On April 7th, carbon dioxide emissions hit a low level that has not been observed since 2006. This finding suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may have produced the greatest reduction in carbon dioxide emissions ever recorded. This reduction in emissions reflects the impact of reduced travel,…

Recently, states like Georgia have decided to end shelter-in-place orders. Unfortunately, lifting this rule will likely have repercussions observable in increased number of infections, deaths, hospitalizations, and demand for beds and ventilators far exceeding supply. An agent-based model has been…

Small, but vocal anti-vaccincation groups have been increasingly present in recent years and they have currently shifted their attention towards COVID-19. Current findings on trends in anti-vaccination groups’ online communication demonstrate that their posts are receiving incredibly large…

Author: Jessica Irvine Unfortunately, while the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic, it also must deal with the “infodemic” of harmful, intentionally incorrect information circulating the internet. This information is incredibly relevant and destructive to the response to COVID-19, leaving…

Until now, the spread of COVID-19 has been somewhat of a mystery. Currently, genetic sequencing of the virus is thought to reveal the truth about how the virus spread and became a pandemic. The mutations show that the virus first jumped from animals to humans in China, where it spread among humans…

On May 6th, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Education revised Title IX, releasing new guidelines for universities and K-12 schools to follow for handling cases of sexual assault and misconduct. The new guidelines focus predominantly on giving alleged perpetrators more protections;…

The way that flu deaths are counted often distorters our view when making the comparison between COVID-19 and the flu. The estimation that 25,000-69,000 people die from the flu per year is an estimate that the CDC produces by multiplying the number of death counts reported by the use of…

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has created a divided impact on the healthcare workforce. While some health care workers, such as traveling nurses and respiratory therapists are in high demand, others, like radiologists, find themselves furloughed. CEO’s of hospitals around the United States have…

Many frontline health care professionals, such as nurses, physicians assistants, and doctors are currently risking their lives to save others, fearing that they’ll spread COVID-19 to their family members and mourning their patients. However, many are also feeling anger, stemming from potentially…

Countries around the world have taken different approaches in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. South Korea has implemented quicker testing facilities called public “photo booths” that allow one person to be tested every seven minutes. These booths are projected to allow for testing almost ten…

The FDA recently approved the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat patients with COVID-19. This decision has been met with mixed feelings. Opposing view points stem from the established use of these drugs to treat diseases like malaria, amebiasis, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. This…

The UN secretary-general has warned against forgetting vulnerable populations like the uninsured, underinsured, and undocumented in the response to COVID-19. Mobile clinics like the Family Van in Boston provide access to these marginalized communities. Some clinics have begun delivering essential…

While COVID-19 has just reached the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC), another viral outbreak has already killed over 6,500 children: measles. Beginning in October 2018, cases began to spike and an epidemiologist from the WHO reports that the situation has “mushroomed.” She remarks that it may be…