Naming the new coronavirus – why taking Wuhan out of the picture matters

While identifying a new disease by its place of origin seems intuitive, history shows that doing so can have serious consequences for the people that live there.

Mari Webel, Assistant Professor of History, University of Pittsburgh • conversation
Feb. 18, 2020 ~9 min

Harvard expert says coronavirus likely now ‘gathering steam’

Harvard’s Marc Lipsitch said evidence indicates that the international cordon keeping coronavirus cases bottled up in China is a leaky one, and it’s likely that the relative handful of global cases reported so far are undercounted. If true, that will lead to widespread illness internationally, including in the U.S.

Alvin Powell • harvard
Feb. 11, 2020 ~12 min


Interactive map tracks the coronavirus outbreak

A new interactive map for the novel coronavirus outbreak shows the numbers of cases, recoveries, and deaths, as well as trends over time.

Kim Eckart-Washington • futurity
Feb. 11, 2020 ~2 min

Expert: Coronavirus exposes ‘cracks’ in Chinese government

The Chinese government's response to the coronavirus outbreak has exposed flaws in its approach to crises and requires more openness, an expert argues.

Stanford • futurity
Feb. 10, 2020 ~1 min

As confirmed cases of coronavirus surge, path grows uncertain

Harvard epidemiologist Michael Mina said as many as 100,000 people are likely already infected with the new coronavirus, with many more likely to come.

Alvin Powell • harvard
Feb. 3, 2020 ~6 min

Map shows opioid crisis isn’t a single epidemic

The US is not facing a single opioid overdose epidemic. It's facing several different epidemics, researchers say.

Fred Love-Iowa State • futurity
Dec. 11, 2019 ~3 min

New drug-detecting tool could help save lives

The landscape of the illegal drug trade changes constantly, particularly amid the current opioid crisis. Law-enforcement officers regularly find or confiscate pills, powders, and other substances and need to know their composition as quickly as possible to determine legal charges and sometimes to issue lifesaving warnings. Carfentanil is a case in point. This cousin to […]

Caitlin McDermott-Murphy • harvard
Nov. 13, 2019 ~7 min

Is the Ebola emergency declaration in Congo too late?

Last week, the World Health Organization declared the year-long Ebola outbreak in Congo a global health emergency. Did they wait too long?

Boston University • futurity
July 22, 2019 ~1 min


Epidemic forecasts can miss the human reaction

Neglecting human behavior when forecasting epidemics can lead to government overspending.

Texas A&M University • futurity
July 3, 2019 ~3 min

Half of Ebola outbreaks go undetected, study finds

Half of Ebola outbreaks have gone undetected since the virus was discovered in 1976, scientists at the University of Cambridge estimate. The new findings come amid rising concern about Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and highlight the need for improved detection and rapid response to avoid future epidemics.

Cambridge University News • cambridge
June 14, 2019 ~3 min

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