Test positivity rate: How this one figure explains that the US isn't doing enough testing yet

Test positivity rates measure the success of a testing program. Even though the US performs a huge number of tests, high test positivity rates across the country show that that it still isn't enough.

Ronald D. Fricker, Jr., Professor of Statistics and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Administration, Virginia Tech • conversation
July 30, 2020 • ~7 min
Tags: health covid-19 coronavirus pandemic donald-trump sars-cov-2 outbreak testing epidemics coronavirus-testing asymptomatic

What makes a 'wave' of disease? An epidemiologist explains

There's no scientific definition for a wave of disease – and no evidence that the original onslaught of coronavirus in the US has receded much at all.

Abram L. Wagner, Research Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, University of Michigan • conversation
July 6, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: influenza infectious-diseases epidemiology covid-19 coronavirus pandemic sars-cov-2 herd-immunity epidemics 1918-flu-pandemic iran seasonal-flu waves second-wave pandemic-flu seasonality coronaviruses

This simple model shows the importance of wearing masks and social distancing

A simple computer model shows that safety measures can significantly impact both the exponential spread of COVID-19 and mortality rates.

Jeyaraj Vadiveloo, Director of the Janet and Mark L. Goldenson Center for Actuarial Research, University of Connecticut • conversation
June 26, 2020 • ~5 min

Tags:  epidemiology  covid-19  coronavirus  pandemic  sars-cov-2  social-distancing  epidemics  epidemiological-modelling

How deforestation helps deadly viruses jump from animals to humans

Yellow fever, malaria and Ebola all spilled over from animals to humans at the edges of tropical forests. The new coronavirus is the latest zoonosis.

Maria Anice Mureb Sallum, Professor of Epidemiology, Universidade de São Paulo • conversation
June 25, 2020 • ~11 min
Tags: health climate covid-19 coronavirus ebola pandemic malaria forests disease epidemics wildlife deforestation bats wildlife-trade monkeys mosquitoes yellow-fever zoonoses vectors carrying-capacity

A majority of vaccine skeptics plan to refuse a COVID-19 vaccine, a study suggests, and that could be a big problem

As most of the world early awaits a vaccine for COVID-19, a smaller group of people scoffs. They could spell real trouble in the effort to build widespread immunity.

Matt Motta, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Oklahoma State University • conversation
May 4, 2020 • ~8 min

Tags:  covid-19  pandemic  anthony-fauci  coronavirus-2020  epidemics  vaccine-development  coronavirus-vaccine  anti-vaxxers  covid-19-vaccine  bill-gates  vaccine-safety

In Depth Out Loud podcast: how to model a pandemic

An audio version of an in depth article on why mathematical modelling is crucial to understanding pandemics like the new coronavirus.

Christian Yates, Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Biology, University of Bath • conversation
April 3, 2020 • ~2 min

Tags:  covid-19  coronavirus  pandemic  epidemics  in-depth-out-loud-podcast  mathematical-modelling

Calling COVID-19 a 'Chinese virus' is wrong and dangerous – the pandemic is global

Emphasizing foreign origins of a disease can have racist connotations and implications for how people understand their own risk of disease.

Mari Webel, Assistant Professor of History, University of Pittsburgh • conversation
March 25, 2020 • ~10 min

Tags:  history-of-medicine  infectious-diseases  covid-19  coronavirus  history  ebola  pandemic  rift-valley-fever  wuhan  world-health-organization  sars-cov-2  2019-ncov  epidemics  new-coronavirus  world-health-organization-who  norovirus  wuhan-coronavirus  lassa-fever  cholera  bush-meat  ebola-virus  ebola-virus-disease  rift-valley-fever-virus  ebola-zaire  ebola-blame  covid-19-pandemic

Coronavirus threat reveals the flaws in India's health system

The COVID-19 pandemic must be managed in India in a tense economic context and with a largely privatised health system.

Yves-Marie Rault Chodankar, Chercheur associé au Centre d'études en sciences sociales sur les mondes africains, américains et asiatiques, Université de Paris • conversation
March 20, 2020 • ~7 min

Tags:  infectious-diseases  public-health  poverty  covid-19  coronavirus  pandemic  india  narendra-modi  southeast-asia  populism  the-conversation-france  epidemics

Coronavirus: Three lessons from the AIDS crisis

It took decades for scientists to recognize HIV/AIDS as a new disease, and years longer to mobilize an effective response with broad public support. Will the US do better against novel coronavirus?

Laurie Marhoefer, Associate Professor of History, University of Washington • conversation
March 16, 2020 • ~8 min

Tags:  infectious-diseases  public-health  covid-19  coronavirus  hivaids  epidemics  us-history

How coronavirus is upsetting the blood supply chain

The US blood supply chain is often fragile, but the coronavirus could make it more so. An expert explains.

Anna Nagurney, John F. Smith Memorial Professor of Operations Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst • conversation
March 12, 2020 • ~5 min

Tags:  covid-19  coronavirus  pandemic  epidemics  blood-supply  blood-transfusions  blood-shortages

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