In the News: 2020

National news outlets are covering the frontline efforts of Tulanians to combat COVID-19 with research, innovation and a commitment to community. Scroll down to read more.

December 2020

COVID-19 Decision Fatigue: What It Is and How to Deal With It
Healthline

“There were lots of adjustment disorders caused by the inconveniences and added stress of being under a kind of house arrest,” said Charles Figley, PhD, founder of the Traumatology Institute at Tulane University in New Orleans and a professor in their School of Social Work. “Stress is our signal to pay attention.”

COVID, legislation, lawsuits signal change in college sports
Fox News

"This case, and I don’t think it’s overstating it, could fundamentally change the structure of college sports and the relationship between college athletes and their schools and conferences,″ said Gabe Feldman, director of the sports law program at Tulane.

You asked: Should I travel to a 50-person outdoor wedding?
Washington Post

“My epidemiologist self will say, no, they shouldn’t come to a big gathering,” [Susan] Hassig told me right out of the gate. “It is really not a good idea at this point in time to be gathering with people from multiple parts of the country, especially if one is older.”
 
The College Admission Precedent
Forbes

Jeff Schiffman, director of admission at Tulane University agrees. He says, “frankly, the applications themselves were not substantially different from previous years. Yes, we saw more students mentioning ‘caring for younger siblings’ in their extracurricular list, and yes we saw a few times where the "12" was missing from the grades the student played tennis, but overall most applications were not markedly different from previous years.”

You Can Get through This Dark Pandemic Winter Using Tips from Disaster Psychology
Scientific American

“We as a nation have never been in anything like this,” says Charles Figley, who has worked in disaster psychology for 40 years and is director of the Traumatology Institute at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Can I Travel Over the Holidays If I Never Leave My Airbnb?
Conde Nast Traveler

Desperate for a clear answer, I called up Susan Hassig, a professor at Tulane University, and director of the school’s public health masters and epidemiology program, to ask what she thought about traveling to a rental home over the holidays.
 
What will life be like after the coronavirus pandemic ends?
Science News

John Barry- Historian, Tulane University, Author, The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History

5 critical things disease experts got right about COVID
Mashable

"But that won’t stop someone from giving it to someone else," David Mushatt, the infectious disease section chief at Tulane University School of Medicine, told Mashable in May.

Tulane researchers develop rapid COVID-19 saliva test read by a smartphone
Radio.com

“This test addresses the critical needs for a rapid, ultrasensitive COVID-19 diagnosis along with effective large-scale screening efforts,” said Tony Hu, PhD, corresponding author of the study and Weatherhead Presidential Chair in Biotechnology Innovation at Tulane University School of Medicine.

Scientists focus on bats for clues to prevent next pandemic
AP News

“People have a lot of misconceptions about bats. They’re nocturnal and look a little weird flying,” said Hannah Kim Frank, a biologist at Tulane University. “But bats aren’t aggressive — and attacking bats doesn’t help control diseases.”
 
The polio vaccine had Elvis. Can celebrities similarly spur acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccine?
STAT News

Thomas LaVeist, dean of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, echoed those sentiments. But he added that some athletes like Serena Williams and LeBron James, who are seen as trusted voices within many Black communities, are good examples of celebrities that could potentially lend credibility to the Covid-19 vaccines.
 
Chef Heather Nace on the Balance of Indulgence and Health
NewsPoint360

During the Holidays Chef Heather Nace, Director of Operations at the Gold Ring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University, speaks to NewsPoint360 about how we can moderate the foods we eat to create a more balanced lifestyle, some low sugar festive recipes popular with her students, and her approach to exercise while we're indoors.
 
One Way to Remedy This Disastrous School Year: Redo it
Voice of San Diego

Douglas Harris, a prominent education researcher at Tulane University, doesn’t necessarily believe an across-the-board redo is the right idea. But it could make sense at certain schools, where nearly all of the students have experienced massive learning loss, to give entire classes an extra year, he said.

Can Crispr-Based Covid-19 Testing Using Smartphones Slow The Pandemic?
Forbes

While nasal swab RNA was used for evaluation in Ott and Fletcher’s study, another group of researchers from Tulane led by Drs. Bo Ning and Tony Hu decided to pursue the potential for a 15 minute saliva-based point-of-care test, also employing the use of Crispr and smartphone-based technology.

How to Understand the Data Officials Use for Lockdowns
Healthline

Sometimes officials don’t have specific numbers they’re looking for when closing down businesses and services, said Susan Hassig, DrPH, MPH, associate professor of epidemiology at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Healthy People Are Trying to Game COVID-19 Lockdowns, How That Can Backfire
Healthline

Even though that approach may work in theory, the reality is that flooding testing sites with people who think they’re unlikely to test positive probably won’t get business owners the results they’re hoping for, said Susan Hassig, DrPH, associate professor of epidemiology at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Some Colleges Plan to Bring Back More Students in the Spring
New York Times

“We changed our testing protocols substantially over the semester,” said Michael Fitts, Tulane’s president. “At one point, we moved it up to three times a week, and we found that was very effective, and we will continue that in the spring.”

Sickle Cell Disease Tied to Worse COVID-19 Outcomes
Med Page Today

ASH press conference moderator Chancellor Donald, MD, of Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, told MedPage Today that "SCD is a disease that predominantly affects African Americans in [the U.S.], and COVID-19 has had a disproportionate burden on the African-American communities as far as outcomes of morbidity and death."

As Covid-19 Hospitalizations, Infections and Deaths Soar, Leaders Warn of Perilous Winter
Wall Street Journal

“I don’t see it getting better. I only see it getting worse,” said Patricia Kissinger, an infectious disease epidemiologist from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. “It’s just not a good scenario.”

As Covid Keeps Students Out Of U.S., Tulane Launches Unique Partnership In China
Poets & Quants

When the U.S. officially announced travel restrictions earlier this year in response to Covid-19, Ira Solomon, dean of the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University in New Orleans, knew something had to be done to accommodate overseas Freeman students who would have trouble getting into the U.S.

The Newest Hotel Amenity? Virus-Scrubbed Air
New York Times

Researchers, including those at New Orleans’s Tulane University, have found that the tiny aerosol particles of SARS-CoV-2 that are emitted when someone with the virus speaks or breathes can remain in the air for up to 16 hours.
 
A ‘pandemic effect’ is driving a rise in applications to medical schools.
New York Times

Along with the “call of service,” Mike Woodson, director of admissions, also connects the increase to an awareness that Black communities were hit hard by the virus. He credits a Black medical student at Tulane, Russell Ledet, for helping boost interest in the school among young Black people: A year ago, he organized a photo of himself and 14 Black classmates in their white coats in front of the slave quarters of a former plantation, to demonstrate progress, unity and resiliency.

Mexico's Leftist President Becomes Fiscal Hawk in Midst of Pandemic
Wall Street Journal

"It's extremely odd, being a government concerned about the poor," said Nora Lustig, an expert on Latin American poverty who directs the Commitment to Equity Institute at Tulane University. Of Latin America's four biggest economies, only Mexico didn't expand anti-poverty programs, she added.”

‘Safe as possible’ swingers convention led to dozens of COVID-19 cases, organizer says
Miami Herald

But Susan Hassig, an associate professor of epidemiology at Tulane University, told NOLA.com she was not on board with the plan to hold the gathering. “That’s really quite mind-boggling,” she said. “Clearly no public health epidemiologist was involved in the design of this activity.”

Ranking College Dashboards
Inside Higher Ed

There are so far five institutions that have achieved an A-plus or above. Wagner College, Tulane University, George Mason University and Ohio State University all achieved an A-plus.

November 2020

New Orleans nurses travel to sister hospital to help during COVID-19 surge
CBS News

In the beginning of the pandemic, nurses from Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, flew to New Orleans, where they helped nurses at Tulane Medical Center on the frontlines of COVID-19. Months later, nurses from Tulane were given the opportunity to return the favor - and many of them answered the call.

Design Pedagogy in a time of crisis — COVID-19 / 2020 edition
Medium

Written by Lesley-Ann Noel, Prof. of Practice in Design Thinking at Tulane University.

Tulane Health expert: Keep Thanksgiving gatherings small
Radio.com

“And that is not good,” said Associate Professor at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Susan Hassig. “We know where that is going to wind up, with lots of people in the hospital and lots of people dying.”

Bah, humbug! Pandemic exacerbates holiday blues
Washington Blade

Many queer people (especially trans people) are struggling to survive during the pandemic, said Anneliese Singh, a counseling psychologist and chief diversity officer at Tulane University. “I think, too, with this election, during the holidays, many of us are going to have to set boundaries with those of our families who supported Trump,” Singh, who identifies as gender queer, said.

Is Your College Student Bringing COVID Home for the Holidays?
AARP

Tulane President Mike Fitts shares those concerns. “I was worried from day one about that, which is why we said we would do extensive testing before we allowed students to go home,” he says. “And we weren't going to send them home at all if there was an outbreak because of the threat to families and our ability to deal with surges on campus."

Coronavirus UK cases: Scientists discover deciding factors for why men are more at risk
Express

Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine said: “Because of the way the study was conducted, it’s impossible to tell whether their sample reflects reality."

World stocks catch breath after vaccine euphoria, US stocks expected to hold steady
Fox Business

Tulane University history professor Walter Isaacson shares his experience of participating in the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine trials.

New Orleans: Coronavirus nixes Mardi Gras-season parades
Washington Post

Two Tulane University professors found, in a study commissioned by parade groups, that the 2020 festival brought the city $145 million, The Times-Picayune / The New Orleans Advocate reported.

New lockdowns and restrictions sweep across the country as Covid-19 cases continue to rise
NBC News

"That's really quite mind-boggling," said Susan Hassig, an associate professor of epidemiology at Tulane University. But City Hall appeared to sign off on it.
 
COVID-19 MAE cases keep ending with revised deals. That wouldn’t happen without litigation
Reuters

“It's a way to force the target to the bargaining table,” said [Ann] Lipton, the Tulane prof, by email. “The target may not want to roll the dice or live with prolonged uncertainty even if the odds are in its favor.”

College students urged not to travel home for Thanksgiving amid COVID-19
Good Morning America

"Students who test positive for or are exposed to COVID-19 prior to the Thanksgiving/Winter Recess break will be expected to quarantine or isolate within our current system," Tulane said in its full statement.

America Has A Pandemic Problem. The President Has A Legal Problem.
Connecticut Public Radio

Ross Garber is a lawyer specializing in political investigations and impeachment and a legal analyst for CNN. He teaches at Tulane Law School.

As COVID-19 surges, New Orleans nurses arrive in KC to help staff at Research Medical
Kansas City Star

Cheers and applause from the Research Medical Center staff filled the air and elbow bump greetings were exchanged as a team of volunteer nurses from Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans arrived Friday at Research in Kansas City.

Mental illness from Covid on the rise? Relax, not really
South China Morning Post

Michael Scheeringa, professor and vice-chair of research for psychiatry at Tulane University School of Medicine, in New Orleans, has reviewed 34 such studies from 11 places, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland.

Experts Predict What The COVID-19 Pandemic Will Be Like In 2021
Huff Post

“2021 for me is really kind of a mystery,” said Susan Hassig, an associate professor in epidemiology at Tulane University. “Everything is conditional on so many factors.”

Participant offers a glimpse inside Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine trial
The List

"I feel great," Isaacson said. "And I feel really great for the country and the world and for Pfizer." The professor at Tulane University and former editor of Time magazine explained he had "zero worry" about whether the vaccine was safe or not.
 
I was part of a trial for Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine. It’s a miracle for genetic medicine.
Washington Post

Walter Isaacson, a professor at Tulane, is the author of “The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race,” to be published in March.
 
Walter Isaacson, a participant in Pfizer’s Covid vaccine trial, describes what it’s like
CNBC

Isaacson, a history professor at Tulane University in New Orleans and the former editor of Time magazine, said he applied online in July to join Pfizer’s vaccine trial.

Walter Isaacson on being part of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine trial
CNBC

Walter Isaacson, Tulane professor and an advisory partner at Perella Weinberg Partners, was part of the trial and he joins “Squawk Box” to discuss his experience as well as the promise of the mRNA technology the vaccine utilizes.

When churches turn into COVID-19 testing sites
Deseret News

But Thomas LaVeist, dean of Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a co-chairman of Louisiana’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, said the distrust is more likely rooted in people’s own, or those they know, experiences with health care.

Yale professors join forces to grade college COVID dashboards
Yale News

An A+ rating has been given to Wagner College, Tulane University, The Ohio State University, and George Mason University, each of which ranked favorably for their readability and presentation of data.

Boston College football team keeps winning its daily battle with COVID-19
Boston Globe

Dr. Gregory Stewart, co-director of the Sports Medicine Program at Tulane University, attributed BC’s success to several factors, none more important than program-wide buy-in.

Before Thanksgiving, colleges plan to ramp up testing for coronavirus
Washington Post

Michael A. Fitts, the university president, said Tulane has planned on exit testing for months. “Literally we worked this through before we started” the semester, he said. “We had to.”

October 2020

The U.S. Is Likely Headed for a ‘Dark Winter.’ Here’s What That Means
Healthline

To get an idea of what a “dark winter” might mean in the United States, Healthline consulted two experts: Wesley Long, MD, PhD, a researcher at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, and Susan Hassig, DrPH, MPH, a researcher at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The coronavirus crisis uncovers the vulnerability of thousands of unemployed in Mexico
Pledge Times

Despite the wild card of informality, economist Nora Lustig, a professor at Tulane University, believes that this crisis is going to be worse than previous ones.
 
'One, two, three punch': Back-to-back hurricanes and COVID-19 complicate voting in Lake Charles
The Tennessean

This is perhaps the most important climate for voters to become engaged, said Brian Brox, an associate professor of Political Science at Tulane University.

Pence Hijacks ‘Essential Worker’ Title To Excuse Himself From Quarantining
Talking Points Memo

And still, Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, added to TPM, those essential workers should also quarantine for a time, even if it’s a lesser five to seven days since the exposure.

How Louisiana Colleges Are Prepping for a 2nd COVID Semester
U.S. News & World Report

Tulane University officials learned valuable lessons from the beginning of the first semester when they implemented an ambitious plan for in-person instruction, complete with newly built outdoor classrooms, regular screening protocols and contracts with hotels to house students who were forced to quarantine because of exposure, President Michael Fitts said.

U.S. Hits Highest Daily Number Of Virus Cases Since Pandemic Began
CNN

Also criticizing the declaration is John Barry, a professor at Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. He wrote a piece for "The New York Times" which was titled, "What Fans of 'Herd Immunity' Won't Tell You," and he also literally wrote the book on a deadly pandemic, "The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History."

Facial Masking for Covid-19
New England Journal of Medicine

Chad J. Roy, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA

Herd Immunity? Or ‘Mass Murder’?
New York Times

John M. Barry is a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.”
 
Louisiana’s struggle against Covid-19
The Ecologist

The hazardous levels of air pollution found in the area may be partially to blame for its high concentration of Covid-19 deaths, which are among the highest in the nation, a recent study from the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic suggests.

Is COVID being spread through the workplace?
Radio.com

Thomas LaVeist, Dean of Tulane University talked about the matter: “To maintain safety for every worker, we need to think about stairwells, elevators, lunchrooms, and every place where a person might be,” LaVeist states.

Why the coronavirus is killing more men than women
Washington Post

“If you look at the data across the world, there are as many men as women that are infected. It’s just the severity of disease that is stronger in most populations in men,” Franck Mauvais-Jarvis, a Tulane University physician who studies gender differences in such diseases as diabetes.

Pandemic forcing exodus of women from workforce
CommonWealth Magazine

One study by Tulane University researchers found that two years after the hurricane, women’s participation in the workforce was down 6.6 percent, compared to 3.8 percent for men.

Home Remedies Not to Try for COVID-19
US News & World Report

A few small studies on viruses other than the coronavirus purport that doing saline nose rinses decreases the amount of measureable virus, says Dr. Joseph Bocchini Jr., director of Willis-Knighton Children's Health Services in Shreveport, Louisiana, and a member of the pediatric faculty at Tulane University in New Orleans.

Does the federal health information privacy law protect President Trump?
Salon

"There's a pretty strong tradition of these things being obscured," said John Barry, an adjunct faculty member at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
 
Racism turned their neighborhood into 'Cancer Alley.’ Now they’re dying from COVID-19.
USA Today

"These are communities that for decades have been breathing air that harms their lungs. And it's pretty clear that people who have damaged lungs are more susceptible to COVID-19." - Kimberly Terrell, researcher at the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic

Does the Federal Health Information Privacy Law Protect President Trump?
Physician's Weekly

“There’s a pretty strong tradition of these things being obscured,” said John Barry, an adjunct faculty member at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

The coronavirus is airborne -- what that means for you
CNET

Tulane University, for instance, reported that COVID-19 can remain in the air for up to 16 hours.

The Job Season Without In-Person Interviews
Chronicle of Higher Education

Brian T. Edwards is dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Tulane University, where he is also a professor of English.

‘Completely Inadequate’: Epidemiologists Question Abrupt End To WH Contact Tracing
Talking Points Memo

Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, described the process to TPM as “completely inadequate.”

History tells us what a virus can do to a president
Washington Post

John M. Barry is the author of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History and is a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
 
Rise in coronavirus hospitalizations threatens ICU bed capacity in hot-spot states
Washington Examiner

"When you start seeing rises, you need to respond quickly," said Susan Hassig, an epidemiology professor at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
 
Of presidents and health, history replete with secrecy, lies
AP News

“The Wilson administration, for a very different reason, completely downplayed the pandemic,” said John Barry, an adjunct professor in public health at Tulane University whose book “The Great Influenza” chronicles the 1918-19 pandemic that sickened Wilson and killed 675,000 Americans.

Here’s Why It’s Unlikely That Trump Infected Biden
Talking Points Memo

Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, also classified the risk to Biden from the debate as “very low.”

Trump experiencing mild Covid symptoms: Why the first week matters
NBC News

Dr. Josh Denson, a pulmonary medicine and critical care physician at the Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, said it's rare for a person to become very sick within the first few days of infection.
 
What Happens If COVID-19 Diagnosis Means Trump Can’t Discharge the Duties of the Presidency
Law and Crime

After the news broke, attorney, Tulane Law professor and impeachment expert Ross Garber noted that the Presidential Succession Act means Pelosi is third in line. However, he also said “that may not be constitutional.”

Coronavirus caused spike in Google search for this symptom
Fox News

“Our analyses from shortly after the pandemic declaration are the tip of the iceberg,” said lead study author Michael Hoerger, an assistant professor of psychology in the Tulane School of Science and Engineering, in a statement.

Ask the College Guy: Should you include the pandemic in your college essay?
Concord Monitor

Jeff Schiffman, Director of Admission at Tulane University writes in his blog, “if you are going to use this section, it’s important to remind yourself that, quite literally, every single senior on planet earth has been impacted by COVID in some way.

September 2020

Black Health Matters: Wealth Is Health
Healthline

In the case of COVID-19, new research from Tulane University shows that BMI is a risk factor in Black patients when it comes to admission to intensive care units (ICUs).

Forbes’ Guide To College Admissions During The Pandemic
Forbes

Tulane, for example, tracks students’ visits to its online tours. This year, for the first time, Tulane applicants can interview remotely.

Use of 'China virus' led to spike in anti-Asian bias: study
The Hill

The study, from professors at the Universities of California — Berkeley and San Francisco — as well as the Tulane School of Medicine, found that years of incidents of violence and bias against Asian Americans trending downward was reversed earlier this year after top U.S. officials used the term to describe the COVID-19 outbreak.
 
The Surprising Symptom Everyone's Googling in the Pandemic, Study Says
Best Life

To understand the changes in mental health in the U.S. during this time, researchers from Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, and Central Michigan University used Google search trends to get a snapshot of how things have changed in the 40 days following the World Health Organization's pandemic declaration on March 11, 2020.

Anxiety symptoms increased during the pandemic, Google Trends show
Medical News Today

As Dr. Michael Hoerger, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at Tulane University Cancer Center, New Orleans, and his co-authors note: “Although by no means a ‘window into the soul,’ people’s search terms reflect relatively uncensored desires for information and thus lack many of the biases of traditional self-report surveys.”

Google searches related to anxiety, panic attacks spike during pandemic
The Hill

The study from researchers at Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans and Central Michigan University found a spike in Google search trends related to anxiety and techniques used to manage its symptoms, such as yoga.

Google shows huge panic attack rise during COVID-19
World Economic Forum

Instead, the data may provide insight into what might be a foreboding of a much larger problem, says Michael Hoerger, an assistant professor of psychology in the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering, and coauthor of the study in the journal Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.

Doomscrolling Isn't Helping Our Well Being Warn Experts
Forbes

"During the pandemic, many people are interacting with the world in 'real time' less often," said Dr. Catherine McKinley, associate professor in the School of Social Work at Tulane University.
 
Loneliness and Six Components of Well-Being and Self-Care
Psychology Today

Tonya Cross Hansel: Loneliness is the feeling one gets when they lack social connection. Most often this occurs due to a limited number of people to connect with; however, this can also be due to the quality of connections and a general sense of not belonging.
 
Shut Out of Schools Due to Pandemic, Many Education Researchers Say Their Work Is ‘In Shambles’
The 74 Million

Ongoing long-term studies “are now kind of in shambles,” said Douglas Harris, director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University.

Epidemiologists uncertain whether long-feared autumn second wave of COVID-19 will materialize
Washington Examiner

"I suspect travel will increase for Thanksgiving," said Susan Hassig, an epidemiology professor at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

People Struggling With Addiction Are Turning To Telehealth During The Pandemic — For Better And For Worse
In The Know

As Dr. Patrick Bordnick, dean of the Tulane University School of Social Work, notes, many people lack access to reliable WiFi or a working cell phone or laptop, rendering them unable to attend Zoom meetings or FaceTime their therapists.
 
‘Disastrous’: Why It’s So Damaging For Trump Admin To Doctor The CDC’s COVID Reports
Talking Points Memo

Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, described the CDC reports to TPM as “accumulating information from all over the country, and collecting and answering questions that might not be answerable at the local level.”
 
Experts Say Trump Downplaying Risks Of The Coronavirus Was Not Justified
NPR

JOHN BARRY: Winston Churchill is famous for his "Blood, Sweat And Tears" (ph) speech, and that is a classic of what leadership is.

A shortage of test monkeys slows down coronavirus vaccine research
New York Daily News

“Their immune systems and immune responses are very similar to what you see in humans, and they can give you a very good idea of safety and efficacy in vaccines,” Jay Rappaport, director and chief academic officer of Tulane’s National Primate Research Center, told USA Today.
 
Should I Feel Guilty for Wanting to Travel Right Now?
Conde Nast Traveler

“[Travel] is not a question of safe, but a question of your own individual risk tolerance,” says [Susan] Hassig. “Nothing is perfectly safe. That's just a given.”
 
Wearing a Mask May Reduce How Sick You Get from COVID-19
Healthline

According to Robert F. Garry, Jr., PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, at Tulane University School of Medicine, a mask provides a physical barrier to catch those droplets.

America is facing a monkey shortage as demand skyrockets for COVID-19 research, experts say
USA Today

“There is a shortage,” said Dr. Skip Bohm, associate director and chief veterinary medical officer of the Tulane National Primate Research Center.

Why COVID-19 Is More Deadly in People With Obesity—Even If They're Young
Pulitzer Center

A recent study from Tulane University of 287 hospitalized COVID-19 patients found that metabolic syndrome itself substantially increased the risks of ICU admission, ventilation, and death.

Metabolic Syndrome Linked to Worse Outcomes in COVID-19
Endocrinology Advisor

John Xie, M.D., from the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, and colleagues collected data from 287 patients (85.4 percent non-Hispanic Black) with COVID-19 hospitalized at two hospitals from March 30 to April 5, 2020.
 
Creative school plans could counter inequities exposed by COVID-19
Science News

“There were gaps before. Now they’re wider,” says education economist Douglas Harris of Tulane University in New Orleans.
 
Why COVID-19 is more deadly in people with obesity—even if they're young
Science Magazine

A recent study from Tulane University of 287 hospitalized COVID-19 patients found that metabolic syndrome itself substantially increased the risks of ICU admission, ventilation, and death.

Risk ranking of everyday activities for COVID-19, according to an infectious-disease expert
Business Insider

Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, shares how to think about managing the risk of everyday activities

BMI identified as independent risk factor for COVID-19 ICU admission for African Americans
Healio

“The COVID-19 epidemic in the United States tracks along well-documented and historical health disparities, with early data suggesting disproportionate morbidity and mortality within the African American community,” Christine M. Bojanowski, MD, assistant professor and co-director of the adult cystic fibrosis program at Tulane University School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote.

Obesity boosts risks in COVID-19 from diagnosis to death
MD Edge

Pulmonologist Joshua L. Denson, MD, MS, of Tulane University, New Orleans, praised the review in an interview, but noted that some of the included studies have wide confidence intervals.

August 2020

America Is Running Low on a Crucial Resource for COVID-19 Vaccines
The Atlantic

For example, monkey and human immune systems are so similar that vaccine studies can use the same tests to measure antibodies in both. “Literally the same test,” says Skip Bohm, the associate director of the Tulane National Primate Research Center.
 
Cluster of high BP, diabetes and obesity linked to 4-fold greater mortality risk from Covid-19
Physician's Weekly

The findings suggest that metabolic syndrome is a “composite predictor of Covid-19 lethal outcome,” wrote researcher Joshua Denson, MD, of Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, and colleagues.
 
Metabolic Syndrome Linked to Worse Outcomes in COVID-19
Renal and Urology News

John Xie, MD, from the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, and colleagues collected data from 287 patients (85.4% non-Hispanic Black) with COVID-19 hospitalized at 2 hospitals from March 30 to April 5, 2020.

The 'nightmare' winter: What happens when Covid-19 and flu strike together?
Advisory Board

On one hand, Thomas LaVeist, dean of the school of public health and tropical medicine at Tulane University, said measures put in place to "help reduce the spread of [the coronavirus] are the same measures that would help reduce the spread of influenza."

Metabolic Syndrome Linked to Worse Outcomes in COVID-19
Drugs.com

John Xie, M.D., from the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, and colleagues collected data from 287 patients (85.4 percent non-Hispanic Black) with COVID-19 hospitalized at two hospitals from March 30 to April 5, 2020. The authors sought to examine the association of hypertension, obesity, and diabetes, individually and clustered as MetS, with COVID-19 outcomes.

Colleges Prepare to Weather Hurricanes and Fires
Inside Higher Ed

Michael Fitts, president of Tulane, said that disaster readiness and COVID-19 precautions go hand in hand. “Everything we do on campus has to take into account COVID-19,” he said. “For example, we built 13 new classrooms where students can be socially distanced and distanced from faculty, and all those classrooms are capable of withstanding a Category 3 hurricane.”
 
Telehealth etiquette advice for physicians
Medical Economics

Dr. Baum is Professor of Clinical Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Hospitalized coronavirus patients who are obese, have diabetes and high blood pressure are THREE TIMES more likely to die, study finds
Daily Mail

'Together, obesity, diabetes and pre-diabetes, high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels are all predictive of higher incidents of death in these patients,' said lead author Dr Joshua Denson, assistant professor of medicine and pulmonary and critical care medicine physician at Tulane University School of Medicine.

U.S. Coronavirus Cases Declining in Part Due to Mask Mandates and Bar Closures, Experts Say
People

Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, has also pointed towards the July 13 closure of bars and restaurants as a turning point for Louisiana. “That’s when we started seeing cases plateau,” Hassig said.

4 Ways to Enhance Human Interaction in Socially-Distanced Learning
Ed Surge

A recent study by researchers at Tulane University found that it took two school years for returning students to recover the learning lost to Hurricane Katrina.

COVID-19: There Is Only One Priority
Forbes

An excellent article in The New York Times, “A Warning for the United States From the Author of ‘The Great Influenza’” by John M. Barry, professor of public health at Tulane University and author of several books on historic pandemics, sets out the priorities for the future, and above all highlights the false dichotomy between bringing the pandemic under control and protecting the economy.

Study to explore risks and benefits of breastfeeding during COVID-19
News-Medical

Supported by a $200,000 collaborative grant awarded through the National Science Foundation Rapid Response Research funding mechanism, Meehan's research team at WSU and researchers at the University of Idaho, University of Washington, and Tulane University are working together on their new nationwide study on COVID-19 and infant feeding.

It’s Simple. Contain the Virus. The Economy Will Come Back.
New York Times

Mr. [John M.] Barry is the author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.”

NYC COVID-19 Deaths During Peak Rivaled 1918 Flu Fatalities
Healthline

And it should be noted that New York City had a relatively benign experience during the 1918 pandemic, added John Barry, MPH, an author, historian, and professor at Tulane University in New Orleans.

What Should We Still Be Cleaning And Disinfecting To Prevent COVID-19?
Huff Post

While other precautions are more crucial to preventing COVID-19, David Mushatt, chief of adult infectious diseases at the Tulane School of Medicine, encouraged the public to continue disinfecting high-touch surfaces in addition to following all the other CDC guidelines.

After the Pandemic, Medical Schools Will Never Be the Same. That Could Be a Good Thing.
Mother Jones

“At the end of the day,” says Dr. Kevin Krane, vice dean for academic affairs at Tulane University School of Medicine, “the MD is not an online degree.”

Louisiana may have passed the worst of its second COVID-19 surge
Washington Examiner

"I would like to hope that Louisiana [is past the peak], but I don’t feel completely comfortable saying that," said Susan Hassig, an epidemiology professor at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
 
The Contact Tracers Caring for America, Even if the Country Doesn't Care
Inverse

Charles Figley, the founder of Tulane University’s Traumatology Institute, likens compassion fatigue to the constant prodding of a recently healed wound.

Canceling college football is coming down to dollars and sense
NBC News

Gabe Feldman, the director of Tulane University’s sports law program, said that "liability is a concern for any entity that is opening its doors for whatever business they’re conducting right now.”

How The Coronavirus Has Upended College Admissions
NPR

"I don't even know where to begin," Jeff Schiffman, director of undergraduate admissions at Tulane University, said with a sigh. "We're going to have to hit the reset button hard on this one. It's going to take a compete retraining of how we review applications and what we're looking for. We're kind of figuring it out as we go."

11 Supposedly Fun Things We’ll Never Do the Same Way Again
New York Times

The tradition of singing around a birthday cake and blowing out the candles could fade. “Spit all over the cake has always been disgusting to me,” said Susan Hassig, an associate professor of epidemiology at Tulane University in New Orleans.
 
How racism undermines the COVID-19 response and recovery
Center for Health Journalism

Widespread disinformation on flyers targeting African Americans in New Orleans encouraged people not to get tested, according to Dr. Tom LaVeist, dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University.
 
Seven Ways the Pandemic Is Affecting Our Mental Health
Greater Good Magazine

“In an ironic twist, many of the strategies that are critical to ensuring our collective public health during this pandemic may put people at greater risk for . . . mental health issues,” write Frederick Buttell and Regardt J. Ferreira at Tulane University in a recent, special issue of the journal Psychological Trauma.

Demand for tutors skyrockets as pandemic lays bare inequalities in education
Los Angeles Daily News

When New Orleans schools shuttered in August 2005 and didn’t reopen until the following school year, students took two years to make up the learning they’d lost, according to research by Tulane’s Doug Harris.

Obesity, race play roles in severe COVID-19 illness among kids
NBC News

"There's something about obesity that causes an underlying inflammatory state that we don't understand that much about," said Dr. Josh Denson, a pulmonary medicine and critical care physician at the Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans.
 
High BMI linked to COVID-19 severity in African Americans
Medical News Today

Dr. Christine Bojanowski, an assistant professor at Tulane University’s School of Medicine, in New Orleans, LA, and the corresponding author of the present study, notes, “It is of tremendous importance that we identify risk factors and those individuals who may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19 infection, so that we are able [to] dedicate efforts toward supporting those most affected and in need.”

There’s More Evidence That Black Americans Face High Risks from COVID-19
Healthline

“It is of tremendous importance that we identify risk factors and those individuals who may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19 infection, so that we are able [to] dedicate efforts towards supporting those most affected and in need,” Dr. Christine Bojanowski, corresponding author of the study and an assistant professor in the department of medicine at Tulane University, said in a press release.

Experts Fear Trump Admin Will Rush To Promote Vaccine That’s Not Yet Ready
Talking Points Memo

“The individuals that receive the vaccine have to be exposed naturally to it,” Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, told TPM.   
 
African American BMi associated with severe COVID-19 and ICU admission
Medical Xpress

"It is of tremendous importance that we identify risk factors and those individuals who may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19 infection, so that we are able dedicate efforts towards supporting those most affected and in need," said Christine Bojanowski, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care and Environmental Medicine at Tulane University Health Science Center in New Orleans, La. Bojanowski is the corresponding author of the study.   
 
Obesity puts older African-Americans at higher risk for severe COVID-19
UPI

"This study is of particular interest in response to emerging reports revealing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the African American community in our country," said Bojanowski, assistant professor of medicine at Tulane.

Non-COVID-19 health care visits declined dramatically as pandemic hit
Mirage News

The study’s other authors are Engy Ziedan, an assistant professor of economics at Tulane University, and Coady Wing, an associate professor in the O’Neill School.

Covid Tests and Quarantines: Colleges Brace for an Uncertain Fall
New York Times

Temporary classrooms on Tulane University's campus in New Orleans are meant to encourage social distancing.

July 2020

Trump Admin Sidelines CDC To Give Pentagon ‘Unprecedented’ Role In Vaccine Distribution
Talking Points Memo

“It’s totally unprecedented,” Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in charge of the epidemiology program, told TPM.   
 
How to Strengthen Your Lungs to Fight COVID-19
AARP

"Anything that makes you breathe faster is basically a breathing exercise,” says Joshua Denson, a pulmonary and critical care specialist and assistant professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine. “My first advice would not be, ‘Go sit in a chair and breathe deeply.’ I'd say, ‘Get on a bike and ride 20 minutes a day,’ or ‘Go for a brisk walk.'" 

A Problematic Diversity Gap in Clinical Trials
Bloomberg

Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Dean Thomas LaVeist told Bloomberg that the pandemic’s scale means that even if just a small percentage of subjects have an adverse reaction to a drug or vaccine, that could mean millions of people.

'Warning Light': Novel coronavirus aerosols can remain infectious for up to 16 hours
Fox 17 Nashville

In a statement published on the Tulane University website, lead investigator Chad Roy, PhD, called the discovery "notable." “We saw very little deterioration in the infectiousness of these aerosols after 16 hours,” Roy stated.

Covid-19 Clinical Trials Aren’t Very Diverse and That’s a Problem
Bloomberg

Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Dean Thomas LaVeist, who also leads the Louisiana Covid-19 Health Equity Task Force, said racial diversity isn’t enough. Age and gender need to be factors, too.   
 
What's college football's best path to playing this season?
Yahoo! News

The rapid testing answers currently available simply aren’t good enough. Greg Stewart, the director of sports medicine at Tulane, says the antigen test available now is only 60 to 70 percent accurate.
 
Close relatives of the novel coronavirus may have circulated in bats for decades before jumping to humans
Phys.org

"The paper does a nice job at narrowing down some of the still-to-be answered questions about where this virus came from," said Robert Garry of the Tulane University School of Medicine who was not involved in the study.   
 
Why force college football players to choose between life-changing opportunities and COVID-19 exposure?
Center for Health Journalism

Dr. Thomas LaVeist, a national expert on health issues, is the dean of Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the Weatherhead Presidential Chair in Health Equity and Co-Chair of Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.

Careless behavior, decisions by Marlins and others during COVID-19 pandemic put MLB season in peril
Seattle Times

Players need to shed this attitude, according to Dr. Thomas A. LaVeist, Dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans.  
 
7 Research-Based Recommendations for What Schools Should Do Next
Education Week

By Douglas N. Harris & Katharine O. Strunk  

What Will College Look Like in the Fall? It Depends.
The Morning Dispatch

“A committee of students, faculty and staff are developing opportunities and programs to engage students in the new normal of campus life,” Tulane President Michael A. Fitts told The Dispatch.

China's 'Bat Woman' Shi Zhengli Says Nobody at Wuhan Lab Has Been Infected With Coronavirus
Newsweek

At the time, Robert Garry, a microbiologist at Tulane University, told NPR the decision was "highly unusual," saying "scientifically this doesn't make sense."

Coronavirus vs. Climate Change
IEEE Spectrum

Jesse Keenan, an associate professor of architecture and a social scientist at Tulane University who has studied sustainability extensively, tells Spectrum that getting groceries delivered is also not more eco-friendly if you’re getting groceries delivered but driving to do other errands in the same day.  
 
Autopsies Reveal Surprising Cardiac Changes in COVID-19 Patients
Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology

In addition to Vander Heide and Fox, the LSU Health New Orleans team included Pathology residents Aibek Akmatbekov, M.D.; Fernanda S. Lameira, M.D..; and Jack L. Harbert, M.D. Guang Li, and J. Quincy Brown from Tulane, also participated.

Pandemic taking a toll on mental health of hospital workers
AP News

“Over time, we all are vulnerable, and we’ll start to break down, no matter how good we are,” said Patrick Bordnick, dean of the School of Social Work at Tulane University, which is affiliated with UMC.

COVID-19 deaths are rising once again. What's driving the increase?
NBC News

"That's basically two to three airplanes' worth of people crashing" in a single day, said Dr. Josh Denson, a pulmonary medicine and critical care physician at the Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans. "It's insane."  
 
Pandemic Causing Older Workers to Leave Workforce Earlier Than Planned
PLANSPONSOR

Patrick Button, professor of economics at Tulane and an author of the study, tells PLANSPONSOR that while previous recessions have spared older workers from negative financial outcomes, the current recession caused by the pandemic disproportionately affects these workers.

What Do Coronavirus Racial Disparities Look Like State By State?
Black Voice News

In response, officials have changed their strategy, sending mobile testing vans to some of those areas, says Thomas LaVeist, dean of Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and co-chair of Louisiana’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.

Why the U.S. still doesn’t have control of COVID-19, 6 months after pandemic began
PBS

Amna Nawaz marks the moment with two people focused on solving the pandemic: Dr. Rajiv Shah of the Rockefeller Foundation and John Barry of Tulane University School of Public Health.
 
Some States Hit Record Infections as U.S. Nears 4 Million Cases; Growing Number of Major Retailers Requiring Masks at Stores; Several Mayors Issue Mask Mandates as Cases Surge in U.S.
CNN

With me now is John Barry, the author of the Great Influenza, the Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, adjunct faculty at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
 
Local health officers ask Maryland to resume restrictions on dining, bars after spike in coronavirus cases
Baltimore Sun

“States like Maryland were pretty good in the initial actions, but I don’t know of messaging that prepared people for a long, sustained effort,” said John M. Barry, author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History” and a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

‘Big window’ - Is testing plan rigorous enough for football?
Washington Post

Dr. Greg Stewart, the Tulane team physician, said determining what constitutes a high-risk exposure during a football game will often be a judgment call for medical staffs.  

When it comes to testing for COVID-19, America falls short
MPR News with Kerri Miller

Thomas LaVeist is a professor and dean at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. He also serves as the co-chair of Louisiana’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.  
 
13 temporary buildings will enable Tulane University to have in-person classes with social distancing
American School and University

According to Patrick J. Norton, senior vice president and chief operating officer, the temporary buildings feature soundproof walls and solid flooring and are climate-controlled and ADA accessible. They will be equipped with new furnishings, and all interior and exterior surfaces are easily sanitized.

President Trump Demotes His Campaign Manager; Trade Adviser Versus Fauci?; Wearing Of Mask Becomes Too Political; Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) Is Interviewed About Mandate Of Masks In Alabama.
CNN

John Barry, author, "The Great Influenza": I think we need close to that in certain states not necessarily nationally. If you compare what's going on with Europe, Italy has the population combined Texas, Florida, and Georgia. In all of Italy had 200 cases a day. And those three states you have tens of thousands of cases a day. If we had the number of cases in Italy, we would be near Italy -- near, you know, a fully functioning economy right now.   
 
What does it mean to declare racism a public health crisis?
Marketplace

“The public health emergency here, racism, is quite amorphous because racism is at the foundation of much of what we do in this society,” said Thomas LaVeist, dean of Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

The Flu May Linger in the Air, Just Like the Coronavirus
New York Times

In March, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that, under ideal laboratory conditions, the virus remained viable for up to three hours in aerosols; a more recent study, led by Chad Roy of Tulane University, found the germ’s longevity might be even more impressive.   
 
Feeling Exhausted? Maybe It's Empathy
Discover Magazine

Psychologist Charles Figley defines the concept of compassion fatigue as “a state of exhaustion and dysfunction biologically, psychologically and socially as a result of prolonged exposure to compassion stress and all it invokes.”   
 
In Pandemic, Digital Access and Parents' Education Made the Biggest Difference in Schools' Response
Education Week

Tulane University researchers from the National Center on Education Access and Choice and the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans tracked the Web sites of more than 3,500 traditional public, charter, and private schools beginning in May, roughly six weeks after schools nationwide closed in an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Politics Won’t Stop the Pandemic
New York Times

John M Barry is a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.”  
 
How Covid-19 is impacting employment for older workers
Quartz

But in a public health crisis, these jobs often involve more contact or can’t be done remotely, which might dissuade older people from taking on the work, says Patrick Button, an assistant economics professor at Tulane.  
 
New Study Does Not Find Stark Differences in How District, Charter and Private Schools Responded to COVID-19 Crisis
The 74 Million

That coalescence among different school types defies the notion that public schools were particularly slow or inept in their transition to virtual instruction, said Douglas Harris, an economics professor at Tulane and the director of REACH.

If the coronavirus is really airborne, we might be fighting it the wrong way
MIT Technology Review

“I honestly don’t know what people are waiting for,” says microbiologist Chad Roy of Tulane University in the US.   
 
Holly Richardson: The lessons of 1918. Will we learn them?
Salt Lake Tribune

John Barry, author of the 2004 book “The Great Influenza” and professor at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, described nurses who would report for duty in the morning and who would be dead by the end of their shift, of streetcar conductors who keeled over in the middle of their route and of children who starved to death because their parents died and there was no one to check on them.

10 Practical Problems During the Pandemic
Review of Ophthalmology

I just ran into a brick wall when I was trying to do delicate YAG lasers on posterior capsules,” says R. Bruce Wallace III, MD, FACS, founder and medical director of the Wallace Laser and Surgery Center in Alexandria, Louisiana, and a clinical professor at Louisiana State University and Tulane University School of Medicine.

Florida emerges as world's new epicenter for COVID-19
The Hill

“Young people don’t live in a bubble,” said Richard Oberhelman, associate dean for global health at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans.   
 
Coronavirus cancels Ivy League sports for rest of year
Fox Business

Tulane Department of Athletics team physician Dr. Greg Stewart says regularly testing student-athletes will be a ‘relatively significant burden’ on college athletic finances.

Texas Deaths Rise, Florida Cases Skew Older Ahead of Test Surge
Bloomberg

The number of cases often picks up after a holiday weekend, when people travel to see family and friends who aren’t part of their normal routines, said Richard Oberhelman, associate dean for global health at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

NBA increasing mental health resources for players during season restart
USA Today

Jenna Rosen is a professor of psychiatry at Tulane University and the New Orleans Pelicans’ director of mental health and wellness. She has played a significant role during the league’s shutdown, meeting with players as a group and individually.

From Katrina to COVID-19: There Are Reasons Disasters Hurt the Poor the Most
Washington Monthly

In Katrina, Andy Horowitz, a historian at Tulane University, answers this question by tracing more than a century of local and national political and economic decision making, shaping where and how people lived in and around metro New Orleans, who won and who lost.  
 
With Pandemic-Related Stress, Abuse Against Kids Can Surge
U.S. News & World Report

These changes in routine can upset kids, who may lash out and test limits. Stress from bad behavior, along with financial and other concerns can result in angry outbursts -- even verbal and physical abuse, said Dr. Charles Zeanah Jr., chair of psychiatry, and Dr. Myo Thwin Myint, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Tulane.

Coronavirus testing a stress threat for athletic budgets
AP News

Dr. Greg Stewart, team physician for Tulane athletics and the head of the American Athletic Conference’s COVID-19 medical advisory team, said sample pool testing makes sense and can save a “ton of money.”

Digital Health Aids Electrophysiology Practice
Medscape

During COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond Coauthor Dr. Nassir F. Marrouche of Tulane University School of Medicine, in New Orleans, Louisiana, told Reuters Health by email, "Digital health and telemedicine are here to stay. Our patients and consumers have been 'empowered' by digital health/wearables and adaptability is inevitable."

Tulane: Anonymous $1 Million Gift Will Fund Virus Research
AP News

“This gift will boost our efforts to find an end to this global pandemic and move toward Tulane’s ultimate goal of creating a system-wide approach to combating infectious disease that includes early detection, treatments and vaccines,” Tulane President Michael Fitts said.   
 
How doctors are innovating to treat COVID-19
PBS NewsHour

Robert Garry: These have worked very well in other serious diseases, like the Ebola virus. So, I'm waiting for the SARS-CoV-2 human monoclonal antibodies. I think that those are very likely to have a major impact on the course of this illness.

Despite warnings, the US wasn’t prepared with masks for coronavirus. Now it’s too late.
USA Today

Elizabeth Townsend Gard, a law professor at Tulane University in New Orleans, launched the MillionMasksADay.com website with friend and fellow quilter Seth Hackler. They were among dozens of groups across the country that have donated tens of thousands of colorful cotton masks.   
 
Synthetic antibody could prevent and treat COVID-19
Medical News Today

“Unlike other agents in development against the virus, this protein is engineered to go to the lungs to neutralize the virus before it can infect lung cells.” – Lead study author Dr. Jay Kolls, Tulane University

June 2020

As virus cases spike, Louisiana struggles with tracking work
AP News

“Contact tracing’s a basic public health tool. It’s really important for us to identify people who’ve been exposed to a disease, to test them and, if need be, quarantine them until the results are back, and if necessary, put them in isolation if the result is positive,” said Patricia Kissinger, an epidemiology professor at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.  
 
Dr. Susan Hassig on New Orleans progress on slowing coronavirus spread
Fox News

Associate Professor at Tulane University, Dr. Susan Hassig, joins Arthel Neville to discuss New Orleans' progress in reducing the spread of coronavirus.  
 
The ‘Katrina To COVID Class’: How The Coronavirus Era Affects New Orleans Students More Acutely
HuffPost

“We know this is true, though they’re not going to be able to make that connection — ‘Oh, I’m feeling this way about COVID because, you know, early in my life these other things happened,’” said Denese Shervington, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the Tulane University School of Medicine who focuses on community wellness as CEO of the Institute for Women and Ethnic Studies, the nonprofit she founded 27 years ago.  
 
TB, Measles, Polio Vaccines Might Fight COVID-19
Voice of America

"What we think is that the live organisms can actually interact with these cells and then educate them so that they're a little different once they're called back out" to fight an infection, Tulane University microbiology and immunology professor Mairi Noverr said.

As virus grows, governors rely on misleading hospital datas
AP News (and other outlets, including the Washington Post)

Thomas LaVeist, dean of the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, said basing pandemic and reopening policy on statewide hospital bed capacity ”is incredibly irresponsible.”

As universities plan for students' return amid coronavirus, some schools worry about risky 'culture'
ABC News

Michael Fitts, the president of Tulane University in New Orleans, La., told ABC News school officials there are keeping a close eye on the public health situation in the state, have been "following public experts" and are prepared to move all classes online if it becomes necessary.

Massive Racial Disparity in New Orleans COVID Crisis
NBC Nightly News

Featuring Interview with Thomas LaVeist, Dean of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
 
What You Should Know About Reopened Gyms And Coronavirus
HuffPost

“I would recommend calling the gym and asking them what they are doing to reduce the likelihood of transmission and acquisition of coronavirus in their facilities,” said Susan Hassig, associate professor in epidemiology at Tulane University.
 
Researchers suggest MMR vaccine could help protect against COVID-19 symptoms
The Denver Channel

“I think this concept with live attenuated vaccines inducing this response that controls the inflammation as opposed to targeting the actual viral infection, it’s going to serve as a stop gap measure until we get a real legitimate vaccine developed that’s been shown to be efficacious and safe,” said Dr. Mairi Noverr, a professor at Tulane’s school of medicine.

COVID-19 antibodies may fade in as little as 2 months, study says
ABC News

"I think that you're going to see as the immune response wanes in these respiratory infections, there is a possibility that you could get reinfected," said Dr. Robert Garry, professor at the Tulane University School of Medicine.

65% of colleges are preparing for in-person classes this fall
CNBC

One school preparing for in-person classes is Tulane University.

Tulane University researchers develop synthetic antibody against COVID-19
Yahoo! News

Tulane University researchers develop synthetic antibody against COVID-19.

Return of college athletes gives glimpse of back to school
AP News

The average student isn’t facing that type of pressure to take precautions, which worries Dr. Greg Stewart, the team physician for Tulane athletics.
 
Researchers Propose a Clinical Trial To Test MMR Vaccine for COVID-19
Technology Networks

Long-time collaborators and spouses Dr. Paul Fidel, Jr., Department Chair, Oral and Craniofacial Biology, and Associate Dean for Research, Louisiana State University Health School of Dentistry and Dr. Mairi Noverr Professor of Microbiology & Immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans co-authored the perspective article based on ideas stemming from research in their labs.

What does the landscape of higher education look in the era of the coronavirus?
Today

Interview with President Michael Fitts

What’s your risk from coronavirus? Lower than we think, new study suggests
Mercury News

Tulane University epidemiologist Susan E. Hassig said that unlike say, HIV, which is spread through sex or drug needles, it’s often a mystery how a person was infected with the new coronavirus.

In 'Cancer Alley,' a renewed focus on systemic racism is too late
NBC News

Similarly, researchers at Tulane University and the University of Memphis made the argument that long-term exposure to air pollution itself "should be considered a pre-existing condition for COVID-19.”

Police die enforcing Latin America's strictest lockdown as Peru's futile strategy unravels
The Telegraph

While initial measures appeared bold and swift on the surface, there were “missing parts” behind the scenes, according to Valerie Paz-Soldan, a social scientist studying infectious diseases at Tulane University’s offices in Lima.
 
Our biggest questions yet about immunity to covid-19
MIT Technology Review

Tulane University virologist Robert Garry highlights that the flu vaccine, for instance, doesn’t give absolute protection against influenza, but instead is designed to prevent a substantial infection and keep things “from falling off a cliff.”

Could an everyday childhood vaccine help against coronavirus?
CNN

"There is mounting evidence that live attenuated vaccines provide nonspecific protection against lethal infections unrelated to the target pathogen of the vaccine by inducing 'trained' nonspecific innate immune cells for improved host responses against subsequent infections," Paul Fidel of Louisiana State University and Mairi Noverr of Tulane University wrote in a letter to the journal mBio.

Coronavirus ‘second wave’ debate ‘misses the whole point,’ experts say
ABC News

Dr. John M. Barry, a Tulane University professor and author of "The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History," said a second wave remains dependent on whether Americans can redouble prevention efforts.

States fail to get ready as coronavirus outbreaks rise
Washington Examiner

“The problem that we have been experiencing here in Louisiana, and I suspect it's not an uncommon problem in other states, is that not everybody's picking up when they're called,” said Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University.
 
Coronavirus Liability Waivers Raise Questions As College Athletes Return to Campus
Sports Illustrated

A uniform codified standard would benefit many industries, including universities, says Gabe Feldman, an expert on NCAA matters and the director of sports law at Tulane.
 
Integrin-binding peptide ATN-161: Potential COVID-19 treatment
Medical News

Now, a new study by researchers at Tulane University and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 reports the potential role of an integrin inhibitor ATN-161 to prevent ACE2-S protein binding.

Read This Before You Stay in a Hotel
Elemental

Susan Hassig, DrPH, an associate professor of epidemiology at Tulane University’s School of Public Health, also recommends calling ahead to find out what the hotel’s current procedures are regarding room turnover rate.

COVID-19 in allogeneic stem cell transplant: high false-negative probability and role of CRISPR and convalescent plasma
Nature

Alex Niu, Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Deming Department of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA / April McDougal Section of Infectious Diseases, Deming Department of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA

What ICU doctors have learned about COVID-19 — and how they're prepared for a 2nd wave
NBC News

Dr. Josh Denson, a pulmonary medicine and critical care physician in New Orleans, said he diagnosed the first critically ill COVID-19 patient in Louisiana. But the hospital did not yet have strict protocols for quarantining patients.

How we know the COVID-19 coronavirus wasn't made in a lab
Business Insider

Robert Garry: We honed in on the parts of the virus that we thought were unique and that might play a role in the evolution of the virus, but also in the pathogenesis of it. And a couple of things stood out pretty quickly when we starting to compare with the other coronaviruses that have come before.
 
How 132 Epidemiologists Are Deciding When to Send Their Children to School
New York Times

“Must have social distancing, masks and hand hygiene programs.” Lydia Bazzano, Tulane University

How COVID-19 has changed how Americans eat
MD Linx

“These findings suggest that although 34% to 42% of US adults in our study reported weight-loss efforts, many of them might either not actually implement weight-loss strategies or apply a minimal level of effort, which yielded unsatisfactory results,” said corresponding author Lu Qi, MD, PhD, director of the Obesity Research Center, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Coronavirus Advice is Everywhere. It Was the Same With the Spanish Flu.
Wall Street Journal

"Some of those were scams," said John Barry, a scholar at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
 
Practicing Medicine in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Doctors Adapt, Improvise
Renal and Urology News

“Telemedicine is assuming tsunami-like growth and has reached the critical mass where patients will expect that their provider will be able to conduct a virtual visit,” said Neil Baum, MD, Professor of Clinical Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, a proponent of virtual medicine.

Summer school 2020: Hints for how the fall will go?
Christian Science Monitor

What is offered this summer should be based on student needs, which will vary by how much support schools and families could provide this spring, says Douglas Harris, a professor at Tulane University in New Orleans who researches the economics of education.
 
These Factors Will Determine What The Next COVID Outbreak Will Look Like
Talking Points Memo

Dr. Susan Hassig, a Tulane epidemiologist, told TPM that states like Arizona and Florida have been seeing “a continual upward direction in terms of cases.”
 
Maryland coronavirus hospitalizations reach two-week streak of declines as health experts warn lawmakers of potential surge in cases
Baltimore Sun

If there is a spike, it will be difficult to determine the cause — whether it’s due to protests or people socializing and going out to eat and shop — said Thomas LaVeist, dean of Tulane University’s public health school, who also spoke to lawmakers.

NCAA finalizing plan for extended college football preseason
Associated Press

Tulane team physician Greg Stewart, who is heading the American Athletic Conference’s COVID-19 advisory panel, said the hope is testing and screening of the players for the coronavirus will go well enough that players won’t need to use face coverings during practice.

Virologists vigorously debunk new study on origins of the novel coronavirus
ABC News

"No scientist or group of scientists created this virus in a laboratory. That would require insight into [viral] pathogenesis and protein engineering that does not exist," said Robert Garry, Ph.D., virologist at Tulane University.
 
New York City restaurants may be able to offer outdoor dining as soon as June 22, mayor says
Business Insider

Outdoor dining is relatively low-risk, as long as diners are seated at least 6 feet away from each other, because of the increased air flow, Susan Hassig, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, previously told Business Insider.

Risk ranking of everyday activities for COVID-19, according to an infectious-disease expert
Business Insider

Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, shares how to think about managing the risk of everyday activities
 
Could a measles shot reduce deadly inflammation in coronavirus patients? Scientists are testing MMR vaccines to prevent sepsis that kills many COVID-19 sufferers
Daily Mail

Dr. Mairri Noverr at Tulane University thinks that the MMR or tuberculosis vaccine could combat sepsis.
 
Will ‘Free College’ Survive COVID-19? How the Pandemic Could Devastate College Promise Programs — and Why the November Election Might Be Their Only Hope
The 74 Million

Without help from the federal government, the programs are “going to be shells of their former selves,” said Douglas Harris, a professor of economics at Tulane University and fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Analysis: Will Louisiana see spike as virus rules loosen?
Associated Press

The health department contracted with 11 test providers, including commercial labs, Tulane and LSU health facilities, hospitals and clinics.
 
New York City just unveiled its plan for outdoor dining. Here's how the city plans to use sidewalks, curb sides, and open streets for restaurants.
Business Insider

Outdoor dining is relatively low-risk, as long as diners are seated at least 6 feet away from each other, because of the increased air flow, Susan Hassig, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, previously told Business Insider.

COVID-19 slows name, image and likeness legislation in Congress, but it's not only hindrance
CBS Sports

Gabe Feldman, director of the Tulane Sports Law Program, proposed during the meeting that Congress intervene to give states more time to develop across-the-board uniformity.

Farm-to-table dining takes on new meaning amid pandemic
Associated Press

“The two biggest problems are facilitating distribution throughout the supply chain while protecting worker health, and revamping food demand in a way that avoids further disruptions,” said LaPorchia Collins, a professor in the Department of Economics at Tulane University.

To Test or Not Test: The Question That Could Determine the College Football Season
Sports Illustrated

At Tulane, team doctor Greg Stewart is considering a twice-a-week virus test for athletes—a protocol that most if not all schools will follow once full practices and/or the season begin. “We’re making assumptions that all of them are asymptomatic,” Stewart says.
 
Off Script: Black Lives, COVID-19, Katrina, and Social Justice—Time for Healers to Step Up
TCTMD

By Keith C. Ferdinand

Monster or machine? A profile of the coronavirus at 6 months
New York Times

“Those scenarios are so unlikely as to be impossible,” said Dr. Robert Garry, a microbiologist at Tulane University and an expert on emerging diseases.
 
College Admissions and COVID-19: An Evolving Landscape
American Foreign Service Association

Jeff Schiffman, the director of admissions at Tulane University, says: “If you include on your Common Application activities section a list of all the books you read for pleasure during your social distancing, I’ll love it. Get creative … We will love seeing anything you did during this wacky time.”

What COVID-19 Prison Outbreaks Could Teach Us About Herd Immunity
The Marshall Project

But the crowded conditions and lack of protection equipment that made prisons disproportionately vulnerable to outbreaks mean they are a good bet to be the places where we find out, said Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

How to prepare for hurricane season in the COVID-19 pandemic: What's changed
The Tennessean

“It is a difficult situation trying to simultaneously communicate protective courses of action to two very distinct threats with very different messages,” said Tulane University assistant professor Stephen Murphy, whose research focuses on effective disaster resilience strategies.

May 2020

Risk Ranking Of Everyday Activities For COVID-19, According To An Infectious-Disease Expert
Business Insider

As more parts of the country start reopening during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, shares how to think about managing the risk of everyday activities for yourself.

ICE keeps transferring detainees around the country, leading to COVID-19 outbreaks
NBC News

If half of detainees tested come back positive, ICE isn't testing enough, said Dr. Anjali Niyogi, associate professor at Tulane School of Medicine, a public health expert who has been treating coronavirus cases in New Orleans.
 
What Do Coronavirus Racial Disparities Look Like State By State?
NPR

In response, officials have changed their strategy, sending mobile testing vans to some of those areas, says Thomas LaVeist, dean of Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and co-chair of Louisiana's COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.

How long can Americans live in a state of emergency?
Christian Science Monitor

Yet when it comes to civil liberties and the 1918 flu, even that comparison isn’t fully on point, according to John M. Barry, a historian at Tulane University and author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.”
 
What happens if a hurricane hits Texas in the middle of a pandemic?
Dallas Morning News

A worst-case scenario would be a major hurricane hitting the coast in late October as cold and flu season begins and as cases of COVID-19 could see a second spike across the country, according to Dr. Thomas A. LaVeist, dean of Tulane University’s school of public health and tropical medicine.

How to camp during a historic pandemic
Mashable

"Any place people congregate is a place where the virus can spread rapidly," said Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University.

As restaurants reopen, here’s what you should know about air conditioning, air flow and the coronavirus
Washington Post

“That evidence is building right now,” says Chad Roy, director of infectious-disease aerobiology at the Tulane National Primate Research Center.

'We All Feel At Risk': 100,000 People Dead From COVID-19 In The U.S.
NPR

"I think anybody who understands anything about infectious disease recognizes that we were going to sooner or later face something like this," said John Barry, a professor at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and author of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, on NPR's Fresh Air earlier this month.

Covid-19 Flares Up in America's Polluted ‘Sacrifice Zones’
Wired

“Parishes with more pollution and higher percentages of African Americans have higher Covid-19 death rates,” says Kimberly Terrell, director of community outreach at the Tulane clinic. “And that is not explained by poverty, by unemployment, by diabetes, or by obesity.”

New normal for medicine emerges as hospitals return to elective surgeries, non-COVID work
ABC News

Dr. Brandon Mauldin, the Chief Medical Officers of the Tulane Health System in Louisiana, referred to this dilemma as a "balancing act."
 
Dr. Joshua Denson on possibility of second COVID-19 wave
Fox News

Tulane Medical Center expert, Dr. Joshua Denson joins Neil Cavuto to discuss the possibility of a second COVID-19 wave as crowds flock to beaches over the holiday weekend.

How to avoid a second wave of infections
Washington Post

John M. Barry is author of The Great Influenza: the story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History and a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Anonymous African American donors step up to tackle food insecurity during COVID-19 pandemic
ABC News

Tulane professor Diego Rose would not be surprised if that number surges past 15% when new data comes in.

¿Cómo viviremos juntos? (How Will We Live Together?)
El Pais

Iñaki Alday Decano de la Escuela de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Tulane en Nueva Orleans. Ostenta la Catedra Koch de Arquitectura.

When eviction protections are lifted, how will people afford to pay accumulated rent?
San Francisco Chronicle

Sally Richardson, a professor at Tulane Law School, said balloon payments could devastate households nationwide.

Why some viruses die out in summer, but others thrive
Medium

“The million-dollar question is why they behave differently,” said David Mushatt, the infectious disease section chief at Tulane University School of Medicine.

Pandemic magnifies uncertainty amid NOAA's forecast for active hurricane season
S&P Global

Regarding service restoration, Tulane Energy Institute Associate Director Eric Smith said, "Even without hurricanes, utilities are already having difficulties with staffing up for long-scheduled nuclear refueling projects.
 
Tulane and LSU: Leaders committed to reopening education, research progress
The Advocate

Mike Fitts is the president of Tulane University. Tom Galligan is interim president of LSU.

White House Cases Show How Easily COVID-19 Can Invade a Workplace
Healthline

One of the key lessons the White House’s response can teach us is the limitations of testing as a way to control COVID-19 spread, according to Susan Hassig, DrPH, MPH, an epidemiologist and director of the master’s in public health program at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in Louisiana

The Latest: Pennsylvania working on sports virus guidelines
AP News

The American Athletic Conference is forming a COVID-19 medical advisory group that will be chaired by Tulane director of sports medicine Greg Stewart.
 
Why some viruses die out in summer, but others don't
Mashable

"The million-dollar question is why they behave differently," said David Mushatt, the infectious disease section chief at Tulane University School of Medicine.
 
Indiana Players Will Return to Completely Different Campus in a Few Weeks
Sports Illustrated

"I told people I thought shutting down everything was hard. This opening up is... 'Oh my God!'" says Greg Stewart, the longtime Tulane team physician who has recently been charged with leading the American Athletic Conference's reopening plan.
 
HISTORY CHECK: Did 1918 Spanish flu ‘decimate more than 300,000’ South Africans in just two years?
Africa Check

John Barry is professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. In a recent interview, he pointed out that the Spanish flu had a shorter incubation period than Covid-19.

COVID-19's Turmoil Could Make Schools a Potent Election Issue
Education Week

If Washington’s education relief turns out to be relatively meager, “You can bet that Biden will point that out,” said Douglas N. Harris, professor and chair of economics at Tulane University.

COVID-19: “Communities of colour are at ground zero for this crisis”
Cardiovascular News

[Keith C] Ferdinand talks to Cardiovascular News about the potential reasons for this higher mortality rate and the general implications for healthcare inequalities seen among racial/ethnic minority groups.
 
The Struggles of Homeschooling in the World’s Tiniest Apartments
Bloomberg

“This is the biggest crisis schools have ever faced,” said Douglas Harris, an economics professor and director of the Education Research Alliance at Tulane University in New Orleans.
 
New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward battling racial disparities brought on by coronavirus
Fox News

Thomas LaVeist, dean of Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, said the accelerated spread in poorer black communities was alarming but not surprising.
 
Evidence suggests no COVID-19-related harm from RAAS antagonists
Healio

"Overall, they are quite consistent in failing to show a relationship between renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors and COVID-19 infection or severe/fatal complications,” Paul K. Whelton, MB, MD, MSc, Show Chwan Professor of Global Public Health, department of epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Tulane University of Medicine, told Healio.

Will the Coronavirus Make Us Rethink Mass Incarceration?
New Yorker

This logic was pernicious; according to an open letter written by the dean of Tulane’s public-health school and other experts, the longer the parish delayed releases, the more genuine the threat of mass infection in the jail was—and thus the more likely it would be to spread to the public.
 
The risk levels of everyday activities like dining out, going to the gym, and getting a haircut, according to an infectious-disease expert
Business Insider

So we spoke with Dr. Susan Hassig, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, about the risks of going out to eat, gathering with friends, and opening mail.

'I'm Scared': Study Links Cancer Alley Air Pollution to Higher Death Rates From Covid-19
Gizmodo

“Air pollution is something we sort of think of as a slow killer, but covid-19 really illustrates that it can also be a fast killer,” lead author Kimberly Terrell, the director of community outreach at the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, told Earther.

Why Are Women-Led Nations Doing Better With Covid-19?
New York Times

When Ruth Carlitz, a political scientist at Tulane University, analyzed governors’ track records in the United States, she found that women were not quicker to impose lockdowns to fight the coronavirus.
 
COVID-19 and scientific confusion — What we don't know and why we don't know it
CBC Radio

We want to make sure we do a complete job... That collective data has to be so strong.- Dr. Chad Roy

The Richest Neighborhoods Emptied Out Most as Coronavirus Hit New York City
New York Times

Fleeing a city during a time of crisis is an instinctive reaction for many of us, said Andy Horowitz, a professor at Tulane University who studies disasters and wrote a book about the impact of Hurricane Katrina.
 
White House Cases Show How Easily COVID-19 Can Invade a Workplace
Healthline

One of the key lessons the White House’s response can teach us is the limitations of testing as a way to control COVID-19 spread, according to Susan Hassig, DrPH, MPH, an epidemiologist and director of the master’s in public health program at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in Louisiana.

What coronavirus outbreaks have in common
Mashable

That's the reality, for perhaps a year or longer. Take it from experts who know pathogens best. "I wash my hands incessantly," said Thomas LaVeist, dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University.
 
Polar Explorers Talk About How to Keep Your Cool in Isolation
Vice

Brent Goehring, assistant professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Tulane University: My job is to go and collect geology samples, and quite often they're in remote locations like Antarctica.

Men Have More Severe Coronavirus Symptoms. What About Boys?
Fatherly

So far, the evidence doesn’t point to it, says Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine. “Young boys don’t have a lot of risk,” she says.

Isaacson: It’s going to be a delicate balancing act for businesses
CNBC

Tulane University professor and advisory partner at Parella Weinberg Walter Isaacson and Ulta CEO Mary Dillon discuss the path forward for business post-pandemic.
 
African countries ease Covid-19 measures amid warnings of possible rebound
La Prensa Latina

“Without government palliative measures, many people would starve and a lot would rather die of Covid-19 than of hunger. So it is a dicey situation,” said [Adaora] Okoli, who works as a resident doctor at Tulane University in the United States.
 
Design Thinking Will Be Essential In A Post Coronavirus World, Says Trinidadian Educator
Jamaicans.com

Such is the opinion of Caribbean educator Dr. Lesley Ann Noel, Professor of Practice at The Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Vitamin D could play role in lessening risk if you get COVID-19
11 Alive

"That is what the study suggests, that having a higher vitamin D level may be protective," said Tulane Professor of Medicine Dr. Jay Kolls, an adult and pediatric pulmonologist who specializes in lung immunology research.

Coronavirus and Water Systems
Water Environment Federation

Lee Gary is an Adjunct Professor at Tulane University, an instructor with the Basic Academy at the FEMA/Emergency Management Institute (Emmitsburg, Md.) and the owner and CEO of Strategic Management Services (New Orleans). Samendra Sherchan is an Assistant Professor at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (New Orleans, La.).

Librarian Volunteers Help WHO Make Sense of COVID Information
Library Journal

David Banush, dean of libraries at Tulane’s Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, believes the LRC will help universities understand the value of librarians beyond their traditional mandate.

The Search for a Covid-19 Research Animal Model
Wired

Without an animal model that closely replicates what goes on in humans, there’s potential for harm in a fast-moving pandemic response like the one mobilizing now, warns Jay Rappaport, the director of Tulane National Primate Research Center.
 
Covid-19 may last up to 2 years: US researchers
India Today

The four researchers who compared the trends from past pandemics are Dr Kristine A. Moore (CIDRAP's medical director), Dr Marc Lipsitch (director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health), John M. Barry (professor at Tulane University School of Public Health) and Michael T. Osterholm (director of CIDRAP).

Challenges abound for students forced to take classes remotely
CBS News

"It's hard to understate how big a deal it is," said Doug Harris, a professor at Tulane University in New Orleans, who is studying the impact of the coronavirus on schools.

Evidence mounts on the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on ethnic minorities
The Lancet

“I do not think that the pattern we are seeing in COVID-19 deaths for African Americans is solely due to pre-existing health conditions”, says Thomas A LaVeist, Dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.

How to communicate in a postmodern pandemic
Quartz

Mass graves and trains were needed to handle the dead at stricken army bases and small towns, chronicles John Barry, a historian at Tulane University and author of The Great Influenza.
 
How can the Caribbean prepare for a post-COVID-19 world?
Global Voices

Lesley-Ann Noel, associate director for design thinking for social impact and professor of practice at Tulane University, believes that design thinking is a great way for Caribbean nations to reengineer many aspects of life — and governance — after the pandemic.

‘We are living in a catastrophe’: Peru's jungle capital choking for breath as Covid-19 hits
The Guardian

The pandemic could not have arrived at a worse time, said Valerie Paz-Soldan, a Peruvian-American social scientist and director of Tulane Health Offices for Latin America.
 
Schools Try to Stem ‘Covid Slide’ Learning Loss
Wall Street Journal

It took students who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans two years to catch up to where they would have been had the disaster not happened, according to Doug Harris, an economics professor at Tulane University and founding director of the Educational Research Alliance, which has studied the effects of the New Orleans school system after the 2005 hurricane.

Neil H. Baum, MD, on Telemedicine in Oncology
Cancer Network

In an interview with CancerNetwork®, Neil H. Baum, MD, professor of clinical urology at Tulane Medical School, discussed the transition to telemedicine and how coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may have changed the practice of medicine moving forward.

New Orleans Cancels Famed Jazz Funerals Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Black Enterprise

“You can trace the impact of the health crisis in New Orleans by the silence of the city — no brass bands, no funerals, no church services happening,” said Tulane University ethnomusicologist Matt Sakakeeny. “Mourning is happening in the homes.”
 
We spoke to the mayor of Salt Lake City, an investment analyst, and infectious disease experts to learn about when and how the US will reopen
Business Insider

Restaurants would need to have tables spaced at least 6 feet apart from each other, and staff would still need to be screened and wear masks, said Dr. Susan Hassig, associate professor of epidemiology at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Profile of a killer: the complex biology powering the coronavirus pandemic
Nature

Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, estimates that it gives SARS-CoV-2 a 100–1,000 times greater chance than SARS-CoV of getting deep into the lungs.

Crisis and Adaptation for the Public Good
Stanford Social Innovation Review

Given the world-wide shock to our systems—including higher education—represented by COVID-19, Tulane’s example of a pivot, rather than a simple return to the pre-crisis status quo, presents a useful example for other institutions.

Will Coronavirus Be the Death or Salvation of Big Plastic?
Time

“It’s a sad scenario in West Texas,” Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute, told industry news outlet 1020 Industry Report earlier this month. “This is perfectly good natural gas, but it’s being flared. The price is so low that there’s no incentive for them to do anything else.”
 
How Might the Change of Seasons Affect Covid-19?
Wired

For that project, Chad J. Roy, a microbiologist and director of the infectious disease aerobiology and biodefense research programs at Tulane University’s National Primate Center, oversaw work at two universities and two government labs in which the Covid-19 virus was aerosolized and spun in a high-velocity drum, what he describes as “a very stressful environment for pathogens.”d industry news outlet 1020 Industry Report earlier this month. “This is perfectly good natural gas, but it’s being flared. The price is so low that there’s no incentive for them to do anything else.”
 
Wake-Up Call
Grist

Kimberly Terrell, director of community outreach at the Tulane University Environmental Law Clinic, identified Louisiana’s PM 2.5 hotspots and looked at the COVID-19 outbreaks in those locations.

Trump administration terminates funding of coronavirus bat research in China
CBS News

Professor Robert Garry of the University of Tulane joins CBSN to talk funding cuts, conspiracy theories, and the importance of cataloging the hundreds of different coronaviruses found in Chinese bats.

Will warm weather slow coronavirus?
Gulf News

John M. Barry is the author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History” and a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

The fractured generation takes shape
The Hill

Brian T. Edwards is the dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Tulane University. His most recent book is “After the American Century: The Ends of U.S. Culture in the Middle East.”

Coronavirus Pandemic Likely to Last Two Years, Report Says
Bloomberg

The report was written by CIDRAP director Michael Osterholm and medical director Kristen Moore, Tulane University public health historian John Barry, and Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health.
 
To study coronavirus in the air, all eyes on a Chinese restaurant
ABC News

“There is a growing body of evidence that people can be infected by airborne transmission,” Dr. Chad Roy, one of the authors of the study, told ABC News.
 
In the Deep South, COVID-19 reveals systemic issues hurting vulnerable black communities
Tennessean

“Clearly this is a very discriminatory disease,” said Thomas LaVeist, the dean of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. “It discriminates among people with several forms of disadvantages: the poor, the immunocompromised, those who can’t work from home on Zoom.”

April 2020

Will Warm Weather Slow Coronavirus?
New York Times

By John M. Barry- Mr. Barry is the author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.”
 
After coronavirus, expect high school dropout wave. 9/11 was the trigger for my sisters.
USA Today

Doug Harris, a Tulane researcher who tracked students after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, predicts that “unfortunately, we’re going to see a spike in the high school dropout rate” and a decline in college enrollments.

Why The U.S. Government Stopped Funding A Research Project On Bats And Coronaviruses
NPR

To learn more about the cutoff of funds and the possible impact on coronavirus research, NPR interviewed the president of EcoHealth Alliance, Peter Daszak, as well as Robert Garry, a microbiologist at Tulane University who is playing a prominent role in COVID-19 research but who does not work with the nonprofit.
 
African Americans struggle with disproportionate COVID death toll
MSN

Dr. Keith Ferdinand, professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, said numerous variables are making African Americans more vulnerable to COVID-19.
 
Architecture Deans on How COVID-19 Will Impact Architecture Education
Archinect

"New delivery modes and technologies may help us to criticize the very own relation of master and pupil that we have kept nurturing over generations [...] and to suggest a more open and challenging relation."- Iñaki Alday, Dean & Koch Chair in Architecture, Tulane University School of Architecture
 
Clinical Wearable Biostrap Launches COVID-19 Study
San Antonio Express-News

“No other wearable I am aware of has the same level of informative detail enabling me to collect and dissect the clinical data than Biostrap,” says Dr. Nassir Marrouche, Professor of Medicine at Tulane University, noting that life during and after COVID-19 is going to be different than it was before; wearables and telemedicine are the inevitable reality of medicine.

Will Trump’s name on stimulus checks help win him votes in November?
Washington Post

Virginia Oliveros (@VirOliveros) is associate professor of political science at Tulane University and 2019-2020 visiting fellow at the Kellogg Institute at the University of Notre Dame.
 
The Anti-Mask League: lockdown protests draw parallels to 1918 pandemic
The Guardian

“Hassler and the mayor, whose wife was ill, called for remasking,” says historian John M Barry, a professor at Tulane University’s school of public health and the author of The Great Influenza.
 
Legal Jargon on Cruise Tickets May Foil Class-Action Suits
Bloomberg

“These claims are enormous – nothing the industry’s seen before with so many passengers fallen sick and bringing suit,” said Martin Davies, director of the Tulane Maritime Law Center at Tulane University Law School.
 
U.S. Concerned China Still Not Being Transparent About Lab Activities, Says Secretary Of State Pompeo
Newsweek

"Our analyses, and others too, point to an earlier origin than that. There were definitely cases there, but that wasn't the origin of the virus," Robert Garry, a professor at Tulane University School of Medicine, told ABC News.

School of Architecture Deans Detail COVID-19’s Impact on End of the Year Activities
Archinect

"Students will exhibit their work taking as much space as needed, probably in the digitally recreated spaces of our building. Now we have about 200 review rooms and main lobbies available!"- Iñaki Alday, Dean & Koch Chair in Architecture, Tulane University School of Architecture

What to Know About COVID-19 Testing Right Now
Healthline

“They often, but not always, correlate with immunity, as sometimes they work in concert with cellular immunity to provide immune protection,” said Dr. David Mushatt, an infectious disease specialist and section chief of infectious diseases at Tulane University.
 
COVID-19 'Therapy' Arrhythmic Risks Put Focus on 12-Lead ECG Alternatives
Medscape

Nassir F. Marrouche, MD, speaking with theheart.org | Medscape Cardiology, wondered "whether we are overdoing it" with calls to monitor the QTc for side effects of the off-label treatments.
 
Will COVID-19 Finally Trigger Action on Health Disparities?
Medscape

The question is, he asks, will the nation finally "think differently, and as has been done in response to other major diseases, declare that a civil society will no longer accept disproportionate suffering?" Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, doesn't think so.
 
School of Architecture Deans Voice Institutional Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis, Part I
Archinect

"Tulane University and the School of Architecture are probably in a special place in a circumstance like this one due to our preparation of hurricanes and climatic events." - Iñaki Alday, Dean & Koch Chair in Architecture, Tulane University School of Architecture

A Virginia preacher believed ‘God can heal anything.’ Then he caught coronavirus.
Washington Post

John Barry, a scholar of the 1918 influenza pandemic who teaches at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, lives in New Orleans. He was closely tracking the spread of the virus and would become an active critic of the Trump administration’s response.
 
In the 'epicenter of the epicenter,' were early heart attacks a missed coronavirus warning?
ABC News

Dr. Siyab Panhwar, cardiology fellow at Tulane Medical Center, also warned that it was "very possible" that blood clotting triggered by the coronavirus could be to blame and "causing more cardiac arrests."

Why is coronavirus taking such a deadly toll on black Americans?
The Guardian

“If you look at the health conditions that we know dramatically increase the risk of death if you’re infected with Sars Covid-2, African Americans have much higher prevalence of every one of those conditions. Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, you name it, African Americans have a higher prevalence,” explained Thomas LaVeist, dean and professor at Tulane’s school of public health and tropical medicine.
 
New Orleans artists struggle to survive as coronavirus causes tourism dip
Fox News

Peter Ricchiuti, a business professor at Tulane University, said the city was in a uniquely vulnerable predicament.
 
‘Quarantine fatigue’: Researchers find more Americans venturing out against coronavirus stay-at-home orders
Washington Post

“People can feel it’s coming, so they get more antsy,” said Susan Hassig, an associate professor of epidemiology at Tulane University. “It’s kind of like a kid before Christmas.”
 
Jazz funerals, normally a 'celebration of life,' are silenced: New Orleans grieves differently now
USA Today

“You can trace the impact of the health crisis in New Orleans by the silence of the city – no brass bands, no funerals, no church services happening,” said Tulane University ethnomusicologist Matt Sakakeeny. “Mourning is happening in the homes.”

African Americans struggle with disproportionate COVID death toll
National Geographic

Dr. Keith Ferdinand, professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, said numerous variables are making African Americans more vulnerable to COVID-19.
 
The South's Handling Of Coronavirus Could Be 'A Macabre Game Of Whack-A-Mole'
NPR

"I think that we could be heading for a macabre game of whack-a-mole," says Thomas LaVeist, dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans.
 
Southern States, Moving To Reopen, Could Be Most Vulnerable
NPR

Thomas LaVeist is dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans. He worries that Louisiana, an early hot spot for COVID-19, could see a resurgence in infection as surrounding states ease restrictions.

Louisiana's COVID-19 disparity 'slapping people in the face' and they're still 'trying to ignore it'
Daily Kos

Thomas LaVeist, dean of Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, told NOLA.com that the new data points to a truth “we should all be ashamed of.”
 
Breathing 'Rheum' in COVID-19 Hotspots: New Orleans finds new 'camaraderie' amid economic bust
Healio Rheumatology

Healio Rheumatology sat down with Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, president of the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations and clinical assistant professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine, to discuss everything from challenges facing rheumatologists in New Orleans to the mood on the street in the city.
 
A rampage through the body
Science

All of the patients shared one thing, says Denson, a pulmonary and critical care physician at the Tulane University School of Medicine. “They are all COVID positive.”

Virus Researchers Cast Doubt On Theory Of Coronavirus Lab Accident
NPR

Regardless, genetic analysis shows the virus began to spread sometime in the fall or winter of 2019, says Robert Garry, a microbiologist at Tulane University.
 
Jazz funerals silenced: How New Orleans grieves amid coronavirus
Tennessean

“You can trace the impact of the health crisis in New Orleans by the silence of the city — no brass bands, no funerals, no church services happening,” said Tulane University ethnomusicologist Matt Sakakeeny.
 
The Learning Bulletin Board
New York Times

And at Tulane, students are sending in videos describing what they love and miss about the university.
 
COVID-19 count revisions in China suggest it's more contagious than thought
UPI

"It's good to see the 'corrections' that this paper makes," Dr. Robert F. Garry, a professor of life sciences at Tulane University and an infectious disease expert, told UPI.

Southern states largely go it alone in reopening decisions
AP News (and over 250 other outlets, including the Washington Post)

The outbreak has hit different parts of the country in different ways — and the response has been just as varied — so there isn’t one playbook, said Dr. Richard Oberhelman, an infectious disease specialist at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans.
 
Critical care physician warns against re-opening America too quickly
Fox News

Tulane Medical Center's critical care physician Dr. Joshua Denson joins Neil Cavuto on 'Your World.'
 
Even With COVID-19 Cases, Suing Cruise Lines Is 'Extraordinarily Difficult'
NPR

Martin Davies, an expert on maritime law at Tulane University, expects cruise lines to cite the Death on the High Seas Act when asking the courts to limit awards.
 
Georgia's Covid-19 reopening pits white governor against black mayors
The Guardian

The US south presents the “perfect storm of characteristics to just be a tragic region in terms of the Covid outbreak”, said Thomas LaVeist, dean of public health and tropical medicine at Tulane University.
 
US blames China for delayed virus response, but pulls funding from World Health Organization
ABC News

"Our analyses, and others too, point to an earlier origin than that. There were definitely cases there, but that wasn't the origin of the virus," Dr. Robert Garry, a professor at Tulane University School of Medicine and one of the authors, told ABC News at the time.
 
First US COVID-19 Deaths Happened Weeks Earlier than Thought
The Scientist Magazine

Speaking to The New York Times in early April, Geraldine Ménard, the chief of general internal medicine at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, said that staff had recorded “a ton of patients with pneumonia” earlier in the year.

'The last flag bearers of an era': how coronavirus threatens a generation of black Americans
The Guardian

Meanwhile, the south presents the “perfect storm of characteristics to just be a tragic region in terms of the Covid outbreak,” said Thomas LaVeist, dean of public health and tropical medicine at Tulane University.
 
Pediatricians show their mettle as coronavirus sweeps the nation
American Academy of Pediatrics

“For me, it’s been a bit of a struggle knowing how to reach families and trying to address the full breath of their needs. I worry so much about the economic impact on families,” said Dr. Mukerjee, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics and director of Immigrant and Refugee Health, Section of Community Pediatrics and Immigrant Health at Tulane University School of Medicine.

How do we know where viruses come from? Experts share how they solve the mystery
Miami Herald

“That’s just in the comic books and movies,” Robert Garry, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, told McClatchy News.

Commentary: Racism is the other virus sweeping America during this pandemic
Chicago Tribune

The research team was comprised of a group of doctors, including Gilbert Gee from UCLA along with Thu Nguyen of UCSF, Shanise Criss of Furman University, Quyen Nguyen of the University of Maryland and David Chae of Tulane.
 
Trump Bungles Hit on Cuomo and Shatters Own Wrongness Record on “1917” Pandemic
The Intercept

If Trump were to crack open “The Great Influenza,” a history of that pandemic written by John Barry, an adjunct professor at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, he might be relieved to learn that his predecessor, Woodrow Wilson, was even more lax than he has been in response to a virus that killed an estimated 195,000 Americans in October of 1918 alone.
 
Caribbean professor promotes design thinking for region post-COVID
Jamaica Observer

“Education is an area in which design thinking can be used in the region. For example, a community could design an after-school programme that addresses a local problem, and then a government agency could support the implementation,” [Dr Lesley Ann Noel, professor of practice at The Taylor Center,] told the Business Observer.

How Covid-19 Is Making Millions of Americans Healthier
New York Times

Cooking as an element of good health is starting to catch on. A number of medical schools, such as George Washington University and Tulane University, now have culinary schools or culinary programs.

Scientists have strong evidence coronavirus originated naturally
ABC News

Dr. Robert Garry, a professor at the Tulane School of Medicine, authored one of the first major studies that refutes theories that COVID-19 was engineered as a biological weapon. He told ABC News the new focus of this research has been a special mutation that is thought to be what makes this coronavirus so contagious.
 
How does coronavirus kill? Clinicians trace a ferocious rampage through the body, from brain to toes
Science Magazine

Days earlier, his rounds had been interrupted as his team tried, and failed, to resuscitate a young woman whose heart had stopped. All shared one thing, says Denson, a pulmonary and critical care physician at the Tulane University School of Medicine. “They are all COVID positive.”

From mice to monkeys, animals studied for coronavirus answers
Science Magazine

The group swaps the latest data and tips, such as the efficiency of different infection routes and the most likely places to find the pathogen in animals. “Everybody has been thrown into a rush to get an animal model that's faithful to the human condition and reproducible,” says Chad Roy of the Tulane National Primate Research Center.

Catholic Church urges Venezuela to unite against coronavirus
The Conversation

David Smilde, Professor of Sociology, Tulane University

Desperate for more N95 masks, researchers test decontamination measures
PBS

Angie Birnbaum: As a biosafety professional, I never thought that I'd be in a situation where we're actually questioning how to decontaminate N95 masks. But this is where we are during this pandemic.
 
Old maritime rules pose obstacles to lawsuits from Princess Cruise passengers
NBC News

Passengers who are seeking damages from cruise lines may have a difficult time proving companies failed to meet the "reasonable care" standard the Supreme Court set forth in Kermarec v. Compagnie General Transatlantique, said Martin Davies, director of Tulane University School of Law's Maritime Law Center.
 
To start reopening shuttered nations, we need this blood test
National Geographic

“I’ve gotten dozens of emails and contacts from people saying, I had this pretty serious respiratory illness back in January—can you test me to see if I actually had SARS-CoV-2?” says Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University who develops serological assays. “We need to go get blood from these people and see.”
 
The Spanish flu killed more than 50 million people. These lessons could help avoid a repeat with coronavirus
CNN

The 1918 pandemic killed many young adults who were otherwise healthy, said John M. Barry, professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
 
Bibliophiles: What to read in a pandemic
Boston Globe

John M. Barry is the award-winning author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic,” which recounts the devastating and, now, timely story of the 1918 Spanish Flu and its profound aftermath.

Scientists tap CRISPR’s search-and-detect skills to create a rapid Covid-19 test
STAT News

“I think the technology has potential, and I’m in favor of it,” said Robert Garry, a professor of virology at Tulane University who was not involved in the research. But, he added,“I think they oversold it a bit” in regard to the test’s accuracy and convenience.

Sorry, Immunity to Covid-19 Won't Be Like a Superpower
Wired

Tulane University virologist Robert Garry and his research group have seen some patients with Covid-19 mount the sort of immune response you’d expect from someone experiencing a second exposure to the same pathogen.

This small Louisiana parish has the highest death rate per capita for coronavirus in the country
CNN

Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University, has been studying the coronavirus data coming out of St. John and other river parishes. "It certainly gave me pause, because it was so high. And then I looked at all the parishes near it, and they were also elevated," she said. "In epidemiology, we call that an ecologic correlation.

College Board says there will be a digital SAT this fall if schools don't reopen
C
NN
Tulane University, the University of Washington, Northeastern University and others have said they're making testing optional for fall 2021 or longer.

Where Did This Coronavirus Originate? Virus Hunters Find Genetic Clues In Bats
NPR

"But that 4% difference is actually a pretty wide distance in evolutionary time. It could even be decades," says Dr. Robert F. Garry, professor of microbiology and immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine.

What caused the coronavirus? A skeptical take on the theories about the outbreak’s Chinese origin.
Washington Post

Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University in New Orleans, later told Science News in March that the virus was fundamentally unlike something that would have been designed. “It has too many distinct features, some of which are counterintuitive,” he said.

With 3D Design Know-How, This Neurologist Is Working to Produce Face Shields, Gowns, Sanitizers for COVID-19
Neuorology Today

Dr. [Korak] Sarkar is also a staff neurologist at the New Orleans Veteran Affairs Hospital and adjunct professor in the Tulane department of biomedical engineering.

Inequity, Not Genetics, the Main Factor in Covid Death Rates for Black Americans
Courthouse News Service

“Black people disproportionately have the type of jobs that put you at risk,” said Thomas LaVeist, the dean of the Tulane University School of Public Health.

The Coronavirus Generation
The Atlantic

Even so, Reggie Ferreira, a social-work professor and the director of the Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy at Tulane University, told me he expects there will be “definitely an increase” in people seeking education post-quarantine, taking advantage of loan availability to acquire expertise that might better position them to build a stable life.

Guest column: Build the early-detection structure that will fight the next coronavirus
The Advocate

Mike Fitts is president of Tulane University and Tom LaVeist is dean of Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Walter Isaacson: This is going to be a new century of biotechnology
CNBC

CNBC Contributor Walter Isaacson, Tulane, on what society will look like when this ends.

Public statement for collaboration on COVID-19 vaccine development
World Health Organization

Chad J Roy, Tulane National Primate Research Center and Tulane School of Medicine, USA

'I'm scared for my child': Coronavirus hits Louisiana juvenile detention centers
NBC News

Julia Fleckman, a professor at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, said that bringing in additional employees could exacerbate the spread of the coronavirus.

Mice, hamsters, ferrets, monkeys. Which lab animals can help defeat the new coronavirus?
Science Magazine

“Everybody has been thrown into a rush to get an animal model that’s faithful to the human condition and reproducible,” says Chad Roy, a monkey researcher at the Tulane National Primate Research Center. “I don’t want to say it’s enjoyable because it’s a tough time right now, but it’s a refreshing way to approach this problem.”

'A perfect storm': poverty and race add to Covid-19 toll in US deep south
The Guardian

“The south has the perfect storm of characteristics to just be a tragic region in terms of the Covid outbreak,” said Thomas LaVeist, dean of public health and tropical medicine at Tulane University.

Congo Was Close to Defeating Ebola. Then One More Case Emerged.
New York Times

“Producing the vaccines and rolling them out under extremely trying conditions was one of the things that was done well in the Congo outbreak,” said Robert F. Garry Jr., co-director of the Center for Viral Systems Biology at Tulane University. “It was a major breakthrough.”

LA gov extends state's stay-at-home order under April 30
Fox News

Associate Professor at Tulane University Dr. Susan Hassig responds to Louisiana Governor Edward's recent actions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Edwards creating task force on virus’s racial disparities
AP News

The governor said the group will involve researchers and health experts from Southern University, Xavier University, Louisiana State University, Tulane University, the state health department, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and nursing schools around Louisiana.

How a pandemic struck a British PM and changed the world. No, not this one
CBC News

"No one can know what would have happened [had Wilson remained healthy]," writes Barry, professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans.

Prestigious scientific panel tells White House coronavirus won't go away with warmer weather
CNN

The letter describes how Chad Roy, a researcher at Tulane University, subjected the virus to hot and humid temperatures in the laboratory, and studied it for 16 hours.

Southern Mayors Pushed GOP Governors to Take Action on Coronavirus. Governors Pushed Back.
The Intercept

“What you have is the perfect storm: people that are already marginalized socially, people that have fewer economic resources and states that have fewer resources,” said Thomas LaVeist, dean of Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. “I’m very fearful.”

Across the South, ‘Walking a Tightrope’ While Awaiting the Worst
New York Times

“Poor people don’t have access to good food,”, said Dr. Susan Hassig, an associate professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in Louisiana.

SARS-CoV-2 May Confound Seasons, Persist in Warmer Months, Report Shows
Medscape

Chad Roy, PhD, a researcher from Tulane University National Primate Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, told Relman by phone that in experiments where the virus was suspended as an aerosol at a temperature of 23°C (73.4°F) and about 50% humidity, SARS-CoV-2 had a longer half-life than the influenza virus, SARS-CoV-1, monkeypox virus, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

In New Orleans, A Field Hospital For A COVID-19 Surge Officials Hope Won’t Come
Huffington Post

“There’s not a hospital locally that I believe is not rationing,” said Joshua Denson, pulmonary and critical care physician at Tulane Medical Center.

Why it’s too early to start giving out “immunity passports”
MIT Technology Review

“It really depends on what your purpose is,” says Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University. Sensitivity and specificity rates of 95% or higher, he says, are considered a high benchmark, but those numbers are difficult to hit; 90% is considered clinically useful, and 80 to 85% is epidemiologically useful.

'No miraculous recovery': Some ICU doctors say hydroxychloroquine isn't helping sickest patients
NBC News

In Louisiana, Dr. Josh Denson, a pulmonary medicine and critical care physician at the Tulane University Medical Center in New Orleans, said that "many patients do fine and tolerate it, but I don't think it's making a difference."

The birth of a pandemic: How COVID-19 went from Wuhan to Toronto
National Post

"I’ve never heard anyone satisfactorily explain why so little has been written about this,” said John M. Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History and a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. “(American author) John Dos Passos, for example, got influenza while on a troop ship, and they were floating coffins, yet he hardly wrote a word about it.”

Clear vision: Program provides ski goggles to medical staff
Associated Press (and over 100 other outlets, including Washington Post)

Marcia Glass, an associate professor of internal medicine at Tulane University, has used the goggles while treating patients. “Super helpful, much better than regular eye gear,” she wrote in an email.

Louisiana family said final goodbye to Air Force vet on FaceTime
NY Post

Dr. David Doukas, a bioethicist at Tulane University who works in end-of-life care, said barring relatives from their loved ones during their final moments is a necessary move during pandemics.

Scores of ‘probable’ coronavirus deaths not counted in NYC tally
NY Post

“If deaths aren’t a reliable marker, then we are in really big trouble,” said Susan Hassig, an associate professor of epidemiology at Tulane University in New Orleans.

‘A crisis within a crisis’: Black Americans face higher rates of coronavirus deaths
LA Times

Dr. Joshua Denson, an intensivist at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, said he had seen many African American patients with COVID-19 in recent weeks, many with preexisting conditions that made them vulnerable, like obesity and diabetes.

New Orleans convention center prepares to start accepting thousands of coronavirus patients after death rate surged to the highest in the US at almost DOUBLE that of NYC
Daily Mail

'It's an easy scapegoat to say, oh, Louisiana is doing poorly on deaths per hospitalization because this is an obese population, they are Southerners, they are ill,' Tulane University health economist Engy Ziedan said to the Journal.

‘Nothing Works’: Hospitals Race To Train More Docs To Operate Ventilators
Talking Points Memo

Denson, the Tulane doctor, is treating dozens of COVID-19 patients at his hospital. “It’s kind of like Groundhog’s Day, but the sun is never coming through,” he said, adding that a respiratory therapist he works with had coined a term: “the corona shuffle.”

Can Tulane University’s monkeys help the global fight against the coronavirus?
Public Radio International

“There are very few places in the world that have the capabilities that we have,” said Jay Rappaport, director of Tulane’s National Primate Research Center. “Everything that you can imagine that you would need to address this epidemic is really here.”

New Orleans area's coronavirus death rate is highest in US, data show
Fox News

But ill health is only part of the picture, Tulane University health economist Engy Ziedan told The Journal.

Official Counts Understate the U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll
New York Times

“When I was working before we had testing, we had a ton of patients with pneumonia,” said Geraldine Ménard, chief of general internal medicine at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans. “I remember thinking it was weird. I’m sure some of those patients did have it. But no one knew back then.”

Why Coronavirus Is Killing New Orleans Area Residents At Possibly The Highest Rate In The U.S.
Forbes

“It’s an easy scapegoat to say, oh, Louisiana is doing poorly on deaths per hospitalization because this is an obese population, they are Southerners, they are ill,” Tulane health economist Engy Ziedan told the Wall Street Journal, noting that preexisting health concerns are only part of the problem.

Top tips on how to make working from home safe
Fox News

Double-check the validity of links before clicking, especially those purporting to provide information on the COVID-19 virus, Ralph Russo, an expert and director of information technology programs in Tulane University's School of Professional Advancement, told Fox News.

Louisiana hospitals, medical staff stretched thin amid virus
AP News

Dr. David Becnel, a pulmonary critical care doctor at the Tulane University School of Medicine, sees patients at three New Orleans-area hospitals and said all are trying to get more ventilators as supplies shrink. Hospitals are looking at using one ventilator for more than one person or retrofitting other breathing devices into ventilators, in case that’s needed.

People coming to New Orleans to help fight coronavirus can stay at Tulane
WWL Radio

“I cannot think of a better use for this temporarily vacated space than making it available to shelter those who are coming to our aid during this crisis,” Tulane President Mike Fitts said. “We want to do what we can to help these heroes as they bring healing and comfort to our community.”

Louisiana hospitals, medical staff stretched thin amid virus
AP News

Dr. David Becnel, a pulmonary critical care doctor at the Tulane University School of Medicine, sees patients at three New Orleans-area hospitals and said all are trying to get more ventilators as supplies shrink. Hospitals are looking at using one ventilator for more than one person or retrofitting other breathing devices into ventilators, in case that’s needed.
 
Official Counts Understate the U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll
New York Times

“When I was working before we had testing, we had a ton of patients with pneumonia,” said Geraldine Ménard, chief of general internal medicine at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans. “I remember thinking it was weird. I’m sure some of those patients did have it. But no one knew back then.”
 
Why Coronavirus Is Killing New Orleans Area Residents At Possibly The Highest Rate In The U.S.
Forbes

“It’s an easy scapegoat to say, oh, Louisiana is doing poorly on deaths per hospitalization because this is an obese population, they are Southerners, they are ill,” Tulane health economist Engy Ziedan told the Wall Street Journal, noting that preexisting health concerns are only part of the problem.
 
Top tips on how to make working from home safe
Fox News

Double-check the validity of links before clicking, especially those purporting to provide information on the COVID-19 virus, Ralph Russo, an expert and director of information technology programs in Tulane University's School of Professional Advancement, told Fox News.
 
Equity and distance learning can go together
NY Daily News

Some critics are still skeptical, among them Economist Douglas Harris of Tulane University, who insists: “Even if every teacher could teach every student online, it still wouldn’t be as good as doing it in person."
 
Was it flu or the coronavirus? FDA authorizes first COVID-19 antibody test
Washington Times

Cindy Morris, left, and Swarnamala Ratnayaka prepare RNA for testing for the new coronavirus at the molecular pathology lab at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Thursday, April 2, 2020.
 
Top tips on how to make working from home safe
MSN

Double-check the validity of links before clicking, especially those purporting to provide information on the COVID-19 virus, Ralph Russo, an expert and director of information technology programs in Tulane University's School of Professional Advancement, told Fox News.
 
Was That Cough You Had Last November or December COVID-19?
Snopes

Robert Garry, an infectious disease expert at Tulane University who has published on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, told Snopes by email that the notion was “very unlikely” but that without rigorous, global serological testing (in short, examining blood samples for antibodies), we won’t have enough evidence to rule out that possibility:
 
What Are the Early Symptoms of Coronavirus? [COVID-19]
Heavy.com

“Patients tend to have symptoms for about a week before either getting better, or getting really sick,” Dr. Joshua Denson, who works at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, told NBC.
 
New Orleans: COVID-19 Hotspot, Epicenter of Hope
Black Enterprise

Much of the research that is informing public health policy occurs right here at Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine...

March 2020

What The US Could Learn From Nigeria’s Response To The COVID-19 Coronavirus Outbreak
Forbes

Adaora Okoli is a Nigerian doctor, currently working as an internal medicine resident at Tulane University in New Orleans and she said Nigeria’s experience with multiple infectious diseases including Ebola cut both ways.

Coronavirus Is Bad in the Cities. It Could Be Even Worse Outside of Them
Vice

Right now, Joshua Denson, a pulmonary critical care doctor at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, is quarantined. “We are frontline providers for this disease,” Denson said. “I’m on a quarantine right now, that takes out one. We have 10 to 11 providers covering three or four hospitals.”

Coronavirus tests: researchers chase new diagnostics to fight the pandemic
Nature

“Right now it’s clear we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg: people who are so sick they need hospitalization or intensive care,” says Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana.

'A slow burn': Coronavirus symptoms often linger before worsening
NBC News

"Patients tend to have symptoms for about a week before either getting better, or getting really sick," said Dr. Joshua Denson, a pulmonary medicine and critical care physician at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans.

Once and for All, the New Coronavirus Was Not Made in a Lab
Vice

“Seeing that in the new SARS-CoV-2 when those sequences came out for the first time actually kept me up all night,” said Bob Garry, an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine and co-author of the Nature paper.

New Orleans' 'Let the good times roll' now 'Wash your hands'
AP News (and over 250 other outlets)

Whether Mardi Gras crowds were a factor in the disease’s spread in Louisiana cannot be proven, but the celebration would be a likely breeding ground for a highly contagious virus like the one that causes COVID-19, said Dr. Richard Oberhelman. He is the chairman of the Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Who's getting sick from coronavirus? Adults of all ages, and people with chronic health problems
NBC News

Dr. Joshua Denson, a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, saw his first patient with the coronavirus just over a week ago. He's now diagnosed nearly 20 such patients, and many if not all have come into the hospital with a specific set of chronic health conditions.

How to maintain your mental health while working from home
Fast Company

As a result, it’s essential to be as patient as possible, says Maurya Glaude, PhD, an assistant professor at Tulane University’s School of Social Work in New Orleans. This is not the time to expect perfection.

New Coronavirus Wasn't Made in a Lab, Study Shows
Web MD

The research was a collaborative, international effort: Andersen was joined by scientists from Columbia University in New York City, the University of Sydney in Australia, and Tulane University in New Orleans.

10 Things African Americans Need To Know About Protecting Themselves From Coronavirus
BET

Dr. Corey Hebert, chief medical officer at Dillard University and an assistant professor at Tulane and Louisiana State Universities, is the chief medical editor at WDSU in New Orleans. He is on the frontlines of educating people on ways to combat the illness including how to make sure you don’t get it and what to do if you do.

The Single Most Important Lesson From the 1918 Influenza
New York Times

John M. Barry is the author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History” and a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

U.S. coronavirus death toll passes 100
Washington Post

At Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, John Dwyer, an infectious-disease specialist and an assistant professor of medicine, said this week that he was already seeing a disturbing harbinger of what is to come.

How long will COVID-19 last?
Popular Science

“Early in an epidemic the butterfly effect is very real,” says Mac Hyman, a mathematician at Tulane University in New Orleans who worked on forecasts for how the new coronavirus would spread in China. “It matters [if] the first person infected is a bus driver or someone who stays at home.”

Is COVID-19 Coronavirus A Bioweapon From A Lab? Here Is What Debunks This Theory
Forbes

In the letter, a research team (Kristian G. Andersen from The Scripps Research Institute, Andrew Rambaut from the University of Edinburgh, W. Ian Lipkin from the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University, Edward C. Holmes from The University of Sydney and Robert F. Garry from Tulane University) described how they had analyzed the genetic sequences that code for the protein spikes on the surface of SARS-CoV2.

Mathematicians say preventative measures could have huge impact on coronavirus spread
ABC News

“There’s a caveat there,” said Dr. Mac Hyman, a professor in mathematics at Tulane University. “If no one changes their behavior in the next month, then it could result in a million cases. But if people change the way that they interact to both protect themselves from being infected and infecting others – then it could actually decrease.”

Coronavirus Self-Quarantine: Who Needs To Do It And For How Long?
Independent

“Isolation is what you do for people who are sick,” Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane who studies infectious diseases and public health, told Nola. “Quarantine means you recognise you have been exposed.”

Dr. Corey Hebert explains the concept of ‘flattening the curve’ of coronavirus spread
CNBC

Dr. Corey Hebert, assistant professor with LSU and Tulane University and CEO of Community Health TV, joins “Squawk Box” to discuss the U.S. fight against coronavirus.

Coronavirus: What to Stock up on So You’re Prepared
MSN

Rather than panicking and buying more than you need, it’s about being adequately stocked: “Just in case we need to shelter in place, or in case stores have limited supplies,” says Dr. David Mushatt, chief of adult infectious diseases at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

Stocking Up for the Coronavirus: What You Need
U.S. News
Rather than panicking and buying more than you need, it’s about being adequately stocked: “Just in case we need to shelter in place, or in case stores have limited supplies,” says Dr. David Mushatt, chief of adult infectious diseases at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

Fed faces headache, taps epidemiologists in hunt for policy clues
New York Times
"The amount of extra information that they'll have in the next few days, until these tests are widely available, is going to be minimal," said Mac Hyman, a professor of mathematics at Tulane University, who is an expert in epidemic modeling.

The 1918 flu pandemic, a cautionary tale
CBS News
"That's equivalent to 225 to 450 million people today," said John Barry, who wrote a history of the 1918 flu and is on the adjunct faculty of Tulane University. "The numbers are staggering.

Lessons From History On How News Spreads During An Outbreak, And How Social Media Can Help
Forbes
"I am concerned by a report I saw on Twitter on March 3, 2020 about a Washington Post story that the World Health Organization is reporting that the death rate for COVID-19 is 3.4%," said Thomas LaVeist, dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University. "That is an extremely high death rate and it is probably an overestimate," warned LaVeist. "I am concerned that it will unnecessarily alarm people."

10 Coronavirus Prevention Tips To Help Stop The Spread, Every Single Day
Romper
It could be more concerning if someone with chronic lung or heart disease, immunosuppression, or cancer develops symptoms of coronavirus, Dr. John Schieffelin, a pediatric infectious disease specialist from Tulane University School of Medicine, tells Romper.

When Should You See A Doctor For Coronavirus Symptoms?
Romper
The risk is currently very low," Dr. John Schieffelin, a pediatric infectious disease specialist from Tulane University School of Medicine, tells Romper.

America's Coronavirus Virus: Psychology Of Panic And Stockpiling
Patch
The advice isn't a doomsday harbinger, but rather a caution against risking infecting others by going to pick up those items when you're sick, says Dr. Ronald Blanton, whose specialties at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine include global health.

From ferrets to mice and marmosets, labs scramble to find right animals for coronavirus studies
STAT
“This initial study is just to find out whether these species of animals can be infected, whether they demonstrate the clinical signs, whether they have an immune response … where the virus is shed, whether it’s in urine, tears, feces, blood,” said Skip Bohm, chief veterinary medical officer at Tulane University’s National Primate Research Center, in Covington, Louisiana.

The US Federal Reserve is taking its lead from epidemiologists over coronavirus crisis
World Economic Forum
“The amount of extra information that they’ll have in the next few days, until these tests are widely available, is going to be minimal,” said Mac Hyman, a professor of mathematics at Tulane University, who is an expert in epidemic modeling.

Coronavirus Shock Tests the Airline Industry’s Cash ‘Fortress’
Bloomberg
Mark Powers, a Tulane University business professor and former chief financial officer at JetBlue and Etihad Airways PJSC, said the airline industry learned some hard lessons in the years after the Great Recession—and acted accordingly. “The industry decided that the bad balance sheet model doesn’t work,” he said. “Today you’re just talking about [earnings] impact.”

President Trump’s coronavirus media criticism is misplaced » Ben Carson doesn’t have any answers for George Stephanopoulos
Poynter
Tulane University professor John Barry, who has written extensively about the 1918 flu, said, “I think more people will die, yeah. Clearly that was the case in 1918. People can deal with the truth. It’s the unknown that’s much scarier.”

Extreme actions during Spanish flu may preview decisions on coronavirus today
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
John Barry, a Tulane University scholar and author of “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History," said he supports social distancing but is not as big a believer in it as computer modelers.

February 2020

Tulane University to develop vaccine for novel coronavirus
Pharmaceutical Technology

Tulane University researchers in the US have announced plans to develop a vaccine and diagnostics for the novel coronavirus disease, officially named COVID-19.

China's coronavirus survivors may face mental hurdles once outbreak ends
Fox National News

“Social support is a buffer and protective factor, so being in a state of isolation could make it very difficult to mourn loss and start with the grieving process,” Dr. Reggie Ferreira, associate professor at Tulane University within the School of Social Work, told Fox News. 

These are the best ways to avoid catching the coronavirus on airplanes, experts say
CNBC

Speaking to CNBC’s “Squawk Box” last week, Dr. Corey Hebert, assistant professor at both Louisiana State and Tulane Universities, also said the face masks that were sold at regular drug stores wouldn’t help because viruses could move through the mesh.

Can this virus be contained? Probably not.
Washington Post

John M. Barry column about the emerging epidemic.