COVID-19 vaccine effective against new variant in Brazil. The first study to test the effectivenes of the CoronaVac vaccine at preventing COVID-19 in Manaus, Brazil where the P.1 variant is widespread finds VE of 50%.
Coronavirus ‘spillovers’ more frequent than thought. Coronaviruses common to animals may ‘spillover’ into people more frequently than once thought, according to new research.
SARS-CoV-2 virus isolated from air within a car. Researchers collected the virus that causes COVID-19 from air within a car that was driven by someone with mild symptoms—but who was not wearing a face mask.
Return on investment. At least a month before Florida recorded its first case of COVID-19, the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute had a diagnostic test ready for research purposes. It was one of the institute’s many dividends from investing 14 years into pathogens research.
COVID-19 pandemic is worsened without coordination. A lack of coordination in measures to control COVID-19 may accelerate cyclical outbreaks, according to a team of researchers.
A pandemic shapes a modeler’s research vision. University of North Carolina’s professor Serhan Ziya is applying his expertise in operations research to help hospitals and emergency departments allocate limited resources most efficiently.
Biothreat specialist. A molecular biologist cultures an ecological perspective of biothreats in his new role at the Emerging Pathogens Institute.
Malaria’s spit solution. A new $1.29 million grant from the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund will support University of Florida malaria investigator Rhoel Dinglasan’s work to develop a novel saliva-based malaria diagnostic test that catches infections even when victims don’t show symptoms.
Next-gen antimicrobials. University of Florida investigator KC Jeong aims to uncover the next generation of antimicrobials. From his microbiology lab to an experimental farm, his research explores how food animals are affected by novel and drug-resistant pathogens—and what kills them.
A merger of land and sea. Feature for Carolina Arts & Sciences, the alumni magazine of the University of North Carolina’s College of Arts and Sciences, fall edition.
Bird food bytes. Web feature for the University of North Carolina’s College of Arts and Sciences announcing new work by an avian ecologist who produced an online, searchable database of bird diets for North America.
Science Without Silos. Three-story package for Carolina Arts & Sciences, the alumni magazine of the University of North Carolina’s College of Arts and Sciences; spring 2021 edition: Where science meets solutions (pg 2-5); Chasing sunglight (pg 6-7); and Jump-starting startups (pg 8-9).
UF researcher’s “mop up” malaria vaccine funded for trials in people. The vaccine is designed differently from all others: It immunizes mosquitoes via people.
Air-tight test: How a UF duo learned to sample aerosols for viruses. University of Florida researchers Chang-Yu Wu, an engineer, and John Lednicky, a virologist, teamed up a decade ago to solve long-standing challenges in how air samples are collected and sampled for viruses. Few people grasped the public health value of their work until the COVID-19 pandemic.
UF researcher Ira Longini has COVID-19s number. Infectious disease modeler and biostatistician Ira Longini is applying decades of experience to help design and analyze clinical trials to identify a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
Taking Ebola’s measure. New research quantifies how civil disruption and violence has unraveled Ebola control measures in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province. The work demonstrates causative links between ongoing regional civil strife and upticks in Ebola incidence due to cycles of disrupted disease control.
COVID-19 household transmission patterns. A new meta-analysis uncovers transmission patterns of SARS-CoV-2 within households.
Refined mortality rates of COVID-19 using data from 45 countries. A new study refines COVID-19 mortality rates across countries according to age and extrapolates infection rates to estimate the pandemic’s size.
1.3B people could be exposed to Zika virus by mid-century. A warming world will shift arboviruses, such as Zika virus, into new areas where human populations are susceptible to infection.
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