UW researchers respond to novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

COVID-19 experts for reporters

Below are the most recent stories of UW experts commenting on the novel coronavirus epidemic

In addition to UW researchers from a variety of disciplines offering their expertise to journalists covering the novel coronavirus, UW Medicine researchers are leading the way in the detection and prevention of COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. In fact, our researchers have sequenced COVID-19’s genome, identified the architecture and mechanisms of COVID-19, created a new laboratory test to expedite diagnostics and are crowd-sourcing a cure, among other efforts.

This page is updated every week day. For more information on the coronavirus, visit uw.edu/coronavirus. 

Some of the stories below may require a third-party subscription. 

• Pandemic fatigue and a lack of research dollars means long COVID patients are being left behind | Salon3 days ago
  So far this year, most metrics for measuring the COVID pandemic have been trending downward. On average, there are fewer deaths, hospitalizations and overall infections, while traces of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater have dropped. Antiviral drugs and vaccines still work, even against XBB.1.5, the most dominant variant the last several months. We understand how to fight this disease better than ever compared to three years ago and the good news is that we seem to be winning. For now. Unfortunately, none of this means the pandemic is truly "over." Dr. Nikki Gentile, assistant professor of family medicine at the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• New study finds link between inflammation and long-COVID symptoms | Axios Seattle6 days ago
  Three years after long COVID was first documented, the mysteries behind what causes it are starting to be unraveled. Some of the mental symptoms of long COVID, like brain fog and memory issues, are likely sparked by inflammation, according to a new study published this month by researchers with the UW School of Medicine, the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, and Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. William Banks, professor of medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• The winter COVID wave that wasn't: Why the US didn't see a surge | ABC News1 week ago
  When the United States saw COVID-19 cases and deaths rise around this past Christmas and New Year's, many Americans feared the country was in for a third winter wave. But as quickly as both metrics went up, they also came down. Weekly cases and deaths in late winter 2022-23 are on par with what was seen in spring 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• The science and politics of COVID natural immunity | WBUR2 weeks ago
  If you get COVID and recover, can that protect you from severe illness or death, even if you catch COVID again? More and more studies say yes — that natural immunity can be just as protective as vaccination. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is interviewed.
• Long COVID, long wait times: Patients turned away from specialty clinics turn to primary care docs | KUOW2 weeks ago
  Clinics specializing in long-COVID treatment have long wait times — often six months or more. And the communities hit hardest by COVID — people of color and those who are low-income — have had an especially hard time getting in. Now, long-COVID experts are trying to increase access to care by training the primary care providers who work in those communities how to recognize and treat the condition. Dr. Janna Friedly, professor of medicine and of rehabilitation medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is interviewed.
• UW research team discovers the cause behind long-COVID brain fog | KING 52 weeks ago
  A UW research team has found the neurological symptoms of long COVID, such as brain fog, are due to neuroinflammation. The research paper published in March concludes that similar to the COVID-triggered respiratory inflammation in the lungs, the same infection can cause inflammation in the brain. Elizabeth Rhea, a research assistant professor of gerontology in the UW School of Medicine, is interviewed.
• What is the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington? | KING 52 weeks ago
  The last mask mandate is set to end in less than a month for those in Washington’s health care facilities. It comes as health officials say COVID-19 rates are continuing to decline, and the federal government prepares to end its pandemic response declaration this May. So where do things stand now with the virus in Washington — and can we let our guard down? It's a question on many people's minds as the pandemic’s impacts evolve locally. Gerard Cangelosi, professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW, is quoted.
• UW Medicine seeking participants for COVID vaccine study | KGMI3 weeks ago
  Researchers from UW Medicine and Kaiser Permanente in Portland are recruiting adults and children in the Pacific Northwest to take part in a study to test COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness. The researchers need 3,500 people aged 6 months to 49 years for the study, with the primary goal to determine how well the vaccines protect children between 5 and 18 years old.
• Long COVID in WA Hispanics being studied—High rates expected | Bellingham Herald3 weeks ago
  Hispanics in Washington state have had higher rates of infection and death from the COVID-19 pandemic than the general population. And if national statistics hold for the state, they also have higher rates of long COVID, or lingering effects of the virus. Dr. Leo Morales, professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine and co-director of the UW Latino Center for Health, is quoted.
• Infected in the first wave, they navigated long COVID without a roadmap | Reuters4 weeks ago
  At least 65 million people worldwide are estimated to have long COVID, according to an evidence review published last month in Nature Reviews Microbiology. More than 200 symptoms have been linked to the syndrome - including extreme fatigue, difficulty thinking, headaches, dizziness when standing, sleep problems, chest pain, blood clots, immune dysregulation and even diabetes. The UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is referenced.
• UW study will survey Latinos in the state with COVID-19 | Yakima Herald4 weeks ago
  A UW study will survey the impact long COVID has had on Latino communities across the state. UW said its Latino Center for Health will partner with SeaMar Community Health Centers, the Allen Institute for Immunology and the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, according to a news release. Dr. Leo Morales, professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine and co-director of the UW Latino Center for Health, is quoted.
• UW study: Catching COVID gives protection from its worst effects | The Seattle Times4 weeks ago
  A past COVID-19 infection offers “durable,” temporary protection against getting severely sick with the coronavirus — no matter the variant, a new study has found. Though natural immunity against COVID offers protections, the findings don’t discourage vaccination, which is still the top method of preventing serious illness, experts involved in the research say. Stephen Lim, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• UW partners with local clinics to study impacts of long COVID in Latino communities | KEPR4 weeks ago
  Leaders from the UW Latino Center for Health and their partners are studying the impacts of long COVID in Latino communities across the state. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Latinos have the highest rates of long COVID. They say around 9% of those surveyed are reporting these symptoms, compared to only 7.5% of adults in the U.S. overall. Dr. Leo Morales, professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine and co-director of the UW Latino Center for Health, is quoted.
• Study: COVID-19 infection offers protection from virus that is as strong as vaccination | KIRO 74 weeks ago
  A study published Thursday in The Lancet appears to show that immunity acquired from a COVID-19 infection protects against hospitalization and death as well and for as long as two doses of an mRNA vaccine. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Prior COVID infection brings strong, long-lasting immunity | HealthDay1 month ago
  Natural immunity acquired from a COVID infection provides strong and lasting protection against severe illness if a person becomes reinfected, a new evidence review has concluded. Ten months after a COVID infection, protection against hospitalization and death remains at 89% for Omicron and 90% for earlier variants, according to pooled data from 65 studies conducted in 19 countries. Caroline Stein, a postdoctoral scholar at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• COVID infection gives temporary protection from virus: study | Miami Herald1 month ago
  A past COVID-19 infection offers “durable,” temporary protection against getting severely sick with the coronavirus — no matter the variant, a new study has found. Though natural immunity against COVID-19 offers protections, the findings don’t discourage vaccination, which is still the top method of preventing serious illness, experts involved in the research say. Stephen Lim, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• COVID-19 infection offers strong protection against reinfection for about 10 months, study finds | CNN1 month ago
  For at least 10 months after a COVID-19 infection, your immune system can provide good protection against symptomatic illness the next time around, a new study found, and the risk of severe illness is even lower. The researchers, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation COVID-19 Forecasting Team, said their study is the largest review yet of available data on the subject. The study, published Thursday in The Lancet, is a meta-analysis that looks at 65 studies from 19 countries. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Omicron still infected those with early COVID cases, study says | Bloomberg1 month ago
  People who got COVID in the early stages of the pandemic weren’t especially safe from catching the virus again when the Omicron variant swept the world, according to a study. Those who were infected with other variants were only 36% better protected from reinfection with Omicron about 10 months later than people who hadn’t had the disease, UW researchers said Thursday in The Lancet. Stephen Lim, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Natural immunity as protective as COVID vaccine against severe illness | NBC News1 month ago
  Immunity acquired from a COVID infection provides strong, lasting protection against the most severe outcomes of the illness, according to research published Thursday in The Lancet — protection, experts say, that’s on par with what’s provided through two doses of an mRNA vaccine. Infection-acquired immunity cut the risk of hospitalization and death from a COVID reinfection by 88% for at least 10 months, the study found. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Risk of developing diabetes after COVID-19 continued in Omicron period, study says | CNN1 month ago
  People who’ve had COVID-19 have a higher risk of developing diabetes, and that link seems to have persisted into the Omicron era, a new study finds. Mounting evidence suggests COVID-19 infections are tied to a new diagnosis of diabetes, though it’s not clear whether this relationship is a coincidence or cause-and-effect. Dr. Luke Wander, assistant professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Goodbye, Johns Hopkins COVID tracker | The Washington Post1 month ago
  When the pandemic hit, the federal government struggled to publish snapshots of the virus’ spread. So, academics and journalists quickly filled the void, creating new tools with near real-time estimates of the unfolding pandemic. Since January 2020, Johns Hopkins University has operated one of the most prominent resources for tracking COVID-19 case counts and deaths across the world. After more than three years, the university will stop updating its tracker on March 10 as the country has moved into a different stage of the pandemic with a different data flow. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Doctors from UW Medicine encouraging boosters for pregnancy | KEPR2 months ago
  Doctors at UW Medicine are making a case for COVID-19 boosters during pregnancy. Doctors and health leaders encourage women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant to consider increasing their protection from COVID-19 with a Bivalent booster shot. Dr. Michael Gravett, professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Do rapid tests still work? | The New York Times2 months ago
  Experts say that rapid home tests are still a helpful tool for stopping the spread of COVID-19, but they’re not foolproof. Here are a few explanations for why you might get a false negative result — and how to increase your chances of accuracy next time. Dr. Paul Drain, associate professor of global health and of medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• COVID vaccines and boosters provide protection during pregnancy | KXLY Spokane2 months ago
  A new worldwide study shows COVID vaccines and boosters significantly protect women from complications of the virus while they're pregnant. According to doctors with the UW School of Medicine, COVID vaccines and boosters prevent severe problems in 76% of pregnancies. Dr. Michael Gravett, professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the UW School of Medicine, is interviewed.
• Research shows COVID vaccines protect pregnant women | Northwest News Radio2 months ago
  Doctors at the UW School of Medicine say that recent research shows COVID vaccines and boosters have provided significant protections for pregnant women against severe complications and death from COVID. Dr. Michael Gravett, professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• COVID vaccines provide protection during pregnancy, study says | KUOW2 months ago
  A new study out of UW Medicine states that COVID vaccines provided great protection during pregnancy, even amid omicron spikes. The study states that COVID vaccines, plus the first booster shot, provided protection against death and severe complications during pregnancy, with 76% efficacy. Dr. Michael Gravett, professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Child hospitalizations rise again, but NJ shows 'tripledemic' progress | Patch2 months ago
  Pediatric hospital beds around the state continued filling up this week, but New Jersey may have passed the peak of the "tripledemic." COVID-19 levels and influenza activity both declined, offering hope as the state continues to weather the winter surge of respiratory diseases. A projection from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is referenced.
• Washington marks three years of COVID | Axios Seattle2 months ago
  It's been three years since the first known case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was reported in Washington. State health officials and local scientists say that while we're in a far better place than we were, COVID isn't going away. Pavitra Roychoudhury, acting instructor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• How are rapid COVID tests holding up as the pandemic enters its fourth year | NPR2 months ago
  As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its fourth year, a negative result on a little plastic at-home test feels a bit less comforting than it once did. Still, you dutifully swab your nostrils before dinner parties, wait 15 minutes for the all-clear and then text the host "negative!" before leaving your KN95 mask at home. It feels like the right thing to do, right? The virus has mutated and then mutated again, with the tests offering at least some sense of control as the Greek letters pile up. But some experts caution against putting too much faith in a negative result. Dr. Geoffrey Baird, professor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• We made it through the holidays; What do WA flu and COVID trends look like now? | The Seattle Times2 months ago
  Flu trends in King County appear to have peaked for now, but epidemiologists say our already unusual viral season means the next few months could still be unpredictable. The region’s respiratory infection season hit harder and earlier than usual this fall, but recent county data provides some evidence that flu is subsiding in King County — or at least round one of it. During the first week of January, epidemiologists counted about 183 flu-positive tests, compared to more than 2,000 in late November. Dr. Alex Greninger, assistant professor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Opinion: China endangers the world by lying about its COVID death toll | The Washington Post2 months ago
  Dishonesty about the true breadth of the pandemic in China constitutes a threat to public health worldwide. Scientists need to know whether transmission patterns have changed, new variants have emerged or the incidence of long COVID has increased. Epidemiologists must be able to assess whether the world should prepare for a new global outbreak. And the people of China deserve to know the true scale of the calamity descending on their country. A projection from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is referenced.
• China’s true COVID death toll estimated to be in hundreds of thousands | Time2 months ago
  The nearly 60,000 COVID-related deaths China reported for the first five weeks of its current outbreak, the largest the world has ever seen, may underestimate the true toll by hundreds of thousands of fatalities, experts said. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Child hospitalizations rise in NJ; Masks recommended nearly everywhere | Patch2 months ago
  Almost all of New Jersey should continue masking up as the state continues to weather winter surges of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. The "tripledemic" — the simultaneous threat of COVID, flu and respiratory syncytial virus — continues to strain emergency rooms and pediatric departments around the nation. A projection from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is referenced.
• UW scientists monitor latest COVID subvariant | KUOW2 months ago
  XBB 1.5, also known as the Kraken variant, is the dominant strain in the northeast U.S. right now. It went from being under 10% of cases to nearly 70% in just over a month. Pavitra Roychoudhury, acting instructor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is interviewed.
• Why rapid COVID-19 test results are getting more confusing | Time2 months ago
  Experts say ambiguous results on at-home tests may be more common now — but not because rapid tests aren’t working. In fact, these confusing results could actually be a good thing, at least as far as your immune system goes. Dr. Paul Drain, associate professor of global health and of medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• What you need to know about the kraken COVID variant | WIRED2 months ago
  Since omicron became the world’s dominant COVID variant, it’s taken on a lot of shapes. First there was BA.1, then BA.5, and eventually others, including BQ.1 and BQ.1.1. Now all eyes are on another scrambled string of letters and numbers—XBB.1.5, also known as the kraken, which has swept the northeastern U.S. in recent weeks. Pavitra Roychoudhury, acting instructor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• In the next pandemic, let’s pay people to get vaccinated | WIRED2 months ago
  Data from Sweden and the U.S. suggests cash incentives increase uptake without denting people’s trust in vaccines or future willingness to get them. Nancy Jecker, professor of bioethics and humanities in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Studying COVID's health lessons | KING 52 months ago
  Dr. Stephen Bezruchka, associate teaching professor of global health and of health services at the UW, and author of a new book called Inequality Kills Us All, is interviewed by reporter Amity Addrisi for "New Day Northwest."
• Why COVID's XBB.1.5 'kraken' variant is so contagious | Scientific American2 months ago
  A new, rapidly spreading variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, means a rise in new infections could be around the corner. And while it likely won’t skirt immunity completely, the variant could dodge some of our defenses thanks to a mutational boost. Marlin Figgins, a doctoral student of applied mathematics at the UW, is quoted.
• A new COVID variant is taking over | FOX News2 months ago
  According to UW Medicine, the new strain is called XBB.1.5 and it has made its way to the PNW. Dr. Alex Greninger, assistant professor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is interviewed.
• UW Virologists warn of new dominant strain of COVID-19 | KEPR2 months ago
  Doctors from UW Medicine are tracking the newest variant of COVID-19 this week. The variant is being designated as XBB.1.5. State Health Leaders tell us the variant has quickly become one of the most common causes of COVID infection in the Northeastern United States. Dr. Alex Greninger, assistant professor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• New COVID-19 variant makes way into Pacific Northwest | KOMO2 months ago
  A new COVID-19 variant has quickly become one of the most common causes of coronavirus infections in the United States. The variant, designated XBB.1.5 — an offshoot of the omicron subvariant — first made its way through the Northeast and has now entered the Pacific Northwest. UW Medicine is referenced.
• Experts at UW Medicine track new COVID subvariant in PNW | KNDO2 months ago
  Experts with UW Medicine are tracking the new COVID-19 variant’s presence in the Pacific Northwest after the CDC warned about the presence of the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5. A press release from UW Medicine states the subvariant is expected to become the most dominant strain in the area.  Dr. Alex Greninger, assistant professor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• All of NJ should mask up as 'tripledemic' spurs hospitalizations | Patch2 months ago
  It's time to mask up again in all of New Jersey, according to the latest guidance from federal health officials. The CDC's recommendation comes as the Garden State continues to weather the "tripledemic" — the simultaneous threat of COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that has filled emergency rooms and pediatric departments around the nation. A projection from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is referenced.
• How XBB.1.5, the new COVID-19 variant, is shaping the pandemic | Vox2 months ago
  XBB.1.5, the latest rising version of the virus that causes COVID-19, is following an all-too-familiar pattern: It’s yet another branch off the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, and it’s even more transmissible than past versions, gaining traction as people huddle indoors for the winter. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Kraken COVID symptoms: What to know about XBB.1.5 strain sweeping through US | Fortune2 months ago
  COVID hospitalizations in the U.S. have spiked 16.1% in the past week as a new “escaped” variant of the virus has continued to sweep across the country. XBB.1.5 — dubbed "Kraken" by Canadian biology professor Ryan Gregory and his following in the Twitterverse — is the most transmissible COVID variant yet, according to the World Health Organization. Pavitra Roychoudhury, acting instructor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is referenced.
• Analysis: Long COVID stemmed from mild cases of COVID-19 in most people, according to a new multicountry study | The Conversation2 months ago
  "Even mild COVID-19 cases can have major and long-lasting effects on people’s health. That is one of the key findings from our recent multicountry study on long COVID-19 – or long COVID – recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association," write Sarah Hanson, research scientist at UW's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and Dr. Theo Vos, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
• How worried should we be about XBB.1.5? | The Atlantic2 months ago
  After months and months of SARS-CoV-2 subvariant soup, one ingredient has emerged in the United States with a flavor pungent enough to overwhelm the rest: XBB.1.5, an Omicron offshoot that now accounts for an estimated 75 percent of cases in the Northeast. A crafty dodger of antibodies that is able to grip extra tightly onto the surface of our cells, XBB.1.5 is now officially the country’s fastest-spreading coronavirus subvariant. In the last week of December alone, it zoomed from 20 percent of estimated infections nationwide to 40 percent; soon, it’s expected to be all that’s left, or at least very close. Pavitra Roychoudhury, acting instructor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Local health officials tracking new COVID omicron variant believed to be more contagious | KIRO 72 months ago
  A new year has brought concerns about a new COVID-19 variant. The XBB.1.5 variant is an offshoot of the omicron variant and is believed to be five times as contagious. The XBB.1.5 variant now makes up more than 40% of coronavirus cases in the US, according to the CDC. In parts of the northeast, like New York, it’s believed to make up more than 70% of the cases. Pavitra Roychoudhury, acting instructor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5: The dominant COVID strain in the U.S. surges in major metro areas with slightly different symptoms | Forbes2 months ago
  XBB.1.5 is a highly transmissible subvariant of omicron and is now the dominant Covid variant in the U.S. after just a matter of months. The XBB subvariant has been found in around 70 countries and caused Covid case surges in places like Singapore and India in October 2022, according to the World Health Organization. Pavitra Roychoudhury, acting instructor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• The new COVID variant XBB.1.5 and why it's spreading so quickly | CNN3 months ago
  For weeks, scientists have been watching a slew of Omicron descendants duke it out for dominance of Covid-19 transmission in the United States, with the BQs – BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 – seeming to edge out all the others to claim a slight lead. The result has been a gradual rise in cases and hospitalizations that never seemed to reach the peaks of this summer’s BA.5 wave and was certainly nothing like the tsunami of illness caused by the original Omicron strain a year ago. Pavitra Roychoudhury, acting instructor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• How deadly will China’s COVID surge get? Answers to that and more | The Washington Post3 months ago
  When China ended the drastic lockdowns and restrictions that were in place for the past three years, it triggered a surge of cases and deaths in a population with little natural immunity and low levels of vaccine boosting. With data about the scale of this COVID surge sparse and unreliable, scientists observing China’s crisis must piece together scraps of evidence to forecast the trajectory of this outbreak and what it might mean for the spread and evolution of the virus. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Masks return to 3 NJ school districts as 'tripledemic' takes toll | Patch3 months ago
  New Jersey has reached the post-holiday phase of the respiratory-illness season. Three New Jersey school districts, including two of the state's largest, brought back mask mandates to combat the rise of COVID-19, influenza and other infectious diseases. A projection from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is referenced.
• Possible new COVID wave arises from China | Northwest News Radio3 months ago
  Just as China eliminates much of its zero-COVID policy, nations around the world are debating how to stem the spread of a possible new COVID 19 wave from China. The U.S. will require health screenings for travelers from China beginning Jan. 5. All travelers, regardless of nationality, will be required to have a negative test or provide proof of recovery when coming from China. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is referenced.
• Risk of a dangerous new COVID variant in China is 'quite low,' U.S. health expert says | CNBC3 months ago
  U.S. health officials warned this week about the chance of a new Covid variant emerging in China’s nationwide outbreak — and how Beijing’s lack of transparency could delay detection of public health risks. The variant was first detected in South Africa more than a year ago. Omicron is far more transmissible, but causes less severe disease, than when Covid first emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• How bad is China’s COVID outbreak? It’s a scientific guessing game | The New York Times3 months ago
  As Covid barrels through China, scientists around the world are searching for clues about an outbreak with sprawling consequences — for the health of hundreds of millions of Chinese people, the global economy and the future of the pandemic. But in the absence of credible information from the Chinese government, it is a big scientific guessing game to determine the size and severity of the surge in the world’s most populous country. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• US to impose new COVID testing requirements for travelers from China | The Washington Post3 months ago
  U.S. health officials announced new testing requirements for travelers from China. It's a decision based in part on concerns about the lack of data coming out of that nation, which is lifting stringent zero-COVID policies even as it reduces testing and reporting, making it harder for officials to identify new variants. The requirement for all travelers ages 2 and older to show a negative test result is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 5. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Discussing what the end of 'zero-COVID' in China means with Bill Bishop | MSNBC3 months ago
  The pandemic hasn’t raged within China the way it has in the rest of the world over the past few years. However, that’s beginning to change. Following a wave of protests, Chinese leadership officially rolled back some of the country’s most stringent COVID restrictions. The end of “zero-COVID” policies, combined with an already strained medical system, along with low vaccination and immunity levels, could lead to disastrous public health and economic consequences. A projection from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is referenced.
• Clash of seasonal viruses | Northwest News Radio3 months ago
  A lot of fans will join the dawgs on their trip to San Antonio to take on the longhorns and that means a lot of time in crowds. So, Dr. Paul Pottinger, professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine, advices people to get their flu and COVID shots, mask up and have a great time.
• COVID death data hides true toll on Black, Hispanic, Indigenous people | USA Today3 months ago
  It’s not always easy to identify a COVID-19 death. If someone dies at home, if they have symptoms not typically associated with the disease or if they die when local health systems are overwhelmed, their death certificate might say “heart disease” or “natural causes” when COVID-19 is, in fact, at fault. New research shows such inaccuracies also are more likely for Americans who are Black, Hispanic, Asian or Native. Laura Dwyer-Lindgren, assistant professor of health metrics sciences in the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluations, is quoted.
• Second NJ baby dies from flu as state weathers COVID, 'tripledemic' | Patch3 months ago
  A second baby in New Jersey died from influenza, marking the state's first pediatric flu deaths in nearly three years. Meanwhile, federal health officials recommended mask-wearing in almost all of New Jersey. A projection from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is referenced.
• Rural China anticipates a big COVID surge | KNKX3 months ago
  Millions of people have likely already gotten sick from COVID-19 in Chinese cities, but the country is now bracing for an even bigger surge in its rural areas where health care access has lagged behind. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is interviewed.
• Is this long COVID or am I just getting older? | Fortune3 months ago
  You’re middle-aged with new symptoms after your COVID infection—fatigue, brain fog, joint pain. Is it long COVID? Or are you just getting older? If you’ve found yourself wondering, you’re not alone. Given that the world has seen just shy of 650 million officially recorded COVID cases—and that about 10% of the world’s population is age 65 or older—aging and long COVID are bound to intersect in a big way. A projection from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is referenced.
• China stops publishing daily COVID data amid reports of a huge spike in cases | NPR3 months ago
  China has stopped publishing daily COVID-19 data, adding to concerns that the country's leadership may be concealing negative information about the pandemic following the easing of restrictions. China is experiencing a surge in new cases since restrictions were eased. In China's eastern Zhejiang province alone, the provincial government said it was experiencing about 1 million new daily cases. A projection from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is referenced.
• Opinion: Connect with an older adult to stem the tide of loneliness | The Seattle Times3 months ago
  "Around the world, most older adults live with a circle of relatives. But that’s not usually the case in the United States, where aging baby boomers comprise 24% and nearly three in 10 adults over 60 live alone, a recent Pew Research Study shows. The novel coronavirus also has severely affected older adults; people 65 and over have accounted for 75% of all U.S. deaths attributed to the virus. These changes have happened so fast that many older adults are just now discovering how the past three years have changed their lives. Living alone, far from family or in seemingly well-populated assisted-living homes, older adults might not realize the toll of loneliness and loss until the negative effects are well entrenched," writes Patrick Raue, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in the UW School of Medicine.
• 'A very hard road ahead' for China as COVID cases spiral | Associated Press3 months ago
  Nearly three years after it was first identified in China, the coronavirus is now spreading through the vast country. Experts predict difficult months ahead for its 1.4 billion people. China’s unyielding “zero-COVID” approach, which aimed to isolate all infected people, bought it years to prepare for the disease. But an abrupt reopening, which was announced without warning on Dec. 7 in the wake of anti-lockdown protests, has caught the nation under-vaccinated and short on hospital capacity. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is referenced.
• Undercounted deaths cloud China’s zero-COVID exit | Wall Street Journal3 months ago
  China has reported just a handful of Covid-19 deaths as a wave of Omicron infections has swept the country’s biggest cities, stoking suspicion among public-health experts and relatives of deceased patients that the government isn’t accurately accounting for the impact of the virus. Despite widespread reports of soaring infections, crowded hospitals and overwhelmed crematoria, Chinese health authorities had by Tuesday reported only seven Covid-related deaths since the country abruptly eased many of its pandemic-control measures more than two weeks ago. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• China reports first COVID deaths in weeks and that number may rise, experts say | ABC News3 months ago
  China is reporting its first deaths linked to COVID-19 in weeks as cases surge amid the country lifting many of its so-called "zero COVID" policies. The deaths, which were reported on Monday by the National Health Commission and occurred in Beijing, are the first recorded since Dec. 4. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• New COVID model predicts over 1 million deaths in China | Reuters3 months ago
  China's abrupt lifting of stringent COVID-19 restrictions could result in an explosion of cases and over a million deaths through 2023, according to new projections from the U.S.-based Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. According to the group's projections, cases in China would peak around April 1, when deaths would reach 322,000. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• RSV wave hammers hospitals — but vaccines and treatments are coming | Nature3 months ago
  In the past few months, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been sending children under the age of 5 to hospital at alarming rates in the United States and Europe. As paediatric units fill beyond capacity, and physicians contend with a ‘tripledemic’ of RSV, influenza and COVID-19, some have been calling for a state of emergency to be declared. Dr. Helen Chu, associate professor of medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.

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