UW researchers respond to novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

COVID-19 experts for reporters

Here 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. 

• Seattle updates response to COVID-19 | KING 51 day ago
  UW President Ana Mari Cauce announces details of UW Medicine's partnership with the city in the opening of new COVID-19 testing sites in Seattle.
• With protests, it's a matter of social justice versus social distancing | MSNBC1 day ago
  Dr. Vin Gupta, affiliate assistant professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, talks about how racism is deadlier than coronavirus, justifying the risk of protest.
• As pandemic pounds US universities, federal support helps their labs stay afloat | Science1 day ago
  This spring, as the coronavirus pandemic shuttered U.S. higher education, many college presidents began to warn of the dire financial impact of a frozen U.S. economy on their institutions. UW President Ana Mari Cauce is quoted.
• 'Service is also action': An imam, a pastor, a rabbi and a philosopher talk faith and radical change | KUOW1 day ago
  Three faith leaders and David E. Smith, a teacher of philosophy and religious studies at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the UW, talk with KUOW's Ross Reynolds about service and responsibility as we face COVID-19, systemic racism and economic catastrophe.
• City of Seattle, UW Medicine announce free citywide COVID-19 testing | KOMO 41 day ago
  Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Thursday a partnership with UW Medicine to provide free citywide COVID-19 testing in Seattle.
• Using tear gas on protesters may worsen coronavirus spread | Huffington Post1 day ago
  Using riot control agents such as tear gas on protesters during a respiratory pandemic is likely to exacerbate the spread of the coronavirus, health experts warned. An open letter drafted by infectious disease experts at the UW and signed by more than 1,200 infectious disease experts, public health professionals and community stakeholders urges law enforcement to refrain from deploying tear gas on people protesting police violence against Black communities.
• Free coronavirus testing launches citywide in Seattle | Patch2 days ago
  All Seattle residents, workers and vistors will have access to free coronavirus testing, via two drive-thru sites operating at former emissions testing facilities, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Thursday. Seattle launched the city-wide effort in partnership with UW Medicine and public health officials.
• Seattle Mayor announces free, citywide COVID-19 testing | MyNorthwest2 days ago
  Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Thursday that the city of Seattle will offer free COVID-19 testing. She expects, with UW Medicine as a partner, that they will be able to increase testing by about 1,600 people per day. UW President Ana Mari Cauce and Dr. Geoffrey Baird, associate professor of laboratory medicine in the UW School of Medicine, are quoted.
• Opinion: Wear a mask, but remember that doesn't make you invincible to coronavirus | Forbes2 days ago
  "As anti-racism protests erupt across the world and people gather in mass, it’s easy to forget that we’re still in the middle of a pandemic. Despite health officials' continued warnings to the public that gathering in large groups is dangerous and increases the risk of spreading COVID-19, people are still going out with only a mask and gloves for protection," writes Misha Gajewski. Ann Bostrom, professor of public policy and governance at the UW, is quoted.
• Seattle to open two new coronavirus testing sites | The Seattle Times2 days ago
  The city of Seattle and UW Medicine will offer free testing for the new coronavirus at two locations, an announcement that comes as public health officials encourage people who have been out protesting to be tested if they have been in contact with others ill with COVID-19 or if they are experiencing symptoms.
• Fighting COVID-19 and police brutality: A rock and hard place for Americans | KING 52 days ago
  Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, weighs in on the large gatherings of people at protests around the country and the spread of COVID-19.  
• Inslee encourages those with mild COVID-19 symptoms to get tested | KIRO 72 days ago
  Gov. Jay Inslee said the state is broadening its testing strategy and now encouraging people with mild symptoms to get tested for the coronavirus. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and UW President Ana Maria Cauce have also signed a memorandum of agreement solidifying the partnership between the City of Seattle and UW Medicine, increasing capacity by more than 1,600 tests per day
• Health specialists to police: Stop the tear gas amid the pandemic | KUOW2 days ago
  Using tear gas or other chemical irritants can worsen the risk of COVID-19 spreading through a crowd, according to a petition organized by the UW and signed by more than 2,000 health professionals. Dr. Rachel Bender Ignacio, acting assistant professor of medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Apocalypse: Now what? Pandemic safety in a protest | Crosscut2 days ago
  A reader asks about the safety of protesting in this weekly column about the coronavirus pandemic. An open letter by UW infectious disease experts is quoted.
• Opinion: Trolls continue to be a problem on social media | Forbes2 days ago
  "Like mythical beasts that seem to be unstoppable, trolls continue to plague social media," writes Peter Suciu. Jevin West, associate professor in the UW Information School, is quoted.
• Stock your medicine cabinet for the pandemic | CNN2 days ago
  Your medicine cabinet is your first go-to in times of illness, and sometimes it gets a little bare. But we're in the midst of a global health crisis. And whether you get COVID-19 or not, it's important to be prepared. Dr. J. Randall Curtis, professor of medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Tear gas at protests may spread coronavirus, experts say | Los Angeles Times2 days ago
  Using tear gas or pepper spray to subdue protesters will only help spread the coronavirus in the middle of a pandemic, infectious disease experts warn. More than 1,000 people — among them infectious disease and public health experts — have signed a petition, inspired by a group from the UW, asking local and state governments to stop using tear gas, smoke and other respiratory irritants that increase the risk for coronavirus transmission.
• Contact tracing – the privacy vs urgency dilemma for governments in the fight against Covid-19 | South China Morning Post3 days ago
  Using an app on your smartphone to track whether you’ve been in close contact with people who have contracted COVID-19 seems – at first glance – like a perfectly plausible way to use new technology to help tackle a global health crisis that has sickened millions and brought the world economy to its knees. There’s just one problem – data privacy. Ryan Calo, associate professor of law at the UW, is quoted.
• Mexico’s hospitals strain to treat coronavirus as officials say cases are peaking | The Washington Post3 days ago
  As Mexico City hits what officials say is the peak of its outbreak, it’s facing an onslaught of cases with an understaffed and undersupplied hospital system. There is concern that the country’s death toll is far higher than the official figures. Rafael Lozano, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Sen. Maria Cantwell introduces privacy bill for contact tracing | GeekWire4 days ago
  Sen. Maria Cantwell is one of the sponsors of bipartisan legislation aimed at ensuring that coronavirus tracing apps protect consumer privacy. Ed Lazowska, professor of computer science and engineering at the UW, is quoted.
• What is next for Brazil in its coronavirus fight? | Al Jazeera4 days ago
  Experts warn that the actions of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, an unequal health system and the easing of lockdowns will lead to more dire consequences in Brazil. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Opinion: Will bio-wisdom come from the pandemic? | Psychology Today4 days ago
  "It isn’t clear where the new coronavirus originated, although it almost certainly came from some denizens of the natural world, probably bats ... In the clutches of a worldwide pandemic, there is obviously a whole lot here on earth — never mind heaven — that we still don’t encompass in our philosophy, our science, our ethics, or our politics," writes David Barash, professor emeritus of biology at the UW.
• Vaccine hunters | KCTS 94 days ago
  Jesse Erasmus, a postdoctoral microbiology researcher at UW Medicine, is part of a team developing a vaccine for COVID-19.
• FEMA awards nearly $31.9M to UW | KING 54 days ago
  The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded nearly $31.9 million to the UW for expenses incurred during the first 163 days of the COVID-19 response. [This was part of KING 5 real-time updates for June 1 and 2.]
• Experts concerned coronavirus cases could rise with Seattle protests | KING 54 days ago
  About 10,000 people took to the streets of Seattle on Saturday in protest, causing concern for health experts that the virus could spread with the close proximity. “I think demonstrations against racism are in service of public health,” said Dr. Olivia Kates, an infectious diseases fellow at UW Medicine and student of bioethics.
• US school closures dramatically shrinking public education | Reuters4 days ago
  More than two months after schools across the United States began closing in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the shutdown is taking a profound toll on the nation’s system of education, Reuters found by surveying nearly 60 school districts serving some 2.8 million students. Bethany Gross, associate director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education at UW Bothell, is quoted.
• China delayed releasing coronavirus info, frustrating WHO | Associated Press5 days ago
  Throughout January, the World Health Organization publicly praised China for what it called a speedy response to the new coronavirus. But behind the scenes, it was a much different story, one of significant delays by China and considerable frustration among WHO officials over not getting the information they needed to fight the spread of the deadly virus, The Associated Press has found. Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• As we emerge from lockdown, what will our spaces look like? Here’s how designers are reimagining our world | The Toronto Star5 days ago
  All around the world, designers and architects are reimagining homes, offices and shared spaces to adapt to COVID-19 realities. The Seattle Street Sink prototype, created by faculty from the College of Built Environments in collaboration with community partners, is mentioned.
• Protests, coronavirus and election present disinformation challenge for social media companies | The Washington Post5 days ago
  Experts are calling on social media users to exercise caution and check their sources before they hit retweet or share. Kate Starbird, associate professor of human centered design and engineering at the UW, is quoted.
• Coronavirus surge in young people may sabotage reopening | The Daily Beast5 days ago
  Any return to pre-pandemic behavior — whether at bars in Waco or demonstrations in cities like Los Angeles — could come at significant cost. In fact, if an analysis from the first COVID-19 hot spot in the United States is any indication, young people have, for weeks, appeared to be setting the stage not for a second wave of an infection, but a deadly extension of the first one. Judith Malmgrem, affiliate assistant professor of epidemiology at the UW, is quoted.
• UW expert: CDC 'hopelessly compromised' by White House in virus response | MyNorthwest5 days ago
  After the Trump Administration removed guidance from the CDC regarding the spread of COVID-19 from singing in choirs in places of worship, local health experts have spoken out against what they say is a troubling pattern of behavior. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.
• Will the Spokane housing market weather the storm? Homebuying during the pandemic remains competitive and continues to favor the seller | The Spokesman-Review5 days ago
  The new normal caused by the pandemic may not be that much different than the old normal, some local market observers say. They believe the Spokane area will continue to attract buyers, such as retirees and teleworkers, looking to escape larger metros in search of affordability and quality of life — now and post-pandemic. James Young, director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the UW, is quoted.
• Spike of coronavirus cases in those under age 40 in Washington | KING 55 days ago
  Judith Malmgrem, affiliate assistant professor of epidemiology at the UW, published a pre-print report showing nearly 40% of coronavirus cases after the virus' peak in March were in those under 40 years old.
• UW Virology: We may never know who had first COVID-19 case in WA | MyNorthwest5 days ago
  The first COVID-19 case in Washington was originally thought to have occurred in late January. Now, though, researchers are uncertain whether they’ll ever know when the virus actually arrived. Dr. Keith Jerome, professor of laboratory medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Opinion: An object lesson for business, and innovation in the age of a pandemic | Forbes5 days ago
  Restrictions on how we gather due to the pandemic offer "organizational leadership a means to reframe the status that disability plays in how we redefine the very nature of work and develop the tools needed to create a culture of innovation and cultivate a management strategy that embraces the needs of individual employees to be more productive and in turn give back to the collective goals of the company. A prime example of this innovative change comes from the University of Washington in partnership with Microsoft through the launch of the Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technologies and Experiences (CREATE)," writes Jonathan Kauffman.
• Everyone — including Trump — has an opinion about this potential COVID-19 treatment, and that’s making it hard to find out if it works | The Boston Globe5 days ago
  Most people have formed strong opinions, often along party lines. But in reality, no one knows whether hydroxychloroquine is a safe or effective treatment for COVID-19. Dr. Christine Johnston, associate professor of medicine at the UW, and Ruanne Barnabas, associate professor of global health and of medicine at the UW, are quoted.
• Opinion: ‘Chinese virus ‘hatred follows historical pattern | Tacoma News Tribune5 days ago
  "Since COVID-19’s arrival, prejudice and fear may be spreading more rapidly than the virus itself. As healthcare workers around the world bravely toil against the disease, we must pitch in to combat this disturbing side effect," write Katie Baird and Turan Kayaoglu, both professors of interdisciplinary arts and sciences at UW Tacoma.
• Barber shops, hair stylists and nail salons can now open in Kitsap — is it safe to visit? | Kitsap Sun5 days ago
  Now that Kitsap County is in Phase 2 of the state’s reopening, personal service providers like barbers, hairstylists, cosmetologists, tattoo artists and nail salon workers can begin work again if they follow certain safety guidelines. Businesses have to adopt written procedures for their locations and have a site-specific COVID-19 supervisor to oversee operations. Dr. Paul Pottinger, professor of medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• The impact of social isolation and loneliness | Psychology Today5 days ago
  While COVID-19 has amplified it, even before the crisis more than one-third of adults aged 45 and older felt lonely, and one in five Americans said they felt lonely or socially isolated. Living alone can be one of the contributing risk factors for loneliness, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 28 percent of older adults live by themselves. Jonathan Kanter, research associate professor of psychology at the UW, is referenced.
• UW researchers update model | KOMO Radio1 week ago
  Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, explains why the latest projections are lower than expected.
• Is it safe to travel during coronavirus? The answer isn’t quite clear | Vox1 week ago
  People are starting to commute and travel again, but no transportation mode is risk-free. Dr. Jared Baeten, professor of global health at the UW, is quoted.
• Why Trump’s 'warp speed' race for a COVID-19 vaccine is dangerous and likely to fail | Vanity Fair1 week ago
  The president is pushing for a vaccine to be available in October. But experts say it can’t be done safely in that time frame. Dr. Gail Van Norman, professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine and adjunct professor of bioethics and humanities in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Shuttered natural history museums fight for survival amid COVID-19 ‘heartbreak’ | Science1 week ago
  Around the world, natural history museums are shuttered and reeling. Museums’ reliance on revenue from ticket sales and events makes them among the first scientific institutions to feel the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Julie Stein, executive director of the UW Burke Museum, is quoted.
• Half of new COVID-19 cases are adults under 40, children | KIRO 71 week ago
  According to the Washington State Department of Health data, half of the new COVID-19 cases during the week of May 10 were of patients under 40 years old. Judith Malmgren, affiliate assistant professor of epidemiology at the UW, is quoted.
• 'False sense of security' — why some doctors won't order coronavirus antibody tests for patients | KUOW1 week ago
  The Trump administration and other leaders around the world have proposed COVID-19 antibody tests as a stopgap solution to reopening society until a vaccine is developed. But even as labs are conducting antibody tests, some patients have found themselves unable to obtain a physician's referral. Dr. Elizabeth Poorman, clinical instructor of medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• New tools aim to tame pandemic paper tsunami | Science1 week ago
  A loose-knit army of data scientists and software developers are creating digital collections of papers and building search tools powered by artificial intelligence that could help researchers quickly find the information they seek. The urgency is growing: The COVID-19 literature has grown to more than 31,000 papers since January and by one estimate is on pace to hit more than 52,000 by mid-June. Jevin West, associate professor in the UW Information School, is quoted.
• How COVID-19 might affect a pregnant woman's placenta | Live Science1 week ago
  A small new study found signs of damage to the placenta in pregnant women with COVID-19, but it's far too early to say whether this damage actually affects birth outcomes. Most women with the novel coronavirus who had these abnormalities gave birth to healthy babies at-term. Dr. Kristina Adams Waldorf, professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Urban carnivores appear to be more nocturnal as region slows due to coronavirus | KNKX1 week ago
  Urban wildlife biologists say it’s logical to think we might start seeing more animals during the day, as a result of people shifting their routines away from city centers. But Christopher Schell, assistant professor of interdisciplinary arts and sciences at UW Tacoma, is seeing preliminary data indicating the opposite effect.
• Inslee loosens restrictions on religious services statewide | KIRO 71 week ago
  Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday that Washington would be easing restrictions on religious gatherings as the state moves forward with its reopening plan. Dr. Paul Pottinger, professor of medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• Doctor calls on governors to implement mandatory masks in public | MSNBC1 week ago
  Dr. Vin Gupta, affiliate assistant professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, discusses why he's calling for governors across the country to institute mandatory mask policies in public places immediately.
• The world is still far from herd immunity for coronavirus | The New York Times1 week ago
  The coronavirus still has a long way to go. That’s the message from a crop of new studies across the world that are trying to quantify how many people have been infected. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.
• Half of newly diagnosed coronavirus cases in Washington are in people under 40 | The Seattle Times1 week ago
  Half of new coronavirus infections in Washington are now occurring in people under the age of 40, a marked shift from earlier in the epidemic when more than two-thirds of those testing positive were in older age groups. Judith Malmgren, an affiliate assistant professor of epidemiology at the UW, is quoted.
• US coronavirus deaths to hit 132,000 by August, COVID-19 data reveals | International Business Times1 week ago
  The latest death toll update to the heavily cited "COVID-19 Projections" from the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation now predicts the number of deaths from COVID-19 in the United States at 131,967 by August 4. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, are quoted.
• Pandemic has taken 100,000 lives across the United States | NPR1 week ago
  The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has reached a somber milestone: As of Wednesday afternoon, the highly infectious viral disease has taken more than 100,000 lives nationwide. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• UW, Microsoft work on Washington's contact-tracing app | Puget Sound Business Journal1 week ago
  Gov. Jay Inslee created a team of close to 1,400 people to track down those exposed individuals — called contact tracing — within 24 hours. The state is working with the UW on a contact-tracing app to make the process more efficient. Sham Kakade, professor of computer science and engineering at the UW, is quoted.
• The CDC’s coronavirus death rate estimates are too low, many scientists say | Buzzfeed1 week ago
  New CDC estimates of coronavirus death rates look suspiciously low and present almost no data to back them up, say public health experts who are concerned that the agency is buckling under political pressure to restart the economy. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.
• Health checklists and resources for living with COPD during the coronavirus pandemic | Everyday Health1 week ago
  Because the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can severely impact respiratory function, doctors are concerned about its effect on people who already have inflammation of the lungs, such as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. Dr. David Au, professor of medicine in the UW School of Medicine, is quoted.
• With or without the say of players, college football moves toward a return | The New York Times1 week ago
  As colleges and universities debate whether to reopen for the fall, athletic administrators face one of the thorniest decisions in sports, with millions of dollars and the health of thousands of young people at stake: Should there be a football season? Dr. Gretchen Snoeyenbos Newman, a fellow in infectious diseases in the UW School of medicine, is quoted.
• Coronavirus epidemics began later than believed, study concludes | The New York Times1 week ago
  The first confirmed coronavirus infections in Europe and the United States, discovered in January, did not ignite the epidemics that followed, according to a close analysis of hundreds of viral genomes. Trevor Bedford, affiliate associate professor of genome sciences and of epidemiology at the UW, is quoted.
• Evolving CDC guidance fuels coronavirus confusion amid rising political furor | Sinclair Broadcast Group1 week ago
  As experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study the novel coronavirus spreading across the globe, they have faced scientific and political challenges complicating efforts to communicate the best information to the public about a crisis taking on increasingly partisan dimensions. Hilary Godwin, dean of the UW School of Public Health, is quoted.
• Coronavirus updates: A list of good news and bad news | New York Magazine1 week ago
  As medical researchers the world over give COVID-19 their undivided attention, each week brings a new smorgasbord of working papers that leave lay-observers either jubilantly awaiting the imminent reopening of America’s underground mud-wrestling rings or despondently preparing for another 18 months of awkward Zoom happy hours, depending on which items they happen to sample. A new UW study is referenced.
• How do you fight the epidemic of racism within a pandemic? | KUOW1 week ago
  Shortly after his presidential campaign failed, former candidate Andrew Yang wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post about the racism Asian-Americans were experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sapna Cheryan, a professor of psychology at the UW, is interviewed.
• The epic battle against coronavirus misinformation and conspiracy theories | Nature1 week ago
  In the first few months of 2020, wild conspiracy theories about Bill Gates and the new coronavirus began sprouting online. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.
• Masks seem to be working to fight the virus, even as some refuse them and US deaths near 100,000 | CNN1 week ago
  Americans are at odds over whether it's necessary to keep taking coronavirus protective measures, but a leading researcher says the data is clear: The path ahead in the COVID-19 pandemic is being shaped by masks. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted.
• Anne Browning: Tips for riding the COVID-19 roller coaster | Spokane Public Radio1 week ago
  We’re all riding the COVID-19 roller coaster, but some of us are weathering the ups and downs better than others. Anne Browning, founding director of the UW Resilience Lab, is interviewed.
• State considers contact-tracing app to combat COVID-19 | Q13 FOX News1 week ago
  Washington state is considering the use of a smartphone app that can notify the close contacts of someone who later tests positive for COVID-19. Sham Kakade, professor of computer science and engineering at the UW, is quoted.
• Boeing and Airbus study how coronavirus behaves during air travel | The Wall Street Journal1 week ago
  Boeing and Airbus are researching the new coronavirus’ behavior inside jetliners, part of an industry push to curb risks that have brought air traffic to a near standstill. Scott Meschke, professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, is quoted.
• Seattle COVID-19 vaccine volunteer given high dose, discusses side effects | KIRO 71 week ago
  Ian Haydon works at the University of Washington in the Institute for Protein Design. The healthy 29-year-old signed up for the COVID-19 vaccine trial because he said this is one way he knew he could help out.
• Brazil travel ban: Trump bans travelers from the coronavirus hotspot | Vox2 weeks ago
  In an effort to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, President Donald Trump will soon ban travelers coming from the latest hotspot: Brazil. Nicole Errett, a lecturer of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW, is quoted.
• Factbox: Key upcoming clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine, touted by Trump, for COVID-19 | Reuters2 weeks ago
  The World Health Organization has suspended testing the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients due to potential safety risks but other studies testing the medicine are continuing. A UW study is mentioned.

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