Remdesivir, developed through a UNC-Chapel Hill partnership, proves effective against COVID-19 in NIAID human clinical trials
April 29, 2020 Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, reported that data from an international clinical trial testing the broad-spectrum antiviral drug remdesivir showed “quite good news” and should result in a new standard of care for COVID-19 patients. Remdesivir was co-developed by researchers in the Baric Lab at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Human rights play a critical role in the development of COVID-19 health policies
April 29, 2020 Governments worldwide have implemented policies in an effort to mitigate the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic, but the extent to which these policies constrain individual rights has been overlooked, according to Dr. Benjamin Mason Meier. This can have a detrimental impact on the world’s most vulnerable populations.
The Gillings Community Responds to COVID-19: Leveraging Technology to Address Needs
April 27, 2020 In a time when a pandemic has limited the resources available to meet critical health needs in-person, we have moved into the digital space to seek assistance. In health behavior, students, faculty and alumni are coming together to develop online tools that help health care workers get access to child care and provide mental health support to teens who are feeling increasingly vulnerable. Biostatistics alumnus Andrew Williams is helping to develop software that can assist health care providers in modeling the spread of COVID-19 in order to prepare resources accordingly.
Study estimates COVID-19 mortality rates in South Korea, shares modeling tool
April 21, 2020 In a pre-print study, researchers discuss the mortality burden of COVID-19 in South Korea — one of the first countries to report a case outside of China. They also share a mortality rate modeling approach that relies solely on publicly available data.
The Gillings Community Responds to COVID-19: Outreach to Vulnerable Communities
April 17, 2020 In Arizona, online MPH student Jeannie Hong is serving dual roles as a U.S. Public Health Service officer and a pharmacist for patients in a Native American and Alaska Native community. Nutrition graduate student Kayla Ferro and her peers are serving vulnerable homeless populations in the heart of Orange County. In Nevada, health behavior alumnus Peter Reed has collaborated on a statewide response plan to help older adults get the services they need while in isolation.
Should mothers with COVID-19 be separated from their newborns?
April 9, 2020 In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, questions have arisen about how to prevent the transmission of the virus to newborns from mothers who are suspected or confirmed to be infected. Dr. Alison Stuebe has written a commentary in Breastfeeding Medicine addressing the risks and benefits of temporary separation.
The Gillings Community Responds to COVID-19: Mental Health, Environmental Guidance and Health Education
April 9, 2020 Health behavior alumnae participated in a hackathon to design a web platform to help people cope with the stress of managing COVID-19 information streams. Environmental scientists Dr. Mark Sobsey and Dr. Lisa Casanova have contributed to WHO guidelines on water and sanitation. Alumna Dr. Jennifer Platt is leading a health education initiative for people with alpha-gal syndrome who have COVID-19 questions.
Prevalence of pregnancy UTIs underscores need for better screening, treatment in low- and middle-income countries
April 7, 2020 Prenatal screening for urinary tract infections (UTIs) is standard practice in high-income countries because of the risk that untreated UTIs pose during pregnancy. But women in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are still in need of screening and treatment that is accessible and accurate due to social and environmental risk factors that may contribute to the high prevalence of UTIs in pregnancy.
A new antiviral drug heading into clinical trials offers hope for COVID-19 treatment — in part because it can be taken as a pill
April 6, 2020 Scientists are hopeful that a new drug — called EIDD-2801 — could change the way doctors treat COVID-19. The antiviral shows promise in reducing lung damage, has finished testing in mice and will soon move to human clinical trials.
Who gets admitted to medical education in low- and middle-income countries — and why does it matter?
March 31, 2020 Recent studies have found that doctors and nurses in low- and middle-income countries are often absent from work, sometimes seek unauthorized payments for services, and may treat patients in disrespectful or abusive ways. UNC researchers suggest a solution: reforming medical education practices to focus on admitting students who are motivated by a strong desire to serve the needs of their community, rather than by receiving external rewards.
