November 19, 2020

By Greg Richter

As the world continues to grapple with the ongoing pandemic, Drexel University’s College of Medicine and Dornsife School of Public Health experts sorted out what the research community has learned thus far and what questions remain about COVID-19.

“Clearly we’re not done with this pandemic,” Charles B. Cairns, MD, the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean and senior vice president of medical affairs at the College of Medicine, told NBC-10 “@Issue” last week. “The virus is as contagious as it’s always been. Frankly some reports suggest it could be more contagious.”

Cairns, who is also principal investigator on a national NIH AID-funded study on immune response among COVID-19 patients, told WCAU-TV (NBC-10) that researchers are still seeing wide variation in immune responses to infection.

As the pandemic continues to shape our daily routines, we know it’s not hitting evenly.

While some are fortunate to work from home or reside in areas with low case counts, it’s hitting some communities much harder than others.

“These front-line workers, disproportionately Black and brown, then are typically a part of residentially segregated communities,” working on site every day in jobs at disproportionately higher risk,” said Sharrelle Barber, ScD, assistant professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health, earlier this month in The New York Times Magazine.

Holiday traditions are different this year.

Assistant Professor Kristen Lyall, ScD, shared Halloween advice and Assistant Professor Usama Bilal, PhD, MD, shared whether traditional Thanksgiving celebrations are still on for this year.