#COVID19research

‘We find ourselves asking scientists to do more than simply study the virus’

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, epidemiological models continue to provide vital information for lawmakers, public health officials, and people trying to slow the spread of the coronavirus. This has put the scientists who make the models in the spotlight.

by Laura Castañón July 6, 2020

Why is China containing COVID-19 better than the US?

“The reduction of contacts among the population is what has really abated the epidemic in China,” says Alessandro Vespignani, who directs Northeastern’s Network Science Institute. “‘Social distancing’ works.”

by Laura Castañón and Eunice Esomonu June 26, 2020

Our drinking water was always full of microbes. Are the wrong ones thriving in the pandemic?

It’s been months, and life has changed dramatically across the planet. Zooming in where only a microscope can see, Northeastern researchers are trying to determine how the lifestyle changes caused by COVID-19 might be helping harmful bacteria grow in our drinking water.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa June 25, 2020

Pandemic takes a toll on mental health of US residents, new national survey shows

As the country enters the fourth month of a “new normal” governed by public health guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19, a new survey by Northeastern and other researchers shows that more than a quarter of U.S. residents “describe symptoms in a range that would be considered moderate or severe depression,” according to the report.

by Molly Callahan June 16, 2020

A majority in the US supports making mail-in voting easier, new study shows

The results, which come as states across the country are planning for what could be a drastically different election in November, show that 60 percent of U.S. residents support making it easier to vote by mail.

by Molly Callahan and Laura Castañón May 28, 2020

People in the US started moving around more before stay-at-home measures were lifted

Even before most states began loosening the measures intended to keep people physically distant and slow the spread of the coronavirus, people were starting to travel further and see each other more, according to research from Northeastern’s Network Science Institute.

by Laura Castañón May 26, 2020

New survey shows growing partisan divide in support for reopening the US

Even as states begin to reopen, a majority of U.S. residents oppose immediate measures. But that opposition is beginning to wane among Republicans, according to new results of a national survey led by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Rutgers, and Northwestern universities.

by Molly Callahan May 22, 2020

Could a new tool for diabetes patients solve the problem of coronavirus testing?

Ming L. Wang, distinguished professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been perfecting a new home testing kit to monitor diabetes using saliva. Now, he’s redesigning the sensors within it to test for SARS-CoV-2.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa May 1, 2020

How will the economy bounce back?

How well, and how quickly, state and federal economies recover from the COVID-19 crisis has everything to do with the choices that officials make now, says economist Alicia Sasser Modestino. “The sky is falling, but we might have some ways to put the pieces back together.”

by Molly Callahan May 1, 2020

US public is 'firmly opposed' to reopening the economy immediately

A majority of people in the U.S. want to continue physical distancing measures, even as the federal government and some state governors are pushing to re-open the economy, according to a new national survey led by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, and Rutgers.

by Laura Castañón April 30, 2020