#COVID19research

30M tweets about COVID-19, and not all of them contain the truth. Who’s spreading misinformation?

They’re older women and mostly Republican, and they are six times more likely to share URLs from fake news domains than younger people, a new national study finds. And yet, they’re also more informed

by Peter Ramjug and Eunice Esomonu October 21, 2020

Survey finds COVID-19 test results are getting faster, but not for everyone

The average wait time has shrunk by almost two days since March, but some people are still waiting longer than others. Black and Hispanic respondents wait almost an entire day longer than white and Asian-American respondents, according to a new national survey by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers

by Peter Ramjug October 19, 2020

How has COVID-19 transformed the ‘forgotten front line’?

How has the disease affected the people who work in grocery stores, hotels, or restaurants? Paul Fombelle, associate professor of marketing at Northeastern, considers these employees the “forgotten front line,” and seeks to learn more about how their jobs and lives have changed over the last six months.

by Molly Callahan October 14, 2020

Flu season is coming and COVID-19 is still here. Can disease forecasts tell them apart?

Both viruses attack the respiratory system and can have similar symptoms. “Something like this is completely unprecedented,” says Alessandro Vespignani, who directs Northeastern’s Network Science Institute. “Having a major pandemic and then trying to get insight on the seasonal flu—it’s a completely new game.”

by Laura Castañón October 13, 2020

Researchers are taking aim at the counterfeit drug and medical supplies market

Once a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, there won’t be enough for everyone. Supply deficits such as this fuel the counterfeit drug market, says Nikos Passas, professor of criminology and criminal justice at Northeastern. To protect consumers and pharmaceutical companies alike, Passas will lead a team of researchers to investigate and disrupt illicit flows of fake medical goods.

by Emily Arntsen October 12, 2020

Biden may see sizable gains from mail-in ballots in several battleground states

Nearly 80 million absentee ballots are expected to be cast in the presidential contest, up sharply from 2016. That bodes well for the Democratic candidate and former vice president, a new national study finds.

by Peter Ramjug October 9, 2020

Pence and Harris’s low-key debate probably won’t change many voters' minds. Here's why.

The debate probably didn’t move the needle in terms of attracting undecideds, Northeastern professors observe. But with a Supreme Court nomination hearing on the way, their discussion set the stage for a looming political conflict

by Peter Ramjug October 8, 2020

Why does COVID-19 hit hard and fast in some places, but not others?

“The way populations are structured matters quite a bit in terms of the potential risk for sharp, intense epidemics, as compared to broader, slower-burning epidemics,” says Samuel Scarpino, an assistant professor in Northeastern’s Network Science Institute.

by Laura Castañón October 5, 2020

Democrats and Republicans both strongly support new round of COVID-19 pandemic aid, study says

Bipartisanship quickly ends as sharp differences continue over the price tag and where the money goes. Democrats favor aid to hospitals, schools, and the Postal Service. GOP opposes money to states and cities, researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers found.

by Peter Ramjug October 2, 2020

What do we know about airborne transmission of the coronavirus?

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted—and then quickly removed—new guidelines indicating that the coronavirus is airborne, leaving people confused about vital public information. Samuel Scarpino, assistant professor and head of the Emergent Epidemics Lab, explains where the science stands.

by Laura Castañón September 25, 2020