Here is what our researchers are saying about COVID-19

The short answer is yes, says Jared Auclair, director of the Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Lab at Northeastern. Here’s a look at why different tests have different expiration windows, and the best way to store them at home.

A study of more than 27 million people across the U.S. has found a link between COVID-19 infections and Type 1 diabetes. Northeastern’s Trenton Honda says, “Our interest is really looking at the question, ‘Are there going to be hidden costs, even among those who are not at high risk from COVID itself, because of COVID, later on?’”

According to analysis by researchers at Northeastern and partner institutions, the CDC counts, when compared with census data, indicate that in 26 states, more than 100% of people above age 65 have gotten at least one shot. What went wrong? David Lazer, university distinguished professor, explains.

The ruling sparked criticism from legal experts, some of whom contend that U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle misunderstood the law and, therefore, erred in her reasoning. Wendy Parmet, director of Northeastern’s Center for Health Policy and Law, breaks down the decision and its implications.

The Cambridge-based biotech pioneer has plans to open a $500 million facility in Kenya and deliver 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine yearly in Africa, Moderna’s Patrick Bergstedt said at a Northeastern forum Wednesday run by the university’s Africa Global Initiative.

The move reflects a shift in the public health approach to COVID-19 as the university and nation transition to managing the disease like other illnesses.

For most people, the short answer is: Probably not, says Mansoor Amiji, university distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences and chemical engineering at Northeastern.

In step with the CDC’s revised public health guidelines, the university will remove indoor mask requirements on its Boston campus. Face coverings will be optional in all settings beginning on Saturday, March 5, with the exception of University Health and Counseling Services.

The pandemic upended higher education as we know it. Now, says Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, there is “an opportunity for universities and colleges to reflect on who they are,” what they offer and how that knowledge will be delivered

Public-health experts have said that COVID-19 is likely to become an “endemic” disease. But the general public is unfamiliar with the term. Northeastern epidemiologist Alessandro Vespignani explains what the term “endemic” means to scientists—and how you can understand what happens next.

Moving to the next phase of COVID-19 management, the university is making testing optional for students, faculty, and staff who are asymptomatic. The change goes into effect on Monday, Feb. 28. On that day we also say goodbye to the COVID-19 dashboard.

Many coronavirus testing labs combine samples for faster, less costly results. But the pooled testing approach doesn’t mean the same thing in all labs. Jared Auclair, who runs Northeastern University’s COVID-19 testing facility, explains how pooled testing works and what results mean.

The COVID-19 toolbox is starting to look a lot more like the approach to battling other viruses. “So 2022 is sort of about making that transition to the new endemic world,” says Jared Auclair, director of the Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Lab at Northeastern.

The CDC suggests that you do not take a COVID-19 test in the 90 days following an infection unless you have symptoms. But that doesn’t mean you get a free pass. Northeastern public health experts break down what that guidance actually means.

Husky fans will return to Matthews Arena on Friday. Northeastern's ice hockey teams have played without spectators since Dec. 17, due to COVID-19 concerns.

Despite rising inflation, supply chain disruptions and pandemic lockdowns, business is booming for well-known luxury behemoths like Louis Vuitton, Cartier, BMW, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Economic and marketing experts at Northeastern explain what’s behind the sudden surge in spending on some of the finer things in life.

Can the president, using his executive powers, cancel student loan debt? “It depends,” says Thomas J. Vicino, associate dean of graduate studies and professor of political science, public policy and urban affairs at Northeastern.

Demand for the respirators has soared, and counterfeits are popping up for sale. Those fakes provide unreliable protection from COVID-19. Northeastern experts break down how to know whether or not you’re getting the real thing when shopping for masks.

As the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has evolved, so too has Northeastern University’s management of it. Most recently, the university has moved to phase out its wellness housing for most students who test positive for COVID-19.

COVID-19 cases remain high. But an alternative metric for monitoring the pandemic—tracking the virus in wastewater—could indicate good news on the horizon in Massachusetts, say Northeastern experts.

Global warming and other ecological issues caused by humans have damaged fish farming more than COVID-19, according to a report co-authored by Brian Helmuth, professor of marine and environmental studies at Northeastern. But the industry can boost resilience with a few key changes, says Helmuth.

COVID-19 cases are high, but it’s not 2020 anymore: Being nearly two years into the pandemic may make all the difference. “If we were seeing these numbers back in September of 2020, it would be a different story,” says Northeastern public health expert Neil Maniar.

Tens of thousands of flights around the United States have been canceled in recent weeks, as airlines face “a perfect storm” of challenges that aren’t going away any time soon, says Ravi Sarathy, professor of international business and strategy at Northeastern.

The omicron variant is driving a record-setting surge of COVID-19 cases across the nation. But coronavirus numbers are expected to plummet just as quickly as they soared, says Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern. And that may happen fast.

The break with CDC guidelines doesn’t present a huge ethical concern in situations where immunocompromised patients are, in consultation with their physicians, receiving additional shots, several Northeastern experts say.

Given the rise in omicron cases, U.S. officials have been talking about the need for a second booster, or a fourth shot. Which begs the question: Is it possible to overstimulate the immune system with too many shots? Theoretically, yes, say Northeastern pharmacy and public health experts.

The threat of breakthrough infections brought on by the omicron variant has reinvigorated discourse about which face masks best protect you from the coronavirus. The answer, say Northeastern experts, is that it depends. Here are the factors to consider when putting on a mask.

Northeastern University plans to remain open for fully in-person classes and research activities for the opening of the spring 2022 term. It has been clear during the pandemic, says Ken Henderson, chancellor and senior vice president for learning, that in-person learning, working, and discovering is invaluable and unrivaled.

The United States surpassed 800,000 COVID-19 deaths in mid-December, a staggering figure that reveals, behind it, another: Each of those people left behind friends, family, and loved ones who mourn their loss. But it’s more than bereavement we’re feeling, says Elizabeth A. Bachen, psychology professor at Mills College. And those feelings aren’t just for people who lost a loved one.

A virus that moves as quickly around the globe as the omicron variant could spell disaster just as people are traveling and gathering for holiday and New Year celebrations. But the devil’s in the details when it comes to COVID-19. And, says Alessandro Vespignani, an infectious disease modeler at Northeastern, scientists have shared a “mixed bag of news” in recent weeks.

Understanding how viruses evolve can help us understand what future variants of the coronavirus we might see—and why they might not necessarily be a specter of doom. “What’s the virus trying to do?” says Jared Auclair, associate teaching professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Northeastern. “If it kills the host, it dies with the host.”

As part of an ongoing effort to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, the university updated its vaccine requirement to include booster shots for eligible students, faculty, and staff who work or study on a U.S. campus, officials announced Thursday. In order to make booster shots more easily accessible, Northeastern will host two vaccine clinics this month.

New travel bans meant to delay the spread of the omicron COVID-19 variant won’t help quell the virus, but may serve to stigmatize southern African nations where the mutation was first reported, says Northeastern law professor Wendy Parmet.