School of Pharmacy Archives

A positive result of rapid antigen test and a negative result of the test in the background are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on January 29, 2021. Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via AP

You’ve had COVID-19. Do you get a free pass for a while?

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.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki February 3, 2022

Debra Smith holds her medical bills in her living room on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, in Spring Hill, Tenn. Smith figures she has around $10,000 in unpaid medical bills from a string of hospital stays over the past year, even though she has coverage through Medicare. She hasn't been able to make much progress paying them off. AP Photo/Mark Zaleski

Does Medicare actually provide universal, affordable healthcare?

“There’s this serious concentration of unaffordability among people who don’t have money or who have very high healthcare needs,” says Jeanne Madden, associate professor of pharmacy and health systems sciences at Northeastern. Madden led a new study finding that one in 10 Medicare recipients have had trouble paying medical bills, and the same proportion have delayed care due to worries about cost.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki January 5, 2022

Understanding how viruses evolve can help us understand what future variants of the coronavirus we might see—and whether or not we should fear them. Getty Images

Do viruses such as the coronavirus become less deadly?

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.”

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki December 13, 2021

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Should I still get a booster shot even though we don’t know much about omicron?

It’s unlikely that the omicron variant will evade COVID-19 vaccine protections entirely, says Mansoor Amiji, university distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences and chemical engineering at Northeastern. But you will likely need that booster shot. Here’s why.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki December 3, 2021

Should I mix and match my COVID-19 booster shot?

The short answer is: The best shot is the one you can get most easily. The longer answer is: It’s a bit more complicated than that. Northeastern’s pharmaceutical experts break it down.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki November 30, 2021

'Squid Game' appeals to the TikTok generation for its video game-like feel, says Amy Lu, a communication studies professor whose research focuses on the power of narratives. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Why are young viewers so drawn to ‘Squid Game’?

Part of the appeal lies in the video game-like feel and “meme-able” moments that attract the TikTok generation, says Amy Lu, a Northeastern professor who studies the power of narratives. Since its September debut, 'Squid Game' has been watched by more than 130 million people around the globe.

by Peter Ramjug October 19, 2021

There has been a gap in doctors’ COVID-19 toolkit. A new pill might fill that gap. And it might help save hospitals on the brink.
Photo illustration by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Why a COVID-19 pill would be a game-changer for overwhelmed hospitals

Between vaccinations and intensive inpatient treatments for COVID-19 patients, there has been a gap in doctors’ pandemic toolkit. A new pill might fill that gap, says Mansoor Amiji, university distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences and chemical engineering at Northeastern. And it might help save hospitals on the brink.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki October 15, 2021

Here’s how to make sense of the new guidance on booster shots. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Why the Biden administration now says we need booster shots for COVID-19

New research reveals that COVID-19 vaccine protections began to decline in the middle of the summer when the delta variant was sweeping through the nation. “As we get new information, as the data provides new clues and a new direction in terms of what we need to do, we have to then respond accordingly,” says Neil Maniar, professor of public health practice at Northeastern.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki August 18, 2021

This image shows SARS-CoV-2 (round blue objects) emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus shown was isolated from a patient in the U.S. Photo by: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

How afraid of variants should we be?

The global death toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has surpassed 4 million, largely accelerated by dangerous variants of the coronavirus. Northeastern experts explain what you need to know about the risk of variants.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki July 8, 2021

Adam Sternbach, right, embraces his 89 year-old mother Maryann Sternbach for the first time in over a year inside the Hebrew Home at Riverdale in New York. Because of the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions, it was the first time in over a year families of the nursing homes residents were allowed indoor, in-person visits. AP Photo/Kathy Willens

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of people in nursing homes. But the real danger is loneliness.

Nursing homes across the U.S. tend to be located in socially isolated areas, according to new research by Northeastern scientists. And that can increase the risk of mortality for older adults.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki June 17, 2021