Alessandro Vespignani Sternberg Distinguished Professor of Physics, Computer Science and Health Sciences a.vespignani@northeastern.edu Expertise "big data" analysis, coronavirus, COVID-19, epidemics, forecasting how diseases and epidemics spread, Mapping, network science, pandemic, social and technological networks, Travel, Variants Alessandro Vespignani in the Press Article Voice of America To Mask or Not to Mask? “For the next few weeks, we should see a decrease in epidemic activity. All of the indicators seem to go down,” Alessandro Vespignani said to VOA. Vespignani is the director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University and leads a team of infectious-disease modelers who have been developing COVID-19 projections since the pandemic began. Article Mexico has refused to close its borders during the covid-19 pandemic. Does that make sense? Alessandro Vespignani, a physicist at Northeastern University, was a co-author of that study. “Before the [coronavirus] pandemic, the mainstream thinking was, okay, travel restrictions do not have an effect,” he said. Article Fortune Omicron may be less severe than Delta, but it could hit the global economy even harder in 4 painful ways “Omicron was fast and furious in its growth and will be fast—hopefully not furious—but very fast also in its decline,” Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University and a specialist in data science and computational epidemiology, predicted last week. “It should be receding sooner than other waves that we experienced in the past.” Article Omicron Will Surge Despite Biden’s New Plan, Scientists Say “We have been through this many, many times,” said Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University in Boston. “At this point we know that there is a portfolio of interventions that can be layered on top of each other.” Article Uncontrolled Spread — Trump’s FDA head on the mishandling of the Covid-19 response Gottlieb points out: “On March 1, the CDC’s official tally of Covid cases rose from 15 to 75. Models developed later by researchers at Northeastern University show that by this date, the US probably had 28,000 infections.” Article As Omicron Variant Circles the Globe, African Nations Face Blame and Bans “You close down the boundary with Africa, then you close the boundary with Belgium, then you close the boundary with somewhere else,” said Alessandro Vespignani, a Northeastern University professor who has studied travel restrictions from early 2020 and advised government agencies in recent days on responses to the latest variant. “But every time you close […] Article Flu jabs may aid COVID-19 patients who need surgery By March 2020, for every SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosed in the United States, another 97 to 99 infections went undetected, according to a report published in Nature on Monday. “Transmission is likely to have begun by late January in California and early February in New York state, but possibly up to two weeks earlier in Italy,” […] Article What Previous Covid-19 Waves Tell Us About the Virus Now The country has suffered through five waves of the pandemic now, depending on how you count. “Each of these waves has a different complexity and pattern,” said Alessandro Vespignani, the director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University in Boston. Article ‘Lurching Between Crisis and Complacency’: Was This Our Last Covid Surge? “The different surges and waves depend on how big were the waves before that one, how many people have been vaccinated, when the schools reopened, the different variants,” said Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University in Boston. Article MIT Technology Review All together now: the most trustworthy covid-19 model is an ensemble Forecasting during a pandemic is a system subject to a feedback loop. “Models are not oracles,” says Alessandro Vespignani, a computational epidemiologist at Northeastern University and ensemble hub contributor, who studies complex networks and infectious disease spread with a focus on the “techno-social” systems that drive feedback mechanisms. “Any model is providing an answer that […] Alessandro Vespignani for Northeastern Global News Flu season is coming and COVID-19 is still here. Can disease forecasts tell them apart? Flu season is coming and COVID-19 is still here. Can disease forecasts tell them apart? If rich countries monopolize COVID-19 vaccines, it could cause twice as many deaths as distributing them equally If rich countries monopolize COVID-19 vaccines, it could cause twice as many deaths as distributing them equally How network science models can predict the next stages of the COVID-19 pandemic How network science models can predict the next stages of the COVID-19 pandemic The coronavirus was in the US in January. We need to understand how we missed it. The coronavirus was in the US in January. We need to understand how we missed it. Northeastern models are helping shape US COVID-19 policy Northeastern models are helping shape US COVID-19 policy ‘Social distancing’ is only the first step toward stopping the COVID-19 pandemic ‘Social distancing’ is only the first step toward stopping the COVID-19 pandemic Closing borders can delay, but can’t stop the spread of COVID-19, new report says Closing borders can delay, but can’t stop the spread of COVID-19, new report says How can we stop the spread of misinformation about COVID-19? Better math. How can we stop the spread of misinformation about COVID-19? Better math. Northeastern professor Alessandro Vespignani and doctoral student Jessica Davis want to model how rumors about COVID spread. How long can China’s mass quarantine stave off a coronavirus pandemic? How long can China’s mass quarantine stave off a coronavirus pandemic? The coronavirus outbreak is an international public health emergency. Here’s what that means. The coronavirus outbreak is an international public health emergency. Here’s what that means.
Article Voice of America To Mask or Not to Mask? “For the next few weeks, we should see a decrease in epidemic activity. All of the indicators seem to go down,” Alessandro Vespignani said to VOA. Vespignani is the director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University and leads a team of infectious-disease modelers who have been developing COVID-19 projections since the pandemic began.
Article Mexico has refused to close its borders during the covid-19 pandemic. Does that make sense? Alessandro Vespignani, a physicist at Northeastern University, was a co-author of that study. “Before the [coronavirus] pandemic, the mainstream thinking was, okay, travel restrictions do not have an effect,” he said.
Article Fortune Omicron may be less severe than Delta, but it could hit the global economy even harder in 4 painful ways “Omicron was fast and furious in its growth and will be fast—hopefully not furious—but very fast also in its decline,” Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University and a specialist in data science and computational epidemiology, predicted last week. “It should be receding sooner than other waves that we experienced in the past.”
Article Omicron Will Surge Despite Biden’s New Plan, Scientists Say “We have been through this many, many times,” said Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University in Boston. “At this point we know that there is a portfolio of interventions that can be layered on top of each other.”
Article Uncontrolled Spread — Trump’s FDA head on the mishandling of the Covid-19 response Gottlieb points out: “On March 1, the CDC’s official tally of Covid cases rose from 15 to 75. Models developed later by researchers at Northeastern University show that by this date, the US probably had 28,000 infections.”
Article As Omicron Variant Circles the Globe, African Nations Face Blame and Bans “You close down the boundary with Africa, then you close the boundary with Belgium, then you close the boundary with somewhere else,” said Alessandro Vespignani, a Northeastern University professor who has studied travel restrictions from early 2020 and advised government agencies in recent days on responses to the latest variant. “But every time you close […]
Article Flu jabs may aid COVID-19 patients who need surgery By March 2020, for every SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosed in the United States, another 97 to 99 infections went undetected, according to a report published in Nature on Monday. “Transmission is likely to have begun by late January in California and early February in New York state, but possibly up to two weeks earlier in Italy,” […]
Article What Previous Covid-19 Waves Tell Us About the Virus Now The country has suffered through five waves of the pandemic now, depending on how you count. “Each of these waves has a different complexity and pattern,” said Alessandro Vespignani, the director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University in Boston.
Article ‘Lurching Between Crisis and Complacency’: Was This Our Last Covid Surge? “The different surges and waves depend on how big were the waves before that one, how many people have been vaccinated, when the schools reopened, the different variants,” said Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University in Boston.
Article MIT Technology Review All together now: the most trustworthy covid-19 model is an ensemble Forecasting during a pandemic is a system subject to a feedback loop. “Models are not oracles,” says Alessandro Vespignani, a computational epidemiologist at Northeastern University and ensemble hub contributor, who studies complex networks and infectious disease spread with a focus on the “techno-social” systems that drive feedback mechanisms. “Any model is providing an answer that […]