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 How Reuters pinpointed bat-virus risk zones worldwide Vespignani is director of the Laboratory for Modeling of Biological and Socio-technical Systems and the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University in Boston. 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. 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? 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.” 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 Researchers from Northeastern’s Network Science Institute have partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to predict COVID-19 deaths based on two different ways of distributing vaccines. 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 On Thursday, Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, joined Alessandro Vespignani, who directs the Network Science Institute, to discuss where we are now in the COVID-19 crisis, where we’re headed, and what policymakers can do to prepare for the next pandemic. Models can predict how COVID-19 will spread. What goes into them, and how can we use what they tell us? Models can predict how COVID-19 will spread. What goes into them, and how can we use what they tell us? On Thursday, Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, will sit down for a conversation with Alessandro Vespignani, the director of Northeastern’s Network Science Institute, who is leading one of the major efforts to model this disease. 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. SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, was circulating in major U.S. cities as early as January, says Alessandro Vespignani, director of Northeastern’s Network Science Institute. And if we want to keep our communities safe going forward, we need to understand how we missed a virus that was right under our noses. Northeastern models are helping shape US COVID-19 policy Northeastern models are helping shape US COVID-19 policy Northeastern researchers are part of the network of teams creating models to advise the Trump administration on the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., White House officials said Tuesday. They said data from the models formed the basis of the decision to extend “social distancing” guidelines through April. ‘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 After days of closures and requests—or orders—to stay home, many people caught in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic are wondering if these efforts will be enough. Network scientist Alessandro Vespignani says the answer depends on the ways that local, regional, and federal governments use the time. 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 Travel restrictions will not stop the spread of COVID-19, but observing quarantines and avoiding public events gives us a chance to slow the epidemic, says Matteo Chinazzi, a research scientist in the Network Science Institute. “Closing airports will buy you time, but it’s not enough.” 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? Though the effort to head off a pandemic is centered in China now, the rest of the world cannot close itself off forever, said speakers at a panel on Northeastern’s Boston campus Wednesday convened to discuss the outbreak.
Article How Reuters pinpointed bat-virus risk zones worldwide Vespignani is director of the Laboratory for Modeling of Biological and Socio-technical Systems and the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University in Boston.
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.