coronavirus coverage Archives

person holding vaccine vial with gloved hands

Are combined COVID-flu vaccines, or universal flu shots, really a good idea? Here’s what you need to know

Pfizer and Moderna are currently developing and testing various “combined” vaccines to guard against diseases such as COVID-19, the flu and RSV using only one injection. A Northeastern expert discusses the potential benefits of such combination drugs.

by Tanner Stening November 29, 2022

People are running outside near a large sign with orange text over a black background:

Just how successful were social distancing policies during the COVID-19 pandemic? New research points to two key factors

Looking at 10 European countries, the number of close interactions a person has and how many people live in their household, on average, factored significantly into how successfully those nations were able curb the spread of disease, according to new Northeastern-led research published in Nature Computational Science.

by Tanner Stening September 26, 2022

Two hands wearing medical gloves hold an open box of Paxlovid

Study finds life-saving COVID-19 treatments didn’t make it to US patients recently infected

David Lazer, university distinguished professor of political science and computer science, says the new research points to “systemic failures” in providing patients with Paxlovid and Molnupiravir.

by Tanner Stening August 24, 2022

Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Want to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Boston? Northeastern researchers have built a database

“We identified every data source that we could get our hands on—from administrative data to social media posts,” says Northeastern professor Dan O’Brien, who leads the Boston Area Research Initiative that oversees the data project.

by Tanner Stening June 24, 2022

Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Northeastern researchers use machine learning to identify US patients with long COVID

A data harmonization undertaken by Northeastern researchers drew from a variety of information sources to construct a picture of what long COVID looks like in the U.S.

by Tanner Stening May 31, 2022

Parents who forego COVID-19 vaccine for their children are less likely to seek information on it, study shows

Researchers at the Covid States Project sought to tease out where parents of both vaccinated and unvaccinated children get their information about the COVID-19 vaccine and matters affecting their children’s health. Northeastern experts explain their findings in a new survey.

by Tanner Stening May 20, 2022

This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. Monkeypox, a disease that rarely appears outside Africa, has been identified by European and American health authorities in recent days.

Experts weigh in: Is monkeypox the next COVID-19? Here's what we know.

The virus has unexpectedly spread to Europe, Australia, and North America, with the first U.S. patient undergoing treatment in Boston. “But it’s not something to panic about at this point,” says Brandon Dionne, an associate clinical professor in Northeastern’s department of pharmacy and health systems sciences.

by Ian Thomsen May 20, 2022

Your Google searches and Tweets might help forecast the next disease outbreak

People leave a trail of breadcrumbs when they navigate the digital world, offering clues about what is happening in their lives—including their health. Northeastern’s Mauricio Santillana is using machine learning algorithms to turn those clues into an early warning system for disease outbreaks.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki May 17, 2022

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Do at-home COVID-19 tests expire?

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.

by Molly Callahan May 9, 2022

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee about the response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Are we out of the pandemic? What Fauci meant by ‘a transitional phase’

While Dr. Anthony Fauci’s comments last week signal hope that the U.S. and other nations could finally be moving into a post-pandemic world, officials should proceed with caution, Northeastern experts say.

by Tanner Stening May 2, 2022

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