coronavirus coverage Archives

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

People queue to be tested for COVID-19 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday Nov. 26, 2021. As the world grapples with the emergence of the new variant of COVID-19, scientists in South Africa — where omicron was first identified — are scrambling to combat its spread across the country. AP Photo/Jerome Delay

Omicron variant questions mount–answers are on the way

Researchers around the globe are working to make sense of the potential threat from the coronavirus variant the World Health Organization has named “omicron.” After more than 20 months of studying this virus, says Alessandro Vespignani, Sternberg Family distinguished university professor of physics, computer science, and health sciences at Northeastern, we have a good sense of when we will have answers.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki November 28, 2021

gloved hands filling a syringe with moderna covid vaccine

Less than half of US college students know their schools’ vaccination policies, study shows

The disconnect could be caused by schools’ confusing or weak vaccine mandates, according to a U.S. study by researchers from Northeastern and several partner institutions. Universities are a microcosm of the country’s larger COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance to mandates, researchers found.

by Peter Ramjug November 17, 2021

People in graduation caps and gowns stand in a row

Class of 2020 Commencement ceremony ‘completes the journey’

Graduates and parents from more than 40 countries say they traveled to Boston to bring closure to their Northeastern educational experience. For some, it was a journey that started as long as five years ago.

by Peter Ramjug November 13, 2021

COVID-19 isn't a ghost just yet. But it may be getting there.

The decline of COVID-19 might continue, according to Northeastern infectious disease modelers. “It will be this long tail with bumps,” says Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute and Sternberg Family Distinguished Professor at Northeastern. “But there is no expiration date on a pandemic.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki October 28, 2021

Colin Powell, retired four-star general and former secretary of state, attends Northeastern University's Liberty Battalion Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony in 2012. Powell, who died at age 84 from COVID-19 complications, made opening remarks and administered the commissioning oath. Photo by Northeastern University

Northeastern remembers Colin Powell as a transformational figure and a natural leader

Powell, who died at 84 from COVID-19 complications, delivered the 2012 commencement address at Northeastern. He lived near the Boston campus for a short time before going off to Vietnam in the 1960s. Northeastern’s military veterans remembered him for having a strong moral compass and staying true to his beliefs.

by Peter Ramjug October 18, 2021

Parental concerns about COVID-19 vaccinations for their children unexpectedly rose after federal authorities allowed vaccines for children 12 years of age and older, according to findings from the Covid States Project, a collaborative effort by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers. Photo by Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via AP

Kids’ COVID-19 vaccines are available. So why are parents’ concerns still so high?

Coming as a surprise to researchers, significant numbers of parents remain vaccine hesitant, even after federal emergency authorization was granted for COVID-19 shots, according to a U.S. study by researchers from Northeastern and several partner institutions.

by Peter Ramjug October 18, 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

Masked yet unvaccinated people comprise 19 percent of the total U.S. population. They were more likely to be low income, live in the Southern U.S., and be more politically independent than others, according to a new study by Northeastern and several partner institutions. Photo illustration by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

COVID contradiction: they wear masks, but won’t get vaccinated

People who wear face masks yet aren’t vaccinated from COVID-19 make up a substantial portion of the unvaccinated U.S. population, according to a study by researchers from Northeastern and several partner institutions. “They do represent an interesting puzzle,” says university distinguished professor David Lazer, who helped conduct the study.

by Peter Ramjug October 15, 2021

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