'It's Going to Be Very, Very Scary': Before Biden Takes Office, a Precarious 10 Weeks for Escalating COVID-19 Crisis Nov. 7, 2020 Even many public health experts who celebrated President-elect Joe Biden's win this week turned their immediate focus to the crisis it might create: A 10-week transition period during which COVID-19 cases and deaths skyrocket, and the outgoing Trump administration doesn't take additional action to stop the surge. "So many of us are worried that now that Biden has won, the Trump administration is going to take a scorched-earth approach," said Saskia Popescu, a University of Arizona epidemiology professor at the University of Arizona and biodefense expert. STAT News
UA Professor: Arizona Could Reach COVID-19 "Crisis Point" After Thanksgiving Nov. 7, 2020 Coronavirus cases continue to rise in Pima County and Arizona, causing public-health experts to worry that conditions could grow dire over the holiday season. "I don't see us reaching any particular crisis point before Thanksgiving," said Joe Gerald, an associate professor with the University of Arizona's Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. "But once we hit Thanksgiving and move toward Christmas and New Year's, I think we will eventually reach a crisis point." Arizona Daily Star
Timothy W. Mullett Named Chair of the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons Nov. 7, 2020 Donna D. Zhang, of University of Arizona Health Sciences, has received an eight-year, $7.3 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to determine how a family of proteins can be harnessed to prevent or treat arsenic-induced lung cancer and Type 2 diabetes. The Cancer Letter
What Is 'COVID-Like Illness' and Should We Rely on It When It Comes to Schools? Nov. 6, 2020 Last week, the Arizona Department of Health Services announced it had updated its guidance on when schools should transition to virtual learning. The agency recommended the move be made if a county's COVID-19 benchmarks are in the red. But one of those indicators could be flawed. Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist at the University of Arizona's Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, is interviewed. KJZZ-FM (NPR) Phoenix
Children Produce Weaker Coronavirus Antibodies, Study Finds Nov. 6, 2020 Children infected with the coronavirus produce weaker antibodies and fewer types of them than adults do, suggesting they clear their infection much faster, according to a new study. "Having a ton of antibody isn't necessarily a marker of a good thing," said Deepta Bhattacharya, an immunologist at the University of Arizona. "It usually means that something went wrong early in the response." Chicago Tribune, 11/06/20
An Election Worker in Connecticut Tested Positive for COVID-19, Prompting a Dozen Colleagues to Go into Quarantine Nov. 5, 2020 Despite the incident at city hall in New Haven, Connecticut, the risk of contracting the coronavirus while voting in person is about the same as when ordering takeout, one epidemiologist previously told Business Insider. "There are so many safety protocols put into place for safe voting that it is really a lower-risk activity," Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist and leading expert on coronavirus transmission at the University of Arizona told Business Insider. Business Insider
Party Foul: Campus Cases on Rise as Police Encounter More Student Gatherings Nov. 5, 2020 The University of Arizona is reporting elevated COVID-19 cases reflective of a state-wide uptick after large gatherings occurred over the Halloween weekend, reported UA President Robert C. Robbins and campus reentry task force head Dr. Richard Carmona in a news conference Monday, Nov. 2. Tucson Weekly
Special Education Aid in Phoenix Dies after COVID-19 Diagnosis Nov. 5, 2020 As COVID-19 cases continue to surge across Arizona with 39 more deaths reported Wednesday morning, University of Arizona College of Medicine (Phoenix) Public Health Director and physician Dr. Shad Marvasti says school officials need to think about the impact the virus could have on schools as we the holiday and influenza season, suggesting they may need to go completely virtual. KPNX-TV (Phoenix, AZ)
From Med-Start to PCP Scholarship: One Student’s Journey Nov. 4, 2020 The Health Sciences Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion has built a health care career pipeline for students from underrepresented communities. Read more Image
Connecting with Dean Hakim: Changing World of Public Health Nov. 4, 2020 Dr. Iman Hakim shares her views on the pandemic, changes in public health education, and her pride in the college. Read more Thumbnail