How Long Do Flu Germs Live on Hard Surfaces, Fabric, and Skin Nov. 4, 2020 The influenza virus that causes the flu tends to live longest on hard surfaces, says Kelly Reynolds, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona's Zuckerman College of Public Health. "Flu viruses survive for 24 to 48 hours on stainless steel and plastic," Reynolds says. MSN
Lung Ultrasound Education Program Aimed at Rural Emergency Departments to Aid COVID-19 Diagnosis Nov. 4, 2020 The University of Arizona Health Sciences is developing a lung ultrasound education program for rural emergency medicine providers to better diagnose COVID-19. Lung ultrasound can be particularly useful in rural emergency departments (EDs), as many lack CT scan capabilities or have limited access to COVID-19 testing. With the disparate impact of COVID-19 on rural populations in Arizona, it is important to expand use of the imaging tool across the state. RT Magazine
University of Arizona to Test Students Before Thanksgiving Nov. 4, 2020 Recognizing that Thanksgiving poses an increased risk of COVID-19 transmission due to holiday travel, the University of Arizona will test students before the holiday and switch to remote learning after. Current plans do include a return to in-person classes to start the spring semester, but the UA could still revert to online-only classes, according to Dr. Richard Carmona, director of the re-entry task force, if cases continue to increase locally and nationally. The College Post
Letters to the Editor: Doctor’s Orders Nov. 4, 2020 In a letter to the editor, Zoe Baccam, a graduate student at the University of Arizona's Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, argued that being tired of COVID-19 and its precautions is "an invalid excuse" to not follow health and safety guidelines. Tucson Local Media
US Just Hit 100,000 New Coronavirus Cases in Single Day for First Time Nov. 4, 2020 For the first time since the start of the pandemic, more than 100,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported across the U.S. on Wednesday, according to data collected by the COVID Tracking Project. "I'm increasingly concerned that this will be a rather steep and long third wave," Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist at the University of Arizona and a member of the Federation of American Scientists' Coronavirus Task Force, told BuzzFeed News late last month. BuzzFeed News
A Host of New Treatments Promises Relief from that Election-induced Headache* Nov. 4, 2020 A roundup covering ways to treat headaches caused by stress notes that, while sensitivity to light can be a trigger for some migraine sufferers, a recent University of Arizona study found exposure to green light one to two hours a day can reduce the number of headache days per month by an average of 60%. Vogue
UA Poetry Center Gets Emergency Funding; UA Cancer Center Receives Innovator Award Nov. 4, 2020 The Association of Community Cancer Centers has honored the University of Arizona Cancer Center at Banner-University Medical Center Tucson with its 2020 Innovator Award. Arizona Daily Star
What to Know About the Rapid COVID Tests Nov. 4, 2020 Rapid tests may not be sensitive enough to detect asymptomatic people with low levels of infection, according to a new study from the University of Arizona led by Dr. David Harris. In symptomatic people, a rapid test could detect 80% of coronavirus infections found by a slower, lab-based P.C.R. test. But when the rapid test was used instead to randomly screen students and staff members who did not feel sick, it detected only 32% of positive cases. KXAS-TV (Fort Worth, TX)
$7.3M Grant Advances UArizona Health Sciences Researcher’s Pursuit of Treatments for Arsenic-Induced Lung Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes Nov. 3, 2020 Dr. Donna D. Zhang’s research focuses on developing pharmaceuticals to prevent or treat exposure to arsenic, which has affected more than 160 million people worldwide. Read more Image
Physician Burnout to Business Traction Nov. 3, 2020 Time spent after normal working hours on EHR-related documentation issues was the second most common cause of frustrations for physicians. A recent study by the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix found that family medicine practice providers can spend upwards of 33 hours per month working on EHR tasks during after-hours, resulting in burnout. Journal of AHIMA