Dr. Murtaza Akhter, an emergency physician at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, is interviewed about mask mandates and ways to stay safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anecdotal reports of people with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms improving after getting the vaccine are encouraging, but scientists say more evidence is needed to prove any connection. What complicates the anecdotal reports that some long-haulers are getting better after the vaccine is the fact that some long-haulers' symptoms have been improving and even resolving over time, said Dr. Marilyn Glassberg, chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the College of Medicine – Phoenix.

A more relaxed definition of herd immunity is more achievable, one where enough natural infections and vaccinations prevent massive surges in COVID-19 cases, said Dr. Joe Gerald, an associate professor with the College of Public Health. By this measure, herd immunity is possible, he said. “I think there are enough people who are either naturally immune or vaccine immune that we’re just not gonna see the same size and scale of outbreaks.”

Students at the University of Arizona are taking part in a nationwide study involving more than 20 college campuses that aims to understand whether people vaccinated against COVID-19 can still transmit the disease as asymptomatic carriers. The study’s principal investigator, Dr. Elizabeth Connick, chief of infectious diseases at the College of Medicine – Tucson, explains how the study is being conducted and how the findings can serve the ultimate goal of ending the pandemic.

The Governor’s Arts Awards recently recognized a program that aims to bring creativity to medical students. The Art in Medicine program at the College of Medicine – Phoenix has been going on since 2014, and is the brainchild of Cindi Standley, a professor of physiology and the program’s director.

The state has opened what is expected to be the last large state-run vaccination site at Gila River Arena in Glendale. Dr. Elizabeth Connick, chief of infectious diseases at the College of Medicine – Tucson, believes herd immunity will be reached in time. "I think as more and more people see their friends and their family are going fine and they got the vaccine, they will be more willing to accept it," Connick said.

Experts say women of color have lower rates of cancer diagnosis, but higher rates of cancer-related deaths. According to the American Cancer Society, triple-negative breast cancer is twice as common for Black women than white women in the U.S. "Triple-negative breast cancer tends to be a more aggressive form of breast cancer, and it doesn't have the typically more successful treatment options like tamoxifen or an AI or something like trastuzumab," said Dr. Onyemaechi Okolo, an oncologist at the University of Arizona Cancer Center.

A return to a life resembling normalcy looks closer than ever now that, as of Monday, vaccines are available to every adult in America. Although case numbers have increased in recent weeks, Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, an immunobiologist at the College of Medicine – Tucson, predicts “a smaller bump over the next couple months that should by the summer settle down to a pretty low level of cases.”

Researchers are learning new details about the long-term effects of COVID-19. A new study shows COVID-19 "long haulers" have a significantly higher chance of dying months after their infection. Dr. Shad Marvasti, a clinical associate professor with the College of Medicine – Phoenix, who was not involved in the study, is interviewed.

A new international partnership with Amrita University in India is educating students to solve pressing health care issues around the world.