Tag: social distancing

Face Shields, Masks with Valves Ineffective Against COVID-19 Spread

sarah JonasResearch Results

As countries experience a steep surge in COVID-19 infections, face masks have become increasingly accepted as an effective means for combating the spread of the disease when combined with social distancing and frequent hand-washing. Increasingly people are using clear plastic face shields and masks with exhalation valves instead of regular cloth or surgical masks, since they can be more comfortable. In a paper published in Physics of Fluids, researchers investigate whether they are as effective.

Clubs Closed? Study Finds Partygoers Turn to Virtual Raves and Happy Hours During Pandemic

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People have traded in nightclubs and dance festivals for virtual raves and Zoom happy hours as a result of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic—yet, many are using drugs in these socially distanced settings, according to a new study by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research at NYU School of Global Public Health.

Effectiveness of Cloth Masks Depends on Type of Covering

sarah JonasResearch Results

Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a mask while out in public has become the recommended practice. However, many still question the effectiveness of this. To allay doubts, Padmanabha Prasanna Simha, from the Indian Space Research Organisation, and Prasanna Simha Mohan Rao, from the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, experimentally visualized the flow fields of coughs under various common mouth covering scenarios. They present their findings in the journal Physics of Fluids.

Cleaning up the Germs that Cause COVID-19

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

A meme is circulating on the Internet comparing the statement “once COVID-19 is over” to the wishful possibility of winning the lottery. Both might seem very out of reach, but continuing to remain vigilant with frequent handwashing, social distancing, mask-wearing,…

Parents Trust Colleges More than Students for COVID-19 Safety, New Survey by TimelyMD Finds

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Parents of college students indicate many concerns about their students’ return to the classroom (on campus or online), including their health, the quality of their education, and the likelihood of their following public health guidance when administrators aren’t looking. Fielded last week, this survey by TimelyMD has the latest data available as campus reopening plans change daily.

Droplet Spread from Humans Doesn’t Always Follow Airflow

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If aerosol transmission of COVID-19 is confirmed to be significant, as suspected, we will need to reconsider guidelines on social distancing, ventilation systems and shared spaces. Researchers in the U.K. believe a better understanding of different droplet behaviors and their different dispersion mechanisms is also needed. In Physics of Fluids, the group presents a model that demarcates differently sized droplets. This has implications for understanding the spread of airborne diseases, because the dispersion tests revealed the absence of intermediate-sized droplets.

Back to School?

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Dr. Terry Adirim provides answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding COVID-19 and return to school for school-age children. Adirim is a physician executive with senior leadership and executive experience in academic medicine and the federal government. Her expertise includes pandemic planning and response, health care quality improvement and patient safety, and health policy and management.

States Slow to Implement Stay-at-Home Orders Saw Higher Rates of COVID-19 Deaths

sarah JonasResearch Results

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the United States, governments at the state and local levels issued emergency declarations and shut down schools. With no treatment and no vaccine, this was seen as the best way to stop the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine have conducted one of the first studies to measure the efficacy of social distancing in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that states that were slow to implement such orders saw higher COVID-19 death rates.

COVID-19 demonstrates why wealth matters

sarah JonasResearch Results

While COVID-19 has impacted all individuals, the impact has not been equal. In a new national Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19 survey, the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis found that liquid assets increased the likelihood that an individual could practice social distancing. However, Black individuals were least likely to afford social distancing.

Traffic Data Show Drastic Changes in Floridians’ Behavior at Onset of the Pandemic

sarah JonasResearch Results

A study using same-day traffic volumes for March 2019 and March 2020 across Florida examined the chronological relationship of key governmental requests for public isolation and travel limitations. Results show the drastic changes in human behavior during the onset of the pandemic. Traffic volumes by March 22, 2020, dropped by 47.5 percent compared to that same point in 2019. Moreover, traffic declined in March 2020 corresponding with the governor’s state of emergency declaration and school, restaurant, and bar closures.

Seeing is Believing: Effectiveness of Facemasks

sarah JonasResearch Results

Using flow visualization of emulated coughs and sneezes, researchers assessed the efficacy of facemasks in obstructing droplets. Loosely folded facemasks and bandana-style coverings provide minimal stopping-capability for the smallest aerosolized respiratory droplets. Well-fitted homemade masks with multiple layers of quilting fabric, and off-the-shelf cone style masks, proved to be the most effective in reducing droplet dispersal. Importantly, uncovered coughs were able to travel noticeably farther than the currently recommended 6-foot distancing guideline. Without a mask, droplets traveled more than 8 feet.

Respiratory Droplet Motion, Evaporation and Spread of COVID-19-Type Pandemics

sarah JonasResearch Results

It is well established the COVID-19 virus is transmitted via respiratory droplets. Consequently, much research targets better understanding droplet motion and evaporation. In Physics of Fluids, researchers developed a mathematical model for the early phases of a COVID-19-like pandemic using the aerodynamics and evaporation characteristics of respiratory droplets. The researchers modeled the pandemic dynamics with a reaction mechanism and then compared the droplet cloud ejected by an infected person versus one by a healthy person.

Survey: In Vermont, Pandemic’s Impact Falling Disproportionately on Lower Income Groups

sarah JonasResearch Results

High percentages of Vermonters agree with the state’s pandemic-inspired social distancing measures and have complied with them. But their actions have come at a significant economic cost, especially for low income Vermonters, one of several ways this group has been disproportionately affected.

FAU Now Offers COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Risk-Reduction Public Health Certificate

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In response to the high demand for one of the fastest-growing jobs in the U.S., FAU has launched a new, online public health certificate course on COVID-19, contact tracing and risk-reduction. The five-week, 15-hour course does not require a college degree and is scheduled from June 29 to Aug. 7. The program is open to the general public for adults age 18 and older with a high school diploma or equivalent and a variety of work experiences and educational backgrounds.

Ombudsmen advocate for long-term care residents at a distance during COVID-19

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Social isolation necessitated by COVID-19 weighs on everyone, especially older adults and those living with disabilities who may have already felt relatively isolated before the pandemic even started, said Greg Shelley, program manager of the Harris County Long-term Care Ombudsman Program at Cizik School of Nursing at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Likewise, the staff and volunteers who are dedicated to advocating for rights, health, and safety of seniors miss face-to-face visits.

Robotic Cats Are ‘Purr-fect’ Companions for Seniors Isolated Due to COVID-19

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Researchers provide the “purr-fect” solution to comfort and engage older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias (ADRD) during the pandemic – interactive robotic cats. Designed to respond to motion, touch and sound, these robotic pets offer an alternative to traditional pet therapy. Robotic pets are usually given to people with ADRD, but data has shown that using them to decrease social isolation for older adults is highly successful.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Risks of Ocean Activities During COVID-19 Pandemic

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New Brunswick, N.J. (May 21, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Kay Bidle is available for interviews on the possible risks from the novel coronavirus or other pathogens while swimming or surfing in oceans, bays, lakes and rivers. “We currently know very…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss How to Reduce Risk on Vacation During COVID-19 Pandemic

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New Brunswick, N.J. (May 18, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Donald W. Schaffner is available for interviews on how to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection on vacation, at vacation rentals and while traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Even though everyone in the…

New Study Suggests U.S. COVID-19 Cases Could Have Been 35 Times Higher Without These Measures

sarah JonasResearch Results

The authors found the closing of entertainment businesses — such as restaurants, movie theaters and gyms — and shelter-in-place orders — such as Gov. Andy Beshear’s “Healthy at Home” initiative — resulted in a dramatic reduction in COVID-19 cases.

Sculptor designs, builds ‘interactive contraptions’ from everyday materials to simulate human connections

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Even in isolation, Stacey Holloway can hold a hand, receive a swift kiss on the cheek or give a high-five. She can offer a nose rub, just like the ones she shares with her mother. She just does them all alone — that is, if you don’t count the kinetic, prosthetic models she created to help.

Research takes aim at social tool for fighting COVID-19

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The social distancing of COVID-19 might have its own long-term effects; a Bowling Green State University team of sociologists — Drs. Peggy Giordano, Monica Longmore and Wendy Manning — received a National Science Foundation grant to conduct research on social distancing and what factors might influence individuals’ levels of compliance.

Pandemic research: Economics project to explore impact of biases on social distancing

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With neither a vaccine nor a proven treatment available, many communities are relying on social distancing to battle the coronavirus pandemic. The problem: Not everyone agrees to follow these measures. A team of economists at Binghamton University, State University of New York is studying the phenomenon for a new research project.

How high school seniors can navigate uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic

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Angela Stowe, Ph.D., has advice for students leaving high school, and those about to start college, on bringing closure to their K-12 experience and preparing to move forward with their lives.For high school seniors bound for college, the COVID-19 pandemic struck at a pivotal time in life — as they finish one chapter and prepare to start a new one.

Facebook Study Reveals COVID-19 Compliance and Coping Behaviors of Floridians

sarah JonasResearch Results

The study provides empirical evidence for various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as important information about associated social, emotional and behavioral factors. Results could assist policy makers on effective decision-making. In addition, depending on the length and time of social isolation, it may become appropriate to explore the influence of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety and stress.

A New Way to Accurately Estimate COVID-19 Death Toll

sarah JonasResearch Results

A Rutgers engineer has created a mathematical model that accurately estimates the death toll linked to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and could be used around the world. The model, detailed in a study published in the journal Mathematics, predicted the death toll would eventually reach about 68,120 in the United States as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19. That’s based on data available on April 28, and there was high confidence (99 percent) the expected death toll would be between 66,055 and 70,304.

FAU Smart City Project Paves the Way for Forecasting COVID-19 Infection Transmission

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Researchers are exploring the untapped potential of emerging smart cities to enable hyper-contextualized computational epidemiology to tackle COVID-19. The idea is to partner with the computational epidemiology community to integrate evidence-based models of COVID-19 transmission with hyper-local mobility data to provide place-specific forecasts of disease transmission. When these tools are integrated into city planning efforts, they will provide real-time insights into how mobility changes within the city affect the local population’s susceptibility to future outbreaks.

Rutgers Supplies Hospitals with PPE to Battle COVID-19

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During the coronavirus pandemic, health care professionals worldwide are facing shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE). But faculty, students and staff from across Rutgers are coming together to produce face shields and intubation boxes themselves with off-the-shelf materials to help relieve the PPE shortage at area hospitals.

Public health experts explain what our new normal will look like

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As local, state, and national government leaders release guidelines on reopening businesses and returning to a “new normal” during the COVID-19 pandemic, public health and infectious disease experts at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) say a gradual, cautious return would be the most effective.