In the News
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May 14, 2020
Experts say it will be years until it is understood how COVID-19 damages organs and how medications, genetics, diets, lifestyles and distancing impact its course. “This is a virus that literally did not exist in humans six months ago. We had to rapidly learn how this virus impacts the human body and identify ways to treat it literally in a time-scale of weeks,” said Geoffrey Barnes, assistant professor of internal medicine.
The Washington Post -
May 13, 2020
“For people who are looking for things to do right now, (birding is) a great way to connect with the natural world and understand the place where you live better. Birding is not just about the birds; you’ll go to places that are really beautiful or interesting that you otherwise wouldn’t know about,” said Ben Winger, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and curator of birds at the Museum of Zoology.
MLive -
May 13, 2020
“Right now, there’s exactly one economic problem — leaving the house isn’t safe. It’s a bit of bad news for consumers because they’re not going to go out and spend. It’s also bad news on the supply side of the economy, which is, no one wants to go into work and responsible companies don’t want to be seen taking risks with their workforces, so they’re staying shut as well,” said Justin Wolfers, professor of economics and public policy.
MSNBC -
May 13, 2020
“It’s time to admit that, for the vast majority of students, online learning and work sheets are no substitute for trained teachers in classrooms. For most children, the school year effectively ended in March. If the country doesn’t recognize this fact and respond accordingly — with large federally funded programs to reverse the losses — we will do great harm to a generation of children who will learn less than those who went before them,” wrote Susan Dynarski, professor of education, public policy and economics.
The New York Times -
May 12, 2020
“As schools contemplate the possibility that students may not be allowed on campus in traditional ways for extended periods of time, risk mitigation will become an … important driver of digital transformation and allow universities to continue enrolling — and serving — students,” co-wrote James DeVaney, associate vice provost for academic innovation.
Harvard Business Review -
May 12, 2020
“Our research found that it is possible to devise procedures that promote the goals of Title IX while simultaneously affording students (accused of sexual assault) the opportunity to be heard. Rather than promote these models, however, the new regulations compel schools to allow cross-examination — putting a sizable thumb on the scale in favor of the due-process rights of the accused. If lawyers are brought in to conduct cross-examination, professional ethics require zealous advocacy in defense of the accused. Wealthy students are more likely to be able to hire skilled attorneys, well-versed in strategies to destroy witness credibility and distort the campus process,” wrote Sandra Levitsky, associate professor of sociology; Elizabeth Armstrong, professor of sociology and organizational studies; and Kamaria Porter, doctoral student in higher education.
The Washington Post -
May 12, 2020
The ability of a virus to evade detection makes it difficult to treat with medications, says Adam Lauring, associate professor of internal medicine, microbiology and immunology, and ecology and evolutionary biology: “The earlier you take the drugs, the better, but by the time someone comes into a clinic, there’s already been a lot of growth of the virus, so drugs may slow the virus down, but it may be too late to stop the damage at that point.”
NBC News -
May 11, 2020
“If we’re going to use these technologies, we need to be very careful that they’re constrained specifically for the purposes of the pandemic, and not used for anything else,” said Kentaro Toyama, professor of information, on the role that technology will play in tracking and combating the coronavirus — possibly at the expense of personal freedoms. Meanwhile, precautions should be taken when out in public, including limiting the number of customers inside stores, taking employees’ temperatures and asking bus riders to wear masks. “There’s no such thing as zero risk, but these are things we can do to lower risk,” said Joseph Eisenberg, professor of epidemiology.
Bridge Magazine -
May 11, 2020
“A company’s compliance with the guidance alone would not insulate it from state law liability, but it would allow the company to argue, in defense to a tort claim, that it had acted with reasonable care to protect its workers,” said Nina Mendelson, professor of law, commenting on new federal workplace guidelines that say meat processing companies must make “good faith” efforts to keep workers safe.
USA Today -
May 11, 2020
“Consumers are going to be more worried about getting into Ubers and Lyfts than into taxis, and they’re going to be more worried about going to who-knows-who’s house or apartment under Airbnb than they will be about going to a Hilton or Holiday Inn,” said Erik Gordon, clinical assistant professor of business. “If you look at lodging, if you look at rides, the sharing platforms face a bigger customer confidence hurdle than the traditional players.”
The Associated Press
