In the News
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July 29, 2020
“Having to tell a family that due to the circumstances, you’re not able to offer certain treatments — the thought of having those conversations is a strong motivation to do everything possible to avoid shortages in the first place,” said Hallie Prescott, assistant professor of internal medicine, in a story about how best to care for patients during a pandemic when there aren’t enough resources to go around. “It’s easier to produce a ventilator than a skilled ICU nurse,” said Deena Kelly Costa, assistant professor of nursing.
National Geographic -
July 29, 2020
“We live in this horrible, polarized atmosphere. You have some people who believe the virus is a hoax, others think wearing a mask is a loss of freedom. … It’s not tyranny. It’s the government trying to keep us all safe,” said Peter Jacobson, professor emeritus of health management and policy. “If we don’t do the simple things such as masks and social distancing, we will have no choice but to lock down.”
Newsday -
July 29, 2020
“I don’t think there are any silver bullets here. This is a very different recession than ones that we’re used to. … But you know, there are lots of twists and turns that are going to happen before this one gets resolved,” said Susan Collins, provost and executive vice president of academic affairs, and professor of economics and public policy.
Marketplace -
July 29, 2020
“The best reasons, or the most compelling reasons, of wanting kids to go to school is that they live in an unsafe environment — and school nutrition,” said Howard Markel, professor and director of the Center for the History of Medicine, who believes it is “not a good idea right now.” Alexandra Stern, professor and associate dean for the humanities, says there are “so many unanswered questions. And when there are unanswered questions about a deadly virus, one could argue that it makes most sense to follow the precautionary principle, which is, ‘Do the least harm.'”
ABC News -
July 29, 2020
“I’ve been really struck by how much the federal government scrambled to save the airlines — ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be terrible for our economy if we lost all our airlines?’ I guess it wouldn’t be great. But how terrible would it be for our economy if we lost all our child care and our schools? … And yet we gave less money to the entire child care sector than we gave to one single airline,” said Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics.
Politico -
July 22, 2020
Most older adults experience some form of ageism — jokes about senior moments or ability to use technology, comments about needing help or being able to see or hear — and it may affect their well-being. “Those who are experiencing a lot more everyday ageism and age-based discrimination, their health may actually be declining faster than those who experienced less,” said Julie Ober Allen, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Social Research.
U.S. News & World Report -
July 22, 2020
“Although physically opening universities may pose an element of risk for all who enter a campus, it is unlikely that the risks will be experienced equally. Instead, reflecting racial disparities in coronavirus patterns throughout the United States, students of color are likely to bear the brunt of the effect on university campuses,” co-wrote William Lopez, clinical assistant professor of health behavior and health education.
The Washington Post -
July 22, 2020
“Liberals seemed to win several major Supreme Court cases this term, either because the results of the cases benefited liberal causes or because the court rejected conservatives’ sweeping arguments. But even in cases where liberals appeared to win, conservatives did not exactly lose — and, indeed, seem on the brink of winning a lot in the years ahead,” wrote Leah Litman, assistant professor of law.
The Atlantic -
July 22, 2020
Middle-aged Americans are in worse health than their peers in England, and the disparities are larger for low-income individuals, say Kenneth Langa, professor of internal medicine and health management and policy, and HwaJung Choi, research assistant professor of internal medicine and faculty associate at the Institute for Social Research. “The shocking difference between rich and poor in both countries is something to be addressed. It’s especially magnified in the United States, this rich-poor difference is even more of a public health emergency,” said Langa, associate director of ISR’s Health and Retirement Study.
CNN -
July 22, 2020
Research by Olga Yakusheva, associate professor of nursing and health management and policy, and colleagues suggests that the U.S. economic shutdown during the pandemic has saved as many as 2.7 million lives: “People who will be sickened or die from joblessness, lack of access to care, inability to afford healthful food and lifestyle choices are just as real as those who die from the virus,” but at least three times as many lives are saved from a shutdown than would be lost due to economic hardship.
CBS News
