COVID questions: Economic recovery, different tests
What’s the difference between a PCR test and an antigen test? How has the vaccine affected the economic recovery?
Tag: health & medicine
COVID questions: Transmission after vaccine, face mask effectiveness
Can someone who receives the COVID-19 vaccine still transmit the virus? What are some studies that prove the effectiveness of face masks?
Health care workers appeal to people of Wisconsin for help
Hundreds of UW Health workers call on the people of Wisconsin to take precautions against COVID-19 to avoid overwhelming hospitals.
New effective and safe antifungal isolated from sea squirt microbiome
The new molecule was discovered in the microbiome of a sea squirt from the Florida Keys as part of an effort to identify novel antimicrobials from understudied ecosystems.
UW-Madison adds second surge testing site at Kohl Center for students and employees
The rapid antigen tests complement PCR tests currently available for students and employees through University Health Services (UHS) as positive COVID-19 rates continue to rise in Dane County and across the state.
COVID questions: Influenza comparison, selling home precautions
What’s the difference between COVID-19 and influenza? What precautions should I take after potential buyers tour my home?
Coverage for people with pre-existing conditions improved under the Affordable Care Act
Health insurance coverage for people with chronic diseases increased by 7 percentage points after key Affordable Care Act provisions were implemented in 2014, according to the research.
Pediatric cancers share stalled gene-managing enzyme
A wildly out-of-place protein leads to haywire cells in a particularly troublesome type of rare early childhood cancer, according to University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers.
COVID questions: Mask filters, workplace air quality, flu shot
Are masks more effective with filters? How can we best maintain my workplace’s indoor air quality? If I recently had COVID can I still get a flu shot?
COVID questions: aerosol transmission, small business, managing stress
What is aerosol transmission? How has the pandemic affected small businesses? How can I manage stress?
COVID questions: gyms, placebos, vaccine proof
Is it safe to work out in a public gym? If I’m in a vaccine trial and get the placebo, will I be told so I can get the vaccine? How will people have proof they had the vaccine?
Chancellor Blank statement on Big Ten return to competition
“Above all, I support our coaches and student-athletes and want them to have the opportunity to safely compete, if possible. I believe the plan put forward by the Return to Competition Committee, with its extensive safety protocols and tight controls, allows that to happen.”
Everybody poops, some shed the virus that causes COVID-19. Wisconsin’s wastewater surveillance is looking for it.
Detecting and measuring how much virus is in wastewater is may provide an early warning signal that cases of COVID-19 may soon rise and provide a readout of how levels of virus change in a population over time.
UW Health and UW focus on diversity for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial
As UW Health begins scheduling participants for the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine study, experts are focused on equity and inclusion to ensure a diverse population takes part. “People of color are a vital population to making this study a success.”
COVID questions: Dog park safety, antibody testing
Is it safe to go to dog parks again? What is antibody testing for? Does a positive antibody test mean I don’t need to follow distancing requirements?
Hand-sanitizer stations installed on campus
Hand-sanitizer pump and refill stations are being installed at key locations across campus as part of the Smart Restart initiative.
COVID questions: Working out, disinfecting mail, neck gaiters
Is wearing a neck gaiter worse than no covering at all? Can I safely continue to work out on campus? Should I disinfect groceries and mail?
COVID questions: HVAC spread; indoor swimming; national debt
Can COVID-19 spread through a building’s HVAC system? Is it safe to swim in an indoor pool? Can people doing work in my house leave the virus for me?
COVID-19 testing site open
With activity starting to return to campus, University Health Services is ramping up its testing efforts for COVID-19. A free testing site for students, faculty and staff has opened at Henry Mall.
Nanoparticle system captures heart-disease biomarker from blood for in-depth analysis
An effective test of cTnI variations could one day provide doctors with a better ability to diagnose heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S.