Infectious Disease

coronavirus testing site

How Coronavirus Variants May Drive Reinfection and Shape Vaccination Efforts

Q&A with Aubree Gordon

Vaccine rollout in the United States has been undeniably slow. And while we wait, worrisome new coronavirus variants are emerging, heightening the urgency to control the pandemic. Some variants, including ones first identified in Brazil, South Africa and the United Kingdom, have mutations that help the coronavirus evade parts of the immune system, raising the specter that some people might face a second round of COVID-19.

people eating at a restaurant

States Lift Restrictions Gradually Amid Fears of New Variant

Arnold Monto quoted by ABC News

Several states are loosening their coronavirus restrictions on restaurants and other businesses because of improved infection and hospitalization numbers but are moving cautiously, in part because of the more contagious variant taking hold.

people at an outside market in the winter

The Coronavirus in Winter May Be Worse Than Scientists Thought

Joe Eisenberg quoted in Quartz

This winter, Covid-19 is turning out to be even more dangerous than epidemiologists and public health officials had feared—and not just because of the more contagious variants now making their way around the globe.

person getting vaccinated

Does Getting the Covid-19 Vaccine Stop You Spreading It? Scientists Don't Know Yet.

Arnold Monto featured in the Wall Street Journal

The Covid-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S. are approximately 95% effective at preventing people from getting sick with symptoms, according to Pfizer and Moderna, the companies that produce them. But scientists are still studying whether vaccination prevents transmission to others.

Beth Brines uses technology on campus to connect with global partners

Remote Global Health Internship Is Not an Oxymoron

Q&A with Elizabeth Brines

Global internships this summer were rather different from what students might have envisioned. With a creative spirit, adaptable skills, and a passion for moving public health forward, Michigan students spent their summer months connecting with and learning from a variety of global health partners.