blog posts

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  Illinois K-12 public schools can access free SHIELD Illinois COVID-19 testing

  Aug 5, 2021 12:45 pm

  The llinois Department of Public Health announced that it has expanded access to free COVID-19 testing to al K-12 public schools across Illinois outside of Chicago, which received its own funding.

  Schools can choose to utilize the SHIELD Illinois saliva-based test developed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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  Illinois public universities seek additional COVID-19 relief

  Jan 29, 2021 3:30 pm

  Presidents of the state's public universities sent a letter to Illinois federal legislators today seeking additional relief from increasing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

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  Illinois researchers advance COVID-19 point-of-care technologies

  Jul 27, 2021 9:15 am

  Advances made by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are set to improve the ability to diagnose COVID-19 and other infectious diseases more quickly and at the point of care. 

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  Illinois tax revenue losses lower than expected during pandemic

  Jan 26, 2021 11:00 am

  The pandemic hit state tax revenues hard last spring when a widely restrictive stay-at-home order was in effect, but much of that early loss was recovered in subsequent months, according to the report from the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs.

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  Inside the massive SHIELD Illinois testing operation

  Feb 24, 2022 9:00 am

  WTTW visited the SHIELD Illinois COVID-19 testing site at the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora and one of the testing labs in North Chicago recently to take a look inside the massive operation.

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  In survey, COVID-19 vaccine recipients report changes in menstrual bleeding

  Jul 22, 2022 9:45 am

  In a survey of more than 35,000 people, UIUC anthropology professor Kathryn Clancy and her colleagues collected evidence that many individuals experience menstrual changes after COVID-19 vaccination.

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  K-12 Shield Playbook offers guidance for reopening schools

  Apr 15, 2021 12:15 pm

  A new resource is available to help guide teachers and school administrators as they reopen schools amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, assembled by researchers and experts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

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  Killeen recognizes innovation and work that have kept campuses open

  Mar 11, 2021 12:00 pm

  University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen on Thursday recognized the thousands of staff, faculty and students whose efforts made the challenging 2020-21 academic year not only possible at the three system universities but a model of success.

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  Less access to nature linked with COVID-19 rates

  Oct 25, 2021 12:00 pm

  New research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and others suggests less access to nature can have significant health impacts during the pandemic.

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  Machine-learning model can distinguish antibody targets

  Apr 27, 2022 8:45 am

  A new University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign study shows that it is possible to use the genetic sequences of a person’s antibodies to predict what pathogens those antibodies will target. 

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  Maps show the need for racial equity In Chicago’s road to COVID-19 recovery

  Apr 24, 2021 12:00 pm

  The Mapping COVID-19 Recovery Project is the collaborative effort of 25 major Chicago foundations, nonprofit organizations, and public and private groups, including the Field Foundation of Illinois, the MacArthur Foundation, the city’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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  Media faculty to study public attitudes of COVID-19 testing

  Oct 25, 2022 12:30 pm

  Three UIUC College of Media faculty have received a $25,000 research grant from SHIELD Illinois for a project that will examine public attitudes, news framing, and online engagement about SHIELD COVID-19 testing. 

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  Med students administer vaccines to underserved communities

  Jun 25, 2021 11:30 am

  Medical students in Champaign-Urbana are working to get vaccines to underserved communities. They’re sharing information about the shot, while also advocating for it.

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  Mitigating lung damage, mortality due to SARS-CoV-2

  Oct 5, 2021 11:45 am

  In a new paper, researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago report that a drug approved for treating patients with autoimmune disease helped to prevent lung damage and death in mice infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19 in humans.

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  Models predict optimal airplane seating for reduced viral transmission

  Dec 21, 2021 12:15 pm

  A new study led by a UIUC computer science professor and aviation risk expert calculated the optimal ways to seat passengers on airplanes based on the most recent data on aerosol transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19.

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  More than 1,200 Illinois K-12 Schools have signed up for SHIELD testing

  Aug 25, 2021 9:30 am

  More than 1,200 K-12 schools across the state have signed up to use the SHIELD Illinois COVID-19 saliva test for the start of the 2021-22 academic year. 

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  Negative mental health effects of pandemic fade over time

  Jan 30, 2021 10:15 am

  Social distancing policies correlated with immediate increases in interest in information about “isolation” and “worry” – but those effects tapered off two to four weeks after their respective peaks, says a new UIUC study.

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  Neighborhoods and death rates

  Dec 3, 2020 1:45 pm

  A new study led by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago has found that Chicago neighborhoods with barriers to social distancing, including limited access to broadband internet and low rates of health insurance, had more COVID-19 deaths in spring 2020. 

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  New mobile COVID-19 lab prototype

  Nov 6, 2020 1:00 pm

  The Grainger College of Engineering at UIUC has completed the prototype for a mobile laboratory designed to demonstrate a way to rapidly deploy the saliva-based test for COVID-19 developed at the university.

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  New reports address COVID-19’s fiscal effects, policy possibilities

  Apr 26, 2021 12:45 pm

  From revenue shortfalls to meeting increased demand for public services, the challenges facing government entities require atypical policies to deal with these issues in the COVID-19 era and beyond, according to new reports from the Government Finance Research Center at the University of Illinois Chicago.

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  New study reports mask-wearing experiences of adults with asthma

  Jan 20, 2022 1:15 pm

  Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago conducted an online survey of 501 adults with asthma to better understand the extent of, and the problems related to, mask use in the era of COVID-19. 

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  New technique digitally counts intact SARS-CoV-2 virus particles in saliva

  Jan 28, 2022 9:30 am

  The new approach to COVID detection uses a specially designed nucleic acid molecule, called an “aptamer” attached to a biosensor that selectively recognizes one of the proteins on the virus outer surface, and captures it in a single step at room temperature, with no other reagents required. 

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  New tool providing solid clues to COVID-19's resurgence

  Jun 9, 2022 8:00 am

  University of Illinois at Chicago associate professor Rachel Poretsky is doing sewage surveillance through the University of Illinois’ Discovery Partners Institute. Poretsky is co-leading a team with computer scientist Charlie Catlett that’s using Chicago wastewater to identify viral hot spots.

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  Novel COVID-19 drug blocks viral replication

  Mar 24, 2021 12:00 pm

  Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have identified a potent new antiviral compound that can effectively block viral replication in human cells.

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  Online smell, taste challenge offered as early detection tool

  Jan 26, 2021 12:45 pm

  A brief smell and taste challenge, developed by the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research, is a web-based tool people can use to easily monitor changes in these senses using their favorite morning beverage. 

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  Pandemic impact on waste

  Dec 3, 2020 1:45 pm

  Anne-Marie Hanson, associate professor of environmental studies at the University of Illinois Springfield takes a look at the impact of COVID-19 on waste patterns, waste workers, and waste habits.

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  Pandemic-stressors' impact on STIs in young Kenyan women

  Dec 6, 2021 3:15 pm

  UIC researchers have been awarded $2.6 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health to study how pandemic-related stressors influence sexual behavior and risk of sexually transmitted infections among girls and young women in Kenya.

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  Paper-based detection sensor

  Dec 4, 2020 3:45 pm

  An Urbana-Champaign bioengineering graduate student has co-developed a rapid, ultrasensitive test using a paper-based electrochemical sensor that can detect the presence of the virus in less than five minutes. 

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  Paper: Perception of COVID-19 vulnerability hurts job prospects

  Sep 15, 2021 9:30 am

  Job seekers’ perceived risk of contracting and falling seriously ill from COVID-19 may take a significant mental health toll and ultimately affect their ability to secure employment, says new research co-written by Yihao Liu, a professor of labor and employment relations and of psychology at Illinois.

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  Paper: Sharp decline in women's labor force participation in Illinois due to COVID-19

  May 14, 2021 2:45 pm

  A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researcher who studies labor issues affecting low-wage workers finds that almost 40% of working mothers in the state of Illinois lost jobs or were working fewer hours due to the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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  Pharmacies go on hiring sprees

  Feb 10, 2021 12:15 pm

  Maurice Shaw, pharmicist and instructor for the UIC College of Pharmacy, signed on to give out vaccines on weekends in addition to his full-time job, after receiving a flurry of pitches for help. (New York Times)

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  Phase 3 monoclonal antibody clinical trial

  Oct 29, 2020 2:00 pm

  Researchers at UIC are now enrolling people into a phase 3 clinical trial that will test if a monoclonal antibody treatment will help protect uninfected individuals from acquiring or getting sick from COVID-19 after someone in the household tests positive for COVID-19.

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  Pop-up Rantoul testing clinics

  Dec 2, 2020 1:45 pm

  An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is working with clinicians and community researchers to expand access to COVID-19 testing by providing pop-up testing clinics for agricultural workers and others at various locations in Rantoul, Illinois.

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  Portable, point-of-care COVID-19 test discerns alpha variant from earlier strains

  Apr 27, 2022 8:30 am

  A point-of-care COVID-19 test developed by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign can now detect and differentiate the alpha variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from earlier strains in saliva samples.

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  Precarious employment on the rise long before COVID-19

  Jan 27, 2021 9:00 am

  A study led by a University of Illinois Chicago researcher uses a new approach to measure precarious, or low-quality, employment in the United States. And, according to those findings, precarious employment has increased 9% between 1988 and 2016. 

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  President honors leaders of COVID-19 lab development

  Aug 27, 2021 10:30 am

  University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen on Friday honored two people who are among the primary leadership behind the system’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting them with the Presidential Medallion.

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  Professor wins grant to fund flu, COVID-19 antibody research

  Feb 9, 2022 8:30 am

  UIUC biochemistry professor Nicholas Wu was recently chosen to receive a $150,000 next generation grant to fund his flu and COVID-19 antibody research.

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  Program innovates to help prisoners continue to learn during COVID

  Apr 13, 2021 10:15 am

  UIUC's Education Justice Project was able to keep some of its prison courses going through paper correspondence and video instruction during the pandemic, when online learning was not an option.

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  Project pairs COVID-19 outreach with job creation

  Nov 3, 2021 8:15 am

  A project at the UIC School of Public Health not only provides COVID-19 outreach to underserved areas, but also creates jobs for those whose employment was affected by the pandemic. 

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  Protective role sex steroids play

  Nov 24, 2020 1:30 pm

  A new paper from a UIC researcher shows evidence that suggests sex steroids may play a role in protecting against COVID-19 symptoms.

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  Protein region on COVID's viral spike senses temperature, drives seasonal mutation patterns

  Dec 13, 2021 12:30 pm

  A new study led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign finds evidence that COVID-19 has been cycling seasonally across the globe for nearly two years and identifies a molecular culprit.

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  Public perception of essential workers in the pandemic

  Dec 8, 2021 1:15 pm

  The pandemic has infiltrated lives across the world for almost two years and a new study from the UIC College of Business Administration evaluates public perceptions of essential workers. 

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  Report explores how public policies failed Black, Latino Chicagoans during COVID-19

  Dec 2, 2021 1:00 pm

  A new report issued today from the UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy analyzes how national and local policies related to health care, mental health care, housing, child care and education, and social assistance failed to meet the needs of Chicago’s Black and Latino residents and contributed to the health disparities in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

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  Researchers scour Twitter to analyze public attitudes about COVID-19 vaccinations

  May 2, 2022 1:15 pm

  A new study from the University of Illinois Chicago examines key themes and topics from almost three million COVID-19 vaccine-related tweets posted by individuals and explores the trends and variations in public opinions and sentiments about vaccines and vaccination programs

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  Research funding led to COVID breakthroughs

  Apr 7, 2021 8:00 am

  Jay Walsh, U of I System interim VP of economic development and innovation, and Peter Schiffer, Frederick W. Beinecke professor of applied physics at Yale University, write about the value of America's government-university research partnership in an op-ed in The Hill.

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  Retrained generic antibodies can recognize SARS-CoV-2

  Feb 3, 2021 8:30 am

  Researchers at UIC and California State University at Sacramento have developed a novel strategy to train the immunity response to COVID-19.

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  Rivian donates $500,000 to support SHIELD Illinois testing

  Mar 25, 2021 10:30 am

  The University of Illinois System received a $500,000 donation from Rivian to support the recently opened SHIELD Illinois COVID-19 testing lab at Illinois State University (ISU), which is located within five miles of the electric automaker’s factory in Normal.

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  Safer Community app has roots in U of I testing program

  Feb 10, 2021 12:30 pm

  William Sullivan, a professor of landscape architecture at UIUC, led the team that developed the Safer Illinois app. Since 1992, he said his focus at the university has been on how to create healthier cities. 

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  Saliva test being expanded in Champaign-Urbana community

  Mar 24, 2021 10:15 am

  OSF HealthCare announced a new partnership with the University of Illinois Tuesday that will expand the U of I’s saliva-based COVID-19 test into the broader Champaign-Urbana community.

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  Sampling sewer water for COVID-19 in the C-U community

  Aug 9, 2021 11:45 am

  Illinois State Water Survey researchers have been sampling sewer water to look for traces of SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, at the neighborhood level in Champaign-Urbana to help monitor the spread of infection.