blog posts 1 million saliva tests milestone Dec 4, 2020 1:00 pm The University of Illinois System surpassed a COVID-19 testing milestone Wednesday, performing 1 million rapid, saliva-based tests across its three university campuses since August. 28 receive U of I System honor for leading COVID-19 response Aug 25, 2021 9:30 am University of Illinois President Tim Killeen honored 28 key leaders of the system’s COVID-19 response with the Presidential Medallion. The medallion is the highest honor that the system president can bestow. Activating a collectivistic orientation conducive to curbing COVID‐19 Dec 8, 2021 1:00 pm A new paper co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts in cross-cultural consumer behavior finds a key cultural factor that promotes behavior aimed at curbing the spread of COVID‐19. Activation of specific immune cells may be a predictor of severe COVID-19 Mar 23, 2022 8:00 am Scientists at the UIC have found new evidence that people with severe COVID-19 may have something in common: an early and persistent activation of neutrophils, a type of white blood cells that the immune system uses to fight bacteria. Adapting HIV/AIDS interventions Dec 8, 2020 3:30 pm A research project being co-led by a UIUC social work professor is exploring whether interventions that have been effective at engaging high-risk populations in HIV/AIDS testing and treatment can be adapted to achieve similar effects in mitigating COVID-19. Antibodies from original strain COVID-19 infection don't bind to variants, study finds Sep 22, 2021 8:30 am People infected with the original strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 produced a consistent antibody response. However, those antibodies don’t bind well to new variants, according to a new UIUC study. At-home COVID-19 test in development potentially as good as lab PCR tests Jan 5, 2022 1:45 pm UIC researchers have designed a high-quality assay that can be used in at-home tests for rapid COVID-19 screening. Results from an early preclinical study suggest that tests with the new assay may be just as reliable as lab-based PCR tests. Boosters plus interventions could cut deaths Sep 29, 2022 3:45 pm Combining the widespread use of booster shots with a couple of protective measures more commonly used earlier in the pandemic could help reduce COVID-19 deaths in upcoming months, new research from UIUC suggests. Caregivers often left out of telehealth services during pandemic Jan 28, 2022 9:30 am Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Minakshi Raj led a study that found many family caregivers who would have been involved in in-person care were left out of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. CDC endorses Test to Stay strategy piloted by IDPH, SHIELD Illinois Dec 20, 2021 8:15 am A new CDC report published today confirms that the Test to Stay program, created locally by IDPH and operated by SHIELD Illinois, can help keep kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) students in the classroom. Citizen COVID-19 blogging project Oct 21, 2020 2:15 pm Ruby Mendenhall and Robin Wilson at the University of Illinois have come together to lead a blogging project on COVID-19 throughout Illinois. They've signed-up citizen scientists to share their perspectives. Citizen science project explores causes, solutions to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy Jun 3, 2021 1:30 pm With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Prevention Research Centers, the UIC School of Public Health is launching a project to better understand the multi-faceted causes of vaccine hesitancy across different communities and the best interventions to improve vaccine confidence and uptake. Cleaning product use affecting asthma more during pandemic Feb 10, 2021 12:30 pm Those with asthma are experiencing less asthma control related to an increase in using household disinfectants — known asthma triggers — because of COVID-19, according to a survey co-conducted by UIC researchers. Clinical trials for blood clot prevention Nov 18, 2020 1:30 pm UIC will conduct three clinical trials for studying blood clot prevention in patients with COVID-19. Blood clots are one of the leading complications of COVID-19. Community colleges in Illinois now have option to provide free covidSHIELD tests to state residents Apr 19, 2021 1:45 pm Community colleges across the state now have the ability to provide the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s (UIUC) innovative, saliva-based COVID-19 test at no cost to any state resident who wants one. Comparing COVID-19 testing methods Nov 18, 2020 1:30 pm Students, faculty members and staff in Urbana-Champaign who are asked to quarantine after COVID-19 exposure or a positive test now have the opportunity to participate in a study that will help inform the national effort to manage the pandemic. COVID-19 cases, deaths in U.S. increase with higher income inequality Jan 26, 2021 9:15 am U.S. counties with higher income inequality faced higher rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths in the first 200 days of the pandemic, according to a new study led by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Tim Liao. COVID-19 mobility restrictions effective for short duration, study finds Apr 22, 2021 12:45 pm Attempts at restricting people’s mobility to control the spread of COVID-19 may be effective only for a short period, researchers said. A new study examines people’s mobility for seven months during the pandemic in the United States using publicly available, anonymized mobile phone data. COVID-19 outcomes not consistently explained by race, social vulnerability Apr 18, 2022 3:15 pm And according to a paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign political scientist who’s an expert in data-driven social research, the racial health disparities experienced by minorities in the U.S. during the early months of the initial outbreak should be of concern for everyone. COVID-19 research on wastewater systems to track pandemics Oct 25, 2022 12:45 pm The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1,000,000 in research grant funding to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to improve wastewater monitoring to rapidly detect the emergence and spread of infectious disease in the current COVID-19 pandemic, and to detect other pathogens that could cause future pandemics. COVID-19 virus spike protein flexibility improved by human cell's own modifications Jul 15, 2022 10:45 am University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers created atomic-level models of the spike protein that plays a key role in COVID-19 infection and immunity, revealing how the protein bends and moves as it seeks to engage receptors. COVID cases among TSA officers shows effects of end to federal mask mandate May 19, 2022 3:00 pm Sheldon Jacobson, professor of computer science at UIUC shares his views on the rising cases of COVID among TSA officers in a Chicago Tribune commentary. Culture shapes willingness to share personal data to reduce COVID-19 spread Jan 27, 2021 8:30 am Junghwan Kim, a graduate student in geography and geographic information science at UIUC, co-led a study of people’s attitudes toward sharing their geographic data with public health officials. ‘Decoy’ protein works against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants Jan 20, 2022 1:15 pm A drug treatment that acts as a decoy against SARS-CoV-2 was highly effective at preventing death and lung damage in humanized animal models of severe COVID-19 disease, according to a Nature Chemical Biology study from researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago. Detecting outbreaks through wastewater Oct 27, 2020 1:45 pm The Walder Foundation has awarded a Discovery Partners Institute science team led by UIC $1.25 million to develop a prototype capability for detecting COVID-19 outbreaks and trends in Chicago’s wastewater. Developing antivirals for pandemic-level viruses Aug 11, 2022 10:00 am Researchers at UIC are working with the National Institutes of Health and researchers from across the country to establish a center for antiviral drug development for pandemic-level viruses, including Ebola and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Developing therapeutic intervention for respiratory diseases like COVID-19 Dec 14, 2021 9:30 am Through the support of the American Lung Association, a UIUC bioengineering professor is developing a therapeutic intervention for respiratory diseases like COVID-19 by engineering commensal microbes to produce & deliver treatment at the infection site. Discovery Partners Institute receives $2.36M disease-control contract from CDPH Feb 21, 2023 10:30 am The Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) is expanding its wastewater surveillance in Chicago beyond the virus that causes COVID-19 under a Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) agreement that extends their disease-control efforts into mid-2024. The DPI-led scientific team is now also analyzing wastewater for evidence of influenza A and B. The new agreement permits this search to grow to include other pathogens, such as the polio or monkeypox viruses, should they emerge as public health concerns. DNA nets capture COVID-19 virus in low-cost rapid-testing platform Sep 29, 2022 3:45 pm Tiny nets woven from DNA strands can ensnare the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19, lighting up the virus for a fast-yet-sensitive diagnostic test – and also impeding the virus from infecting cells, opening a new possible route to antiviral treatment, according to a new study. DNA sensor quickly determines whether viruses are infectious Sep 29, 2021 9:15 am A new sensor developed by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and collaborators can detect not only whether a virus is present, but whether it’s infectious – an important distinction for containing viral spread. Does our place in society influence how we respond to COVID-19 protocol? Jan 5, 2022 1:30 pm University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign electrical and computer engineering professor Lav Varshney is a co-author of a new study that explores how social capital influences choices regarding COVID-19 mitigation compliance. DPI & CDPH system to monitor COVID-19 in Chicago wastewater extended for two years Dec 21, 2021 12:00 pm The Discovery Partners Institute, part of the University of Illinois System, and the Chicago Department of Public Health have announced the citywide system to monitor the virus that causes COVID-19 and its variants in wastewater will continue for two years, leveraging $2.14 million in federal funding. DPI & IDPH launch online COVID-19 tracker Jan 10, 2023 1:30 pm The Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today a new website that tracks the levels of COVID-19 in wastewater samples in Chicago and other cities across Illinois. Early, mid-career women experienced higher stress than other academics during pandemic Dec 13, 2021 12:30 pm The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women who are early and mid-career academic faculty members, according to a recent study by University of Illinois Chicago researchers. Economic impact of COVID-19 Dec 1, 2020 1:45 pm Kenneth Kritz, distinguished professor of public administration at UIS, examines the economic impact of the pandemic on the United States economy. Fast, cheap COVID-19 antibody test developed Jan 25, 2021 3:00 pm Researchers in Urbana-Champaign have developed a simple, fast, cost-efficient COVID-19 testing system. The test demonstrates great potential for wide applications in diverse working environments. First vaccine doses in Chicago Dec 15, 2020 12:45 pm Five front-line medical workers, including UI Health's Dr. Marina Del Rios, received the vaccine against COVID-19 in Chicago on Tuesday, December 15, marking an important milestone in the fight against the coronavirus. Food-buying behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic Aug 11, 2022 10:00 am A new study examines how Americans acquired food at various points during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how those activities changed over time as case numbers fluctuated and vaccines became available. Frequent COVID-19 testing key to efficient, early detection, study finds Jul 2, 2021 8:00 am COVID-19 testing works best when administered multiple times per week as part of a routine screening program, such as the SHIELD Illinois saliva-testing protocol, a new study found. Health experts caution against ‘new normal’ strategies for COVID-19 May 19, 2022 3:45 pm Jun Ma, of the University of Illinois Chicago, said that together, the COVID-19 pandemic and the chronic disease crisis create what is called a synergistic endemic, or syndemic — overlapping epidemics that interact, increasing the burden of disease and the likelihood of poor outcomes. Helping East St. Louis residents overcome barriers to testing, vaccination Mar 23, 2022 8:00 am A project co-led by UIUC that is underway in East St. Louis, Illinois, is investigating strategies for overcoming barriers to COVID-19 testing and vaccination among more than 548 medically and socially vulnerable residents of St. Clair County. How masks affect speech acoustics Dec 23, 2020 8:15 am Masks are an important tool for fighting COVID-19 but wearing one can make it difficult for others to hear us speak. Using a unique laboratory setup, UIUC researcher Ryan Corey tested how different types of masks affect the acoustics of speech. How misinformation about COVID-19 spreads in rural areas Oct 25, 2021 1:00 pm A team at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign is investigating how misinformation about COVID-19 spreads in rural areas of the state. How pandemic-related changes affect college students' motivation May 26, 2021 9:30 am A study by educational researchers at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that some biology students’ interest in their studies and motivation actually increased during the pandemic. How wearable AI could help you recover from covid Jun 9, 2021 8:00 am Funded by the National Institutes of Health, clinicians at UI Health have been conducting a study with digital-medicine startup PhysIQ to do remote monitoring of COVID-19 patients. IDPH & DPI announce statewide system to monitor COVID-19 in wastewater May 25, 2021 8:30 am The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) today announced a statewide system to monitor the virus that causes COVID-19 and its variants in wastewater, providing public health officials with early warnings of a potential outbreak on a county-by-county basis. IDPH, DPI, Shield T3 to expand wastewater monitoring to schools Sep 29, 2022 3:45 pm The state of Illinois announced it is launching an innovative pilot program to protect school children from COVID-19 and reduce its spread through classrooms by analyzing school wastewater for the coronavirus, an expansion of the partnership between IDPH, the Discovery Partners Institute and Shield T3. IDPH expands COVID-19 testing to elementary schools Jun 10, 2021 8:45 am To help ensure schools can more safely resume in-person learning, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced it is expanding access to no-cost and low-cost COVID-19 testing to elementary schools across Illinois. Schools can choose to utilize the saliva-based covidSHIELD test developed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. IDPH to offer free covidSHIELD tests for public schools for 2022-23 school year Jun 14, 2022 2:00 pm The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced a renewed agreement with SHIELD Illinois that offers every public school outside of Chicago the opportunity to use the University of Illinois System’s innovative, saliva-based COVID-19 testing platform at no cost for the 2022-23 school year. Illinois Extension contributes to vaccination awareness effort in state Jul 16, 2021 2:45 pm A new partnership between Cooperative Extension, the Extension Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is empowering land-grant universities across the country to strengthen immunization education with a special focus on adult vaccine hesitancy around both COVID-19 and other adult vaccines.
