blog posts

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  ‘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.

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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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  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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  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.

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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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  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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  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.

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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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  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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  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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  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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  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.

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  UI Health leads Chicago in providing vaccines for phase 1B

  Feb 12, 2021 12:30 pm

  On the first day it opened a community COVID-19 vaccination site, UIC and UI Health administered more than 1,600 shots to phase 1A and phase 1B eligible people, representing nearly a quarter of all vaccine doses (23%) distributed in Chicago on that day.

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  UIC vaccinating thousands at mass site, students pitch in

  Feb 19, 2021 8:30 am

  An expansive stadium at the UIC campus is serving a new purpose during the pandemic: The Credit Union 1 Arena now operates as a mass COVID-19 vaccination site, offering about 1,000 coveted doses to eligible residents every day. (Chicago Tribune)

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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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  Wearable sensors catch worsening COVID-19 symptoms early

  Mar 1, 2021 11:00 am

  UI Health employees that have had COVID-19 are part of a clinical trial of a new remote monitoring system designed to catch worsening symptoms before it is too late.

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  U of I System receives FDA authorization for covidSHIELD test process

  Mar 1, 2021 12:45 pm

  The University of Illinois System received emergency use authorization (EUA) today from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for covidSHIELD, its innovative saliva-based COVID-19 test that was used on the U of I campuses to hold the virus in check by utilizing widespread testing with rapid results. 

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  UIC report details failures of public policy responses to pandemic in Chicago

  Mar 8, 2022 9:00 am

  A new UIC report finds that despite efforts to address racial inequities during the pandemic in Chicago, vulnerable communities’ needs remained unmet.

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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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  UIC working to deliver vaccinations to city's most vulnerable

  Mar 16, 2021 10:15 am

  The University of Illinois Chicago along with Protect Chicago Plus have partnered to provide 1,000 COVID-19 vaccines to residents in the Englewood neighborhood, with plans to expand to other city areas with vulnerable populations. 

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  UIS hosts webinar on COVID-19 & marginalized populations

  Mar 18, 2021 9:00 am

  UIS and the Community Health Roundtable will host a free public webinar titled “Implications of COVID-19 for Historically Marginalized Populations and the Aging Population” at Noon Friday, March 16 via Zoom.

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  Vaccine study now open for student enrollment

  Mar 23, 2021 10:30 am

  UIUC students may now enroll in a study to help understand the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing the spread of the coronavirus.

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  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.

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  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.

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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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  U.S. Covid-19 supercomputing group evaluates year-long effort

  Mar 24, 2021 5:30 pm

  Members of the Covid-19 High-Performance Computing Consortium on Tuesday spoke on the progress of their initiative and advocated for a formal organization that would be in charge of making computing resources available in the event of future pandemics, hurricanes, oil spills, wildfires and other natural disasters.

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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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  Study: Rapid bulk-testing for COVID-19 key to reopening universities

  Mar 29, 2021 12:00 pm

  A new paper co-written by business professors Gies College of Business professors shows that rapid bulk-testing for COVID-19 along with other standard mitigation measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing were the keys to successfully reopening college campuses during the pandemic.

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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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  Social media messaging was effective in mitigating COVID-19, researchers say

  Apr 12, 2023 11:30 am

  Researchers discovered that employing social media posts as a means of visual nudging to encourage safe behaviors significantly impacts COVID-19 positivity rates. This effect remains evident even after accounting for various organizational characteristics and disease dynamics at multiple levels. 

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  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.

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  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. 

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  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.

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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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  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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  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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  Study tracks COVID-19 infection dynamics in adults

  May 2, 2022 1:30 pm

  A team led by scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign tracked the rise and fall of SARS-CoV-2 in the saliva and nasal cavities of people newly infected with the virus. The study was the first to follow acute COVID-19 infections over time through repeated sampling and to compare results from different testing methodologies.

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  Work-refusal safety laws serve employees poorly during pandemic

  May 4, 2021 1:45 pm

  A new paper from a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in labor law shows that current work-refusal laws are out-of-step with modern workplaces and provided meager benefits to employees who have refused to work when risks involved chemicals, radiation and other microscopic or invisible hazards such as COVID-19.

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  State invests big in COVID tests for schools

  May 12, 2021 2:00 pm

  P{ublic health officials announced a $225 million plan to subsidize the use of University of Illinois COVID-19 saliva tests at public middle schools and high schools.

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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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  UIS to co-host webinar on COVID and returning to work

  May 18, 2021 2:30 pm

  The University of Illinois Springfield Innovation Hub, UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership and the Community Health Roundtable will host a free public webinar titled “COVID-19 and Returning to Work: Implications for the Workforce, Women and Work Sectors” at Noon Friday, May 21 via Zoom.

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  Team creates new portable COVID-19 test

  May 18, 2021 2:30 pm

  A new coronavirus test can get accurate results from a saliva sample in less than 30 minutes, researchers report in the journal Nature Communications. Many of the components of the hand-held device used in this technology can be 3D-printed, and the test can detect as little as one viral particle per 1-microliter drop of fluid.

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  UIS and Sangamon County working to document pandemic

  May 19, 2022 3:00 pm

  The Sangamon County historical society teamed up with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the University of Illinois Springfield, and the Illinois State Museum to document the history of the pandemic.

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  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.

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  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. 

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  Survey measures health care delays during pandemic’s beginning

  May 20, 2021 8:15 am

  At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, a University of Illinois Chicago researcher conducted a survey asking respondents if they experienced health care delays because of the pandemic. The study also presented a unique opportunity to capture a historic moment at the pandemic’s beginning.

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  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.