Spacing COVID-19 vaccine doses has epidemiological benefits, but longer-term outcomes depend on immunity robustness
March 9, 2021Delaying second doses of COVID-19 vaccines should reduce case numbers in the near term. But the longer-term case burden and the potential for evolution of viral “escape” from immunity will depend on the robustness of immune responses generated by natural…
Adherence to health precautions, not climate, the biggest factor driving wintertime COVID-19 outbreaks
February 9, 2021 ・ Morgan KellyWintertime outbreaks of COVID-19 have been largely driven by whether people adhere to control measures such as mask wearing and social distancing, according to a study published Feb. 8 in Nature Communications by Princeton University researchers. Climate and population immunity…
Large, delayed outbreaks of endemic diseases possible following COVID-19 controls
November 9, 2020Measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as mask wearing and social distancing are a key tool in combatting the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. These actions also have greatly reduced incidence of many…
Long-term COVID-19 containment will be shaped by strength and duration of natural, vaccine-induced immunity
September 21, 2020New research suggests that the impact of natural and vaccine-induced immunity will be key factors in shaping the future trajectory of the global coronavirus pandemic, known as COVID-19. In particular, a vaccine capable of eliciting a strong immune response could…
Local climate unlikely to drive the early COVID-19 pandemic
May 18, 2020 ・ Morgan KellyLocal variations in climate are not likely to dominate the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Princeton University study published May 18 in the journal Science. The researchers found that the vast number of people still vulnerable…
COVID-19′s silent spread: How symptomless transmission helps pathogens thrive
May 14, 2020 ・ Catherine ZandonellaCOVID-19′s rapid spread throughout the world has been fueled in part by the virus’ ability to be transmitted by people who are not showing symptoms of infection. Now, a study by researchers at Princeton has found that this silent phase…
Princeton researchers map rural U.S. counties most vulnerable to COVID-19
April 15, 2020 ・ Morgan KellyA county-by-county analysis of the United States by Princeton University researchers suggests that rural counties with high populations of people over 60 and limited access to health care facilities could eventually be among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic…
Climate change could make RSV respiratory infection outbreaks less severe, more common
December 16, 2019 ・ Morgan KellyOne of the first studies to examine the effect of climate change on diseases such as influenza that are transmitted directly from person to person has found that higher temperatures and increased rainfall could make outbreaks less severe but more…
Government subsidies could be key to containing hospital-born infections
April 3, 2019 ・ Morgan KellyHealth care-associated infections — illnesses that people contract while being treated in a hospital or other health care facility — sicken millions of people each year and cost billions of dollars in additional treatment. While there has been some improvement…
