Tags: COVID-19

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Researchers unveil faster, more accurate COVID testing technique

With new cases, hospitalizations and mortality rates holding steady in many parts of the world, University of Georgia researchers have developed a faster detection technique for COVID-19.  In a new study published in Advanced Materials Interface, the UGA research team describes the rapid diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2 detection and quantification directly from human nasopharyngeal swabs using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy…

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UGA research team receives USDA APHIS funding for development of a rapid diagnostics platform for SARS-CoV-2

A person with COVID-19 might transmit SARS-CoV-2 to domestic cats and dogs (and perhaps other pets) in the same way that an infected animal could possibly transmit it to another individual. In addition, lions, tigers, pumas, snow leopards and non-human primates from zoos or wildlife refuges in the U.S. and other countries have been confirmed infected with SARS-CoV-2, while infections have also been reported in white-tailed deer, both wild and…

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Noted and Quoted, April 2022

Racial disparities and COVID, personality traits of 'difficult' people, the war in Ukraine, and faster cheaper COVID tests headline Franklin faculty expertise in the media during the month of April. A sample of the recent news featuring our colleagues: How war in the world’s breadbasket “changes everything” – Scott Reynolds Nelson, Georgia Athletic Association Professor in the department of history, interviewed by  Ad Age, …

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UGA team develops faster, cheaper COVID tests

A University of Georgia nanotechnology research group entered the race to develop a rapid test for COVID-19 in August 2020, running experiments on a new sensor for an American manufacturing company. The group, led by Yiping Zhao and Ralph Tripp, tested nanotechnology-based optical sensors designed for COVID-19 detection and saw the potential for their home-grown technology. In March 2022, the group filed a patent application and published…

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UGA Skidaway Institute Hawaii research resumes

After a pandemic-induced delay of nearly two years, scientists at the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography have started their 4-year research project to study how dust in the atmosphere is deposited in the ocean and how that affects chemical and biological processes there. The research team of [department of marine sciences faculty] Clifton Buck, Daniel Ohnemus and Christopher Marsay had originally planned to begin…

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COVID Booster Vaccines Expanded at UHC

On Oct. 15, the university drew the final 25 names in its vaccine drawing, selecting the last of the cash prize winners. The $100,000 incentive program was supported by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III. The first 50 names were selected Sept. 15 and another 25 names were selected Sept. 30. More than 24,000 entries were submitted for the drawing, which was conducted by UGA’s Office of Institutional Research with results verified by…

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Cameras as the source of Zoom fatigue

In the post-pandemic world, a few things have become ubiquitous: masks, hand sanitizer and Zoom fatigue, or the feeling of being worn out after a long day of virtual meetings. But new research from a team led by University of Georgia psychologist Kristen Shockley suggests that it’s not the meetings causing the fatigue—it’s the camera. “We knew people had the perception that Zoom meetings were leading to fatigue, but we didn’t know…

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Archeologists help quell COVID-19 in Madagascar

In times of the pandemic it's all hands on deck, including associate professor of anthropology Bram Tucker and other members of Pennsylvania State University’s Morombe Archaeological Project (MAP), which aims to reconstruct the impact of human settlement in the Velondriake area, a marine protected biodiversity hotspot on the southwest coast of Madagascar. The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 arrived in the fishing community of Andavadoaka, Madagascar…

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Relationships During the Pandemic

TIME Magazine recently featured research by communications studies faculty and doctoral alumni. “What We Learned About Relationships During the Pandemic,” conveys research findings from a special issue of Journal of Personality and Social Relationships organized by editor Pamela Lannutti (UGA, PhD, 2001) and co-editor Jennifer Bevan (UGA, PhD, 2003), and it reported on a research study in the issue by…

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The show goes on: UGA Theatre takes the digital stage

Our colleagues in the Office of Research share the story of a successful year for theater at the University of Georgia. The Department of Theatre and Film Studies and its associated student theater organizations produced over 30 shows, each unlike anything seen before at UGA. Productions ranged from self-taped musical cabarets to live-streamed comedy shows, to multimedia explorations of current events, and featured the work of…

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Teaching physics via Zoom

When she started her stint as head teaching assistant in the Physics and Astronomy Department in August 2019, Lauren Sgro’s life was pretty well mapped out. The Ph.D. candidate had time to work on her dissertation – concerning dust around red dwarfs – while keeping up with head TA duties, such as teaching the new TAs how to do their once-a-week labs and helping anyone with questions. Then the pandemic hit. “After COVID-19, the position…

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UGA COVID-19 vaccine panel discussion

Four University of Georgia experts answered some of the most frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccines in a recent virtual panel discussion held on campus. Moderated by Dr. Shelley Nuss, dean of the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, the panelists discussed a variety of topics related to vaccine safety and efficacy. And they shared their thoughts on why it is so important for everyone who is eligible and…

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Vaccination 'One Great Step'

The UGA Athletic Association is making a strong statement about vaccinations, working with the Georgia Department of Public Health to promote the increased availability of the COVID-19 vaccines in the state and encourage those that wish to receive it to make an appointment. This past Saturday, dozens of UGA Athletic Association coaches and staff members received their first dose: Among those that have now received at least one dose of the…

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Noted and Quoted, March 2021

COVID, Post-COVID, Fish oil and work/life balance were a few of the many recent subjects of media interest informed by Franklin College faculty expertise. A sample from the past the month: After years of early storms, forecasters consider moving start of hurricane season to May 15 – Marshall Shepherd, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences, quoted by the Sun Sentinel Why is…

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Noted and Quoted, February 2021

From winter storms and the polar vortex to volcanoes, COVID romance and insect couple longevity, Franklin College faculty expertise was present across global media during February. A sample: Is Texas really a serious rival in Silicon Valley? Stephen Mihm, associate professor of history, writing in the ExBulletin Research finds link between CO2, big volcano eruptions – research by assistant professor of geology Mattia Pistone reported…

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COVID-19 Threat Increases psychological distress among Black Americans

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate communities worldwide, Black Americans who face racial discrimination in hospitals and doctor's offices weather additional stresses that can exacerbate threats from COVID-19. A new University of Georgia study examines the interplay between the perceptions of coronavirus threat, , and psychological distress among Black Americans. The additional stresses arise from the prevalent belief among Black…

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How people solve global problems

What do the 3,000-year-old actions of an Egyptian pharaoh say about how we should tackle the biggest challenges of the 21st century? Quite a bit, according to anthropologists at the University of Georgia who analyzed archeological evidence over thousands of years to examine how societies have approached adversity. Their work suggests that rigid, top-down approaches to complex problems have been a doomed strategy throughout human history.…

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[Not] sharing child care during the shutdown

Traditional gendered patterns of child care persisted during the COVID-19 shutdown, with more than a third of couples relying on women to provide most or all of it, according to a study from University of Georgia researcher Kristen Shockley. Some previous research has found that typical familial patterns may get upended during crises, but that’s not what Shockley and her colleagues found in the early months of the COVID-19 shutdown. “Most people…

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Top stories of 2020

Prior to and throughout the pandemic and the switch to online instruction, work and life as we know it, news about Franklin College faculty and students garnered media attention near and far. In a non-scientific sampling, we look back at some of the year's most impactful stories, the sheer breadth of which define a great university in this or any year: In January, a new UGA study a described a way to attack…

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Noted and Quoted, Nov/Dec 2020

COVID-19, election news and analysis, personality traits, weather and climate round out the recent trending topics for Franklin College faculty expertise in the media. A sample of the many stories: Study links cognitive disorders with severe COVID-19 risk – research led by Kaixiong Ye, assistant professor of genetics, reported by Devdiscourse, News Break, and Postdoctoral Fellow Jingqi Zhou, Drugs.com Hot or cold, weather…

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UGA staffer participates in Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trial

University of Georgia staff member Doug Lloyd, a systems administrator in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Office of Information Technology, is participating in the two-year Phase 3 trial of the investigational COVID-19 vaccine known as mRNA-1273. An interim analysis of the trial data suggests that the vaccine is safe and effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in adults. For Lloyd, the experience provides an…

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The Redcoat Band plays on

Brett Bawcum is no stranger to planning. As director of athletic bands, his preparation begins 10 months ahead of the next fall season. When COVID-19 hit, planning took on a whole new challenge: a heavy dose of unpredictability. “We were already looking at second and third shows when it started becoming clear last spring that this was not going to be a ‘normal’ year,” said Bawcum. Whether or not the band would even be able to attend games…

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Graduate students adapt to new lab protocols

With new protocols in place to safeguard against COVID-19, most University of Georgia graduate students have safely returned to their work in labs and field settings. Continuing their important research has been a positive development, but the changes have required adjustments. Those adaptations have varied immensely, depending on the students’ areas of study: “We conduct lab meetings predominantly over Zoom,” she said. “We sign up to use…

photo of masked nurse with masked patient
Cognitive disorders linked to severe COVID-19 risk

Dementia and other cognitive disorders now appear to be risk factorsfor developing severe COVID-19, according to research from the University of Georgia. The findings highlight the need for special care for populations with these preexisting conditions during the pandemic. In a blind study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,000 diseases and two specific genes to compare the health profiles of COVID-19 patients with those testing…

graphic wit man on laptop and bubbles representing teleconference interactions
Noted and Quoted, August 2020

From debunking COVID myths to explaining its real impacts on work, play and even dining, Franklin faculty have stepped up to supply expertise across numerous fields on issues throughout the media. A sample from this summer: When schools closed in 1916, some students never returned – associate professor of history Stephen Mihm at Yahoo! News Remote work is here to stay – associate professor of psychology Kristen Shockley in…
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