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Testing and Contact Tracing

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May 31, 2021

What happened with that Yankees COVID-19 outbreak? What does it mean for vaccine effectiveness?

Testing and Contact Tracing Vaccines
Rachael Piltch-Loeb, PhD MSPH

A: While several vaccinated players tested positive, they were almost all asymptomatic. TL; DR- Nine members of the New York Yankees tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Among those who tested positive only one reported mild symptoms. These cases were discovered because the Yankees test regularly, unlike most other vaccinated …

May 12, 2021

Are there really COVID-sniffing bees?

Testing and Contact Tracing
Lauren Hale Ph.D. MA
Lauren Hale, PhD MA

A: TL;DR. Turns out bees have great sniffers, just like dogs! Preliminary studies demonstrate up to 95% accuracy in detection of COVID-19 using multiple specially trained honeybees. Scientists of all stripes have stepped up to the challenge of helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic, including scientists who specialize in insects with yellow and black stripes. Researchers …

April 10, 2021

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A

Infection and Spread School Staying Safe Testing and Contact Tracing Vaccines Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH

In this live Q&A, we’re teaming up with our science gal-pals at the Unbiased Science Podcast, Drs. Andrea Love and Jessica Steier! We’ll be answering reader questions about antibody testing after vaccination, viral variants & kids, #thrifting, and whether your COVID-19 vaccine can make you test positive for COVID.  https://www.facebook.com/unbiasedscipod/ ➡️ Welcome, Intros, and Comments …

January 30, 2021

Home poop tests anyone?

Testing and Contact Tracing
Lauren Hale Ph.D. MA
Lauren Hale, PhD MA

Q: I’ve heard that some colleges are testing wastewater from dorms to find out if there is Covid. Does this mean there could be accurate(ish) home fecal tests in our future? I can’t decide if I want the answer to be yes or no. A. The Nerdy Girls support innovation, accuracy, affordability, and accessibility. And …

December 26, 2020

With all this holiday travel, why don’t airports have COVID-sniffing dogs?

Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Lauren Hale Ph.D. MA
Lauren Hale, PhD MA

A: As noted in prior posts, highly trained dogs have the incredible capacity to successfully detect the odor of people with COVID-19 by sniffing human sweat. Pilot programs using COVID-sniffing dogs to detect infection among potential passengers have already launched in airports in Finland, the United Arab Emirates, and most recently Chile. These pilot projects …

December 16, 2020

What’s up with the new CDC guidelines for shorter quarantine periods?

Testing and Contact Tracing
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH

A: The guidelines represent a “most bang for your buck” approach to preventing transmission of COVID-19 at the population level–but quarantining for 14 days is still the recommended and safest approach. While our scientific understanding of how long it takes to develop COVID-19 symptoms after being exposed (science term: incubation period) still says up to …