Coronavirus Response

Take a look back at the last year of the UW's research of and adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In early February, The Seattle Times published a report that provides a preliminary glimpse at who has had access to the first set of COVID-19 vaccines that were doled out. As much as I want to tell myself that this is an incomplete picture and that the first set of vaccines is reflective of a strategy to inoculate first responders and medical personnel, I still feel that the preliminary rollout failed to address a key consideration: namely, the disproportionate impact that the pandemic has had on people of color and economically marginalized folks," writes Oscar Rosales Castañeda, a lecturer in American ethnic studies at the UW.

It feels like the pandemic is changing everything, but as vaccine rollout progresses and we squint at what appears to be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, the question to ask now is whether any real changes we’ve had to adopt during a year of pandemic life will stick around in the years to come. The UW’s Steve Goodreau, professor of anthropology, and Fabio Ghironi, professor of economics, are quoted.

Many scientists are expecting another rise in infections. But this time the surge will be blunted by vaccines and, hopefully, widespread caution. By summer, Americans may be looking at a return to normal life. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

After months of deserted streets and shuttered storefronts, the businesses, institutions and individuals that depend on downtown Seattle are desperate to see it come back to life, but have little certainty whether or when it can regain its earlier vitality. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

In the contest over who could make the most accurate coronavirus forecast, it was global institutions versus a guy living with his parents in Santa Clara. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, is quoted. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is mentioned.

Amid an acrid national controversy, the CDC proposed detailed criteria for returning students to classrooms. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Optimism is tempered by the fact that while case numbers have been decreasing steadily, they are still much higher than they were during the first wave. And looming over all the recent progress is the threat of more contagious coronavirus variants that are already spreading rapidly in the U.S. — along with concerns that variants could pose problems for the current round of vaccines. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Just as the United States seems to have emerged from the worst of a surge in coronavirus cases that ravaged the country for months and peaked after Americans crowded indoors for the winter holidays, public health officials are concerned about another potential superspreader date: Super Bowl Sunday. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

“Although extensive literature on leadership skills and practices already exists, here we reflect on and define the main roles of higher education leaders in the time of crisis through the lens of the ongoing global events,” write Audeliz Matias of New York Empire State College, Yoly Gonzalez and Jerusalem Rivera-Wilson of State University of New York at Buffalo, Christina Vargas of Suffolk County Community College, Dalia A. Muller of Dutchess Community College, Angela Rios of the University at Albany and Anibal Torres of SUNY Morrisville. UW President Ana Mari Cauce is mentioned.

We're all fatigued, and our resolve is slipping. But this is also the most consequential point of the coronavirus crisis so far. Susan Joslyn, associated professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Psychology Professor Shannon Dorsey explains the psychological effects of COVID-19.

A South African tip led to the discovery of mutations around the world. With infections skyrocketing, “it’s a race against time.” Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Department of Statistics faculty are featured in this article about their COVID-19 research.

For months, Jonathan Kanter, research associate professor of psychology at the UW, has been leading local and national studies on how people have been coping with quarantines and isolation. Yet he’s not doing any better than the rest of us. Adam Kuczynski, a graduate student in psychology at the UW, is mentioned.