COVID-19 FEATURED STORIES
Minnesota Medical School launches COVID-19 vaccine trial
The research seeks to understand if an association exists between normal microbiomes, or communities of microorganisms, and better health outcomes for pregnant women and their infants with a SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19.
The study seeks to understand how various family-level characteristics, such as household structure or socioeconomic status, might impact a family’s ability to navigate the various challenges brought on by the pandemic.
The network is a major component of the National Cancer Institute’s response to the pandemic and is included in an emergency Congressional appropriation of $306 million to the Institute “to develop, validate, improve and implement serological testing and associated technologies.”
COVID-19 stunted access to healthcare for millions of people, particularly those who were already underserved. Many battling opioid use disorder (OUD) were suddenly thrown into an uncertain healthcare situation. Thankfully, telemedicine initiatives have been implemented to try and keep care accessible for those who need it most.
The final results will be a quantitative assessment of cognition and will have potential to translate into clinical utility in the future.
Two faculty members at the University of Minnesota Medical School lead a team contributing to an international study that hopes to answer a question about COVID-19 — what genetic factors, if any, lead to or protect against severe COVID-19 outcomes for patients under the age of 50 with no known pre-existing conditions?
As misinformation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, U of M researchers look for ways to reach the Twin Cities’ most vulnerable populations who may not know or have access to trusted providers. In an attempt to combat current miscommunications, the researchers will test different kinds of communication methods, in different languages, that will optimize public health messaging for at-risk Somali, Latino and Hmong elders and community members in the Twin Cities area.
More Minnesotans are turning to lakes and beaches for recreational fun as a safer alternative during the COVID-19 pandemic. To study how safe, though, a researcher from the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus is testing the surface water on the shores of eight Duluth beaches for the presence of SARS-CoV-2.
In the early months of the pandemic, the Center for Resuscitation Medicine developed an online, 30-minute CPR curriculum using the Zoom platform. In the 30-minute class, participants learn the basic techniques and importance of life-saving hands-only CPR.
The Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility is partnering with the Medical and Surgical Skills Institute in Ghana to convert existing courses to online platforms and develop new COVID-19 and primary care courses.
In order to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in breast milk, researchers will test maternal breast milk samples from women for viral RNA. They will also test for the virus’ presence in the infant serum, or blood, on a weekly basis.
Early study results show that apilimod is five times more effective in treating cell cultures with COVID-19 compared to remdesivir.
The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) recently began processing human COVID samples, increasing the University's testing capacity. The VDL is one of many facilities on campus dedicated to COVID-19 testing, and one of 12 accredited veterinary diagnostic labs across the U.S. that are also testing human samples.
Researchers are examining the protective role that common PDE5 inhibitor medications might play during COVID-19 infection. If proven, these medications could potentially lead to milder symptoms, fewer hospitalizations, and quicker recoveries in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing heart and lung diseases.