COVID-19 News

Penn Arts & Sciences research and teaching on the pandemic and its far-reaching effects.

December 15, 2020

Virtual agents of change: How computers are mapping Covid-19’s future

Traffic planners, securities traders and military strategists all use it. Simulating the behavior of millions of idiosyncratic individuals also may be the best way to understand complex phenomena like pandemics.

Source: KNOWABLE MAGAZINE

December 10, 2020

We Know How to Curb the Pandemic. How Do We Make People Listen?

Cristina Bicchieri of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about modeling safe behavior to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “To create a new norm,” she said, “you need to build this sense that other people are following the rules.”

Source: The New York Times

December 10, 2020

Governors are persuasive on COVID and Republicans have surprising impact: Researchers

Governors can limit COVID-19 spread through persuasion and mandates, our research shows. Republicans who broke with prevailing GOP views had most impact.

Source: USA Today

November 17, 2020

Wharton Business Daily podcast features Cristina Bicchieri

Cristina Bicchieri, Penn Professor of Philosophy and Psychology and Wharton Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, joins Wharton Business Daily host Dan Loney to discuss new social norms resulting from COVID-19.

Source: Wharton on SiriusXM

November 19, 2020

Uniting against an invisible foe

Source: Penn Today

November 11, 2020

In the pandemic’s early days, a third of U.S. adults felt depressed, anxious

Source: Penn Today

October 28, 2020

The role of data in a world reshaped by COVID-19

Source: Penn Today

October 23, 2020

How have new social norms emerged as COVID-19 has spread?

Source: Penn Today

October 14, 2020

England, Wales, Scotland among nations with highest death toll from COVID-19 pandemic

Source: Penn Today

October 13, 2020

Fostering kittens, plus more side gigs for good

Source: Penn Today

October 7, 2020

When should we mind our business right now? Here’s how to decide.

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

October 2, 2020

U.S. COVID deaths may be underestimated by 36%

Source: Penn Today

September 26, 2020

Social media and COVID shaming: Fighting a toxic combination

Source: ABC News

September 22, 2020

‘Times of struggle’

Source: Penn Today

September 18, 2020

Barbara Savage sees ‘bright spots’ in her research, even in a pandemic

Source: Penn Today

September 16, 2020

Research Recovery Program supports scholars impacted by the pandemic

Source: Penn Today

September 11, 2020

Penn Vet expands timely dual degree during COVID

Source: Penn Today

August 25, 2020

The Biggest Threat to Herd Immunity Against COVID-19 May Be the Religious Freedom Restoration Act(s) and State Religious Exemptions

Source: Verdict Justia

September 9, 2020

Near birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr., a predominantly Black nursing home tries to heal after outbreak

Source: The Washington Post

September 8, 2020

Pennsylvania voting access suit could have national repercussions

Source: NBC News

September 8, 2020

Side gigs for good endure amid a pandemic

Source: Penn Today

August 31, 2020

Finding poll workers was hard before coronavirus. Now, America has a huge challenge.

Source: KYW Newsradio

August 27, 2020

Beth Simmons writes on ‘Pandemic Responses as Border Politics’

Source: Penn Today

August 27, 2020

COVID, politics, and voting by mail

Source: Penn Today

August 27, 2020

Decision-making and anxiety in the time of COVID-19

Source: Penn Today

August 18, 2020

COVID-19 Infections Rising Among Young People on US University Campuses

Source: Voice of America

August 19, 2020

In TV and cinema, pandemic lays out a field of unknowns

Source: Penn Today

August 18, 2020

Iranian, American health experts share coronavirus experiences in rare talk

Source: Penn Today

August 14, 2020

Presidential campaigning during the coronavirus crisis

Source: Penn Today

July 24, 2020

Who gets to live? How doctors make impossible decisions as COVID-19 surges

Source: National Geographic

August 12, 2020

How The Coronavirus Has Upended College Admissions

Source: NPR

August 12, 2020

Improving the quality of life in cities

Source: Penn Today

July 13, 2020

PANDEMIC SYLLABUS

Source: Public Books

August 11, 2020

Experiencing the pandemic from abroad

Source: Penn Today

August 10, 2020

Maps, pandemics, and reckoning with history

Source: Penn Today

July 31, 2020

What will sex, dating, and marriage look like on the other side of the pandemic?

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

August 1, 2020

'Reassurance That Future Is Better': What Americans Want From Leaders

Source:  NBC 10 Philadelphia

August 1, 2020

Frustration and misunderstanding: For deaf folks, masking can cause communication barriers

Source:  WHYY

July 28, 2020

Viruses don't discriminate, but health care often does

Source:  Marketplace.org 

July 21, 2020

Partisanship in the Pandemic

Source:  Penn Today

August 3, 2020

Pandemic lexicon

Source:  Penn Today

July 16, 2020

Care in crisis

Source:  Penn Today

July 14, 2020

Brazil’s coronavirus crisis

Source:  Penn Today

July 12, 2020

Some Americans refuse to mask up. Rules, fines and free masks will change that, experts say.

Source:  USA Today

July 9, 2020

Cholera vs. flu: Philadelphia’s historical epidemic successes and failures

Source: Penn Today

July 8, 2020

How Could Human Nature Have Become This Politicized?

Source: The New York Times

July 6, 2020

Major U.S. cities, gripped with crisis, now face spike in deadly shootings, including of children

Source: The Washington Post

July 2, 2020

Coding for a cause

Source: Penn Today

June 30, 2020

Japan crushed COVID-19 by masking while Trump mocks masks

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

July 1, 2020

More side gigs for good during COVID-19

Source: Penn Today

June 28, 2020

Experts See No Proof of Child-Abuse Surge Amid Pandemic

Source: The New York Times

June 29, 2020

Can College Campuses Prevent The Spread Of Covid-19 When They Reopen This Fall?

Source: Forbes

June 24, 2020

Trump's Phoenix megachurch rally proves how much faith and masks are now political

Source: NBC News “Think”

June 24, 2020

A unique recession amidst a global pandemic

Source: Penn Today

June 23, 2020

Exploring the links between jobs and health, reframed by COVID-19

Source: Penn Today

June 1, 2020

A Pandemic that Stokes Religious Hatred

Source: CASI

June 8, 2020

How Solidarity is Controlling Contagion in Kerala

Source: CASI

June 15, 2020

How Can India Soften the Blow from Remittance Dip?

Source: CASI

June 22, 2020

Indian Agriculture—if COVID-19 Hadn’t Happened

Source: CASI

June 19, 2020

Trump vs. Biden: How COVID-19 Will Affect Voting for President

Source: Scientific American

June 19, 2020

What Covid-19 Computer Models Are Telling Colleges About the Fall

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education

June 18, 2020

How Does Social Inequality Affect Government’s Ability to Deal with Covid-19?

Source: Julia Lynch writes for ITEMS (Insights from the Social Sciences)

June 11, 2020

'Superforecasters' Are Making Eerily Accurate Predictions About COVID-19. Our Leaders Could Learn From Their Approach

Source: TIME

June 10, 2020

Examining health inequities with a global lens

Source: Penn Today

June 9, 2020

Reality replaces virtual reality

Source: Penn Today

June 8, 2020

Talking positive psychology and COVID-19 with Larry King

Source: Penn Today

June 8, 2020

Research returns to campus

Source: Penn Today

May 25, 2020

Invisible Hands PHL Offering Free Delivery Of Necessities To At-Risk People Who Can’t Leave Home

Source: CBS Philadelphia

May 27, 2020

There Are 3 Things We Have to Do to Get People Wearing Masks

Source: The New York Times

May 19, 2020

What does our future look like after the pandemic? Experts provide reassurance based off history

Source: 11Alive.com

May 13, 2020

Trump Is Staking Out His Own Universe of ‘Alternative Facts’

Source:The New York Times

May 19, 2020

Facing Adulthood With an Economic Disaster’s Lasting Scars

Source:The New York Times

May 18, 2020

How the pandemic is changing medicine

Source: The Hill

May 29, 2020

Bridging the communication divide for Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities

Source: Penn Today

May 27, 2020

Education Is a Team Sport

Source: Inside Higher Ed

May 28, 2020

Right-Wing Radio Reaches Tens Of Millions. Its Coronavirus Conspiracies Are Out Of Control.

Source: Huffington Post

May 27, 2020

Literary characters as masks: A reflection on identity during a pandemic

Source: Penn Today

May 11, 2020

Covid-19 Has Worsened the Student Mental-Health Crisis. Can Resilience Training Fix It?

Source: Chronicle of Higher Education

May 11, 2020

Women already do most domestic work. The coronavirus makes that gap worse

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

May 15, 2020

Personal documentaries replace performing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Source: Penn Today

May 15, 2020

Connecting communities impacted by COVID-19

Source: Penn Today

May 18, 2020

Negative financial shock increase older adults’ loneliness

Source: Penn Today

May 16, 2020

Wisconsin judge’s ‘regular folks’ remark shows how pandemic exposes classism

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

May 19, 2020

US births fall, and virus could drive them down more

Source: Associated Press

May 19, 2020

Are There Zombie Viruses — Like The 1918 Flu — Thawing In The Permafrost?

Source: NPR

May 19, 2020

Taiwan’s Tsai to Tread Cautiously on Cross-Strait Relations at Inauguration: Experts

Source: Voice of America

May 20, 2020

What Will Life Be Like at Post-COVID Colleges and Universities?

Source: Inside Higher Ed

May 22, 2020

Do political beliefs affect social distancing?

Source: Penn Today

May 22, 2020

Phase One Frenzies; Provocative Predictions; The Bread Boom

Source: Connecticut Public Radio

May 11, 2020

The Decrease in India’s Air Pollution During COVID-19

Source: CASI

May 27, 2020

The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually

Source: Penn Today

May 25, 2020

In India’s COVID-19 Response, Minimize Errors of Exclusion

May 11, 2020

A conversation with author Angela Duckworth on getting grittier to survive COVID-19

Angela Duckworth, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology
gives some advice on ways drum up the courage and resolve to cope during the pandemic.

May 11, 2020

Regional Roundup

David Barnes, associate professor of history and sociology of science at the University of Pennsylvania joined WHYY’s Regional Roundup to discuss a Philadelphia-area quarantine hospital that was used in different pandemics centuries ago.

Source: WHYY

May 11, 2020

At home, but still engaged with STEM classes

While instructional laboratories on campus are closed, students, faculty, and instructors are finding creative solutions for science, math, and engineering courses and projects.

Source: PENN TODAY

May 7, 2020

Diagnosing Russia’s COVID-19 response

Despite the Russian government’s assertions that it has the COVID-19 crisis under control, the outbreak is in the beginning stages in the country and three experts says Vladimir Putin’s political fate may rest on how he responds to the crisis.

Source: PENN TODAY

May 5, 2020

Out of Their Elements

Chemistry faculty adapt to working remotely as the coronavirus stifles lab activity.

Source: OMNIA

May 5, 2020

Coming together to solve the many scientific mysteries of COVID-19

Putting some of their regular research projects on the back burner, researchers around Penn are digging into unknowns about the novel coronavirus from their deep and varied perspectives.

Source: PENN TODAY

May 5, 2020

Engaging with the climate crisis, online

Across a quartet of digital platforms, including one for this week’s Climate Sensing and Data Storytelling convening, the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities is encouraging public engagement and the pairing of environmental art and science on climate issues.

Source: PENN TODAY

May 5, 2020

Wastes of war

What qualifies as a war, and how does the waste created by war transform the social and physical environment? Historian Anne Berg’s class looks at these two seemingly disconnected concepts.

Source: PENN TODAY

May 5, 2020

Pa. Republicans and Democrats disagree on reopening the economy, but there is a lot they do agree on, survey says

Daniel Hopkins, a Professor of Political Science, recently wrote a report to evaluate if people supported policies like shutting down businesses and ordering everyone to stay at home.

May 4, 2020

‘Rooted in fear’

David Barnes, Associate Professor of History and Sociology of Science, and Ramah McKay, Assistant Professor of History and Sociology of Science, discuss the historical association of disease, shame, and social stigma.

Source: PENN TODAY

May 4, 2020

Cities and states need aid — but also oversight

Brent Cebul, Assistant Professor of History, recently co-authored an opinion piece saying states need oversight, recalling that federal funding during and after the New Deal ended up hurting cities because of who spent it and how.

May 2, 2020

Did Closing Schools Actually Help?

Robert Aronowitz, Walter H. and Leonore C. Annenberg Professor in the Social Sciences, was quoted in the New York Times in an article regarding school closings during the coronavirus pandemic. 

May 1, 2020

With support from parents, teens forge a path to handle social distancing

Sara Jaffe, a Professor of Psychology, explains that teens have a deep-seated need to be with their friends, but with the help of their parents they can learn to effectively socially distance during the pandemic. 

Source: PENN TODAY

April 29, 2020

COVID-19 hackathon

The Penn Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies hosted its first-ever virtual hackathon earlier this month, tapping both undergraduate and graduate students to tackle real-world, real-time datasets about the coronavirus crisis.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 28, 2020

As society looks for a ‘new normal,’ is antibody testing a way forward?

Jonathan Moreno, David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Ethics, along with other Penn experts discussed the limitations of commercial antibody tests, how scientists are assessing the true scale of COVID-19 infections, and what studies are being done to see who might now be immune to the novel coronavirus.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 27, 2020

Community in the Time of COVID-19: Pathways for a New Normal in Indian Humanitarianism

Supriya Roychoudhury, a political geographer and analyst at the Margaret Anstee Centre for Global Studies, Newnham College, University of Cambridge, argues that internationalism and domestic attentiveness should be the new Indian humanitarianism.

April 27, 2020

Pandemics and presidential elections

Rogers Smith, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science, discussed what could happen if the nation is in a national shutdown come Election Day in November.  

Source: PENN TODAY

April 24, 2020

Iran, sanctions, and coronavirus

The United States has faced pressure to ease sanctions to help Iran manage its coronavirus outbreak. Ciruce Movahedi-Lankarani, a doctoral candidate in history, discusses how the sanctions have played into Iran’s energy development and complicated its management of the viral outbreak.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 24, 2020

Alex Chen’s lessons from Ebola

Alex Chen, a doctoral candidate in anthropology, studies emerging disease preparedness.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 23, 2020

Commercial Burglaries and Other Crimes Rise in Philly During Coronavirus Crisis

Richard Berk, Professor of Criminology, was recently quoted in a Philly Magazine article about the increased crime rate in Philadelphia following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: PHILLY MAG

April 23, 2020

The Narikuravars’ Quest for Political Engagement in Perambalur During COVID-19

Cristina-Ioana Dragomir, a 2016 CASI Visiting Scholar, emphasizes that traditionally nomadic communities need the help of local and regional governments to ensure their survival through the pandemic.

April 23, 2020

Inequities in COVID-19 are tragic but preventable

Courtney Boen, Assistant Professor of Sociology, recently co-authored an opinion article in The Hill about the health inequalities that have resulted from the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: THE HILL

April 22, 2020

‘Disease knows no borders’

From the history of science to medical anthropology, governance, and economics, Penn experts look at the history of global health from different perspectives to see what the future may hold.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 20, 2020

The COVID-19 Crisis and Afghan Refugees in India

Chayanika Saxena, a President’s Graduate Fellow and doctoral candidate in the Department of Geography at the National University of Singapore, explains that while the coronavirus does not discriminate between the people it affects, our response to it seems to.

April 18, 2020

Long before coronavirus, Philly ran a quarantine center for another deadly contagion

David Barnes, Associate Professor of History and Sociology of Science, was quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer discussing the Lazaretto, an old health institution on the Delaware River landing.

April 17, 2020

The optimal immune repertoire for bacteria

Vijay Balasubramanian, Cathy and Marc Lasry Professor of Physics and Astronomy, is a senior author of a research report developing a physical model that describes the optimal amount of ‘memory’ of prior infections that bacteria should have in order to efficiently mount a successful immune response.

April 17, 2020

Penn labs get creative to stay productive, connected

In the face of a pandemic that has shuttered most physical laboratories across campus, researchers have maintained work and social ties through writing, virtual journal clubs, online coffee breaks, and more.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 16, 2020

Beyond Coronavirus, India’s Government Policies Need to Cope with a Larger Health and Economic Crisis

Harsha Thirumurthy, Associate Professor of Health Policy, explains that the threat of the coronavirus in India emphasizes that now is the time for a larger and longer-lasting spending plan and health sector response.

April 16, 2020

Six tips to stay calm, positive, and resilient in trying times

The situation around COVID-19 can be overwhelming, but experts from Penn’s Positive Psychology Center offer advice to get through—or at the very least, get by.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 16, 2020

Is COVID-19 infecting the relationship between the U.S. and China?

Three Penn experts say the relationship between the countries was troubled before the coronavirus pandemic, but the outbreak is exacerbating the preexisting problems.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 15, 2020

Photo Essay | From India to Kentucky, the Penn community shares its quarantine views

 The Daily Pennsylvanian published a photo essay connecting the Penn community through different sights, sounds, and perspectives from all over the world.

April 14, 2020

COVID-19 and lessons for public health

Hanming Fang, Class of 1965 Term Professor of Economics and Professor of Health Care Management, weighs in on six public health lessons from the outbreak.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 13, 2020

COVID-19 and the Importance of Improving Civil Registration in India

Aashish Gupta, a doctoral student in demography and sociology, explains that improving health data systems is the most urgent task in the domain of health for India during the pandemic.

April 12, 2020

The Coronavirus Class Divide: Space and Privacy

Stephen M. Gorn Family Assistant Professor of English, Emily Steinlight, was quoted in the New York Times relating “the peril of proximity” during the coronavirus pandemic to the works of Charles Dickens.

April 10, 2020

Every aspect of the coronavirus pandemic exposes America’s devastating inequalities

Julia Lynch, Associate Professor of Political Science who studies health inequality, was recently quoted by Vox in an article about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on “marginalized Americans”.

Source: VOX

April 9, 2020

Is India’s Public Health System Ready to Face the COVID-19 Pandemic?

T. Sundararaman, a CASI 2012 Visiting Scholar, emphasizes that India needs to strengthen it’s public health services to properly deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

April 9, 2020

Should I Shop for Groceries in Person or Order Them Online During the Coronavirus Crisis?

Jonathan Moreno, David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Ethics, was recently interviewed by Philadelphia Magazine regarding the “moral quandary” of grocery shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.

April 7, 2020

Are We Winning The War Against Coronavirus?

In this virtual discussion co-hosted by Perry World House and the German Marshall Fund of the United States, public health expert and former adviser to the Obama Administration Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel provides a status report on the fight against COVID-19. He also puts forward suggestions for next steps in a discussion with Michael Horowitz, Interim Director of Perry World House, and Karen Donfried, President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

April 7, 2020

The push for 2020 Census participation, amid a pandemic and data privacy fears

Groups across Penn are working to ensure that college students and hard-to-reach demographics get counted in the once-a-decade tally.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 7, 2020

How can hospitals address scarce resources during COVID-19?

School of Arts and Sciences political scientist and LDI Senior Fellow Julia Lynch has created guidelines for hospitals to allocate resources in times of medical scarcity.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 6, 2020

A quick pivot turns an infectious disease class into timely education

Students in David Roos’ biology course had been studying pandemics. Now they’re learning in real time how public health scientists attempt to understand COVID-19.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 6, 2020

Civilian Technologists Should Assist the State During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Shashank Srinivasan, founder of Technology for Wildlife, talks about the need for civilian technologists to ensure their worker is being used for the good of the nation and not to press people.

How to free up your mind to do what you can - wherever you are

Martin Seligman, Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology, talks about a lesson to be learned by all students during a shutdown.

Rev. William Barber: This pandemic spreads through the fissures of our society

Dorothy Roberts, George A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology, along with Co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign Rev. William Barber, and activist Sally Kohn offer solutions to the soaring poverty caused by coronavirus.

Source: MSNBC

Could the coronavirus crisis change how we vote, and how politicians campaign?

Political Science Professor Marc Meredith broke down how the coronavirus pandemic might impact voter turnout, campaigning, and the Presidential election later this year.

Source: KYW IN DEPTH

Human rights during the coronavirus pandemic

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, former United Nations high commissioner for human rights, spoke to PWH interim director Michael Horowitz about the importance of centering human rights and about holding governments accountable in a time of pandemic.

Source: PENN TODAY

April 2, 2020

OMNIA Q&A: COVID-19 Outcomes

Kok-Chor Tan, Professor of Philosophy, says the ways in which individuals are affected by the pandemic are a result of a complex tapestry of economic, social, and cultural factors.

March 31, 2020

The Great Depression, the New Deal, and how disasters change politics

History professor Brent Cebul talks about lessons politicians can take from the Great Depression and the New Deal and how disasters like the current pandemic can change politics.

Source: Penn Today

March 31, 2020

Why Asian-American racism is rampant during the coronavirus

Professor of English Josephine Park discusses the history of Asian-American racism in the U.S. and how it connects to today’s use of ‘Chinese virus’ to describe COVID-19.

Source: Penn Today

March 30, 2020

The legal history of epidemics in America

Sarah Barringer Gordon, the Arlin M. Adams Professor of Constitutional Law and Professor of History, offers a commentary on American political responses to epidemics past.

Source: Penn Today

March 30, 2020

No, it's not public health versus the economy

Jonathan Moreno, David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Ethics, examines the relationship between public health principles and economic growth.

March 27, 2020

As Coronavirus Surges, Crime Declines in Some Cities

John MacDonald, Professor of Criminology, comments on how the pandemic is affecting crime rates.

March 26, 2020

How Philly’s neighborhoods can help us understand pandemics

David Barnes of the School of Arts & Sciences, Eugenie Birch of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, and Susan Wachter of the Wharton School weighed in on how Philadelphia has historically handled epidemics, how these approaches have shaped the city over time, and what can be done now to manage COVID-19.

Source: WHYY

March 26, 2020

Science/Fiction

“When times get bad,” says Aylin Malcolm, “the medieval world seems more relevant than ever.”
March 26, 2020

A Global Cinema Watch-List

Julia Alekseyeva, Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies, shares her list of the best works of global cinema available on Netflix.

March 25, 2020

Penn Pandemic Diary

In the coming weeks, Perry World House will post regular entries in a “Penn Pandemic Diary” that will record what undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows from around Penn are seeing and feeling during the historic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. 

March 22, 2020

Wuhan Lockdown Halted Spread of Coronavirus Across China

Hanming Fang, Class of 1965 Term Professor of Economics, and colleagues have released a working paper showing that the lockdown of the city of Wuhan played a crucial role in reducing cases of COVID-19 in other Chinese cities and halting the spread of the virus.

Source: Penn LDI
March 17, 2020

In Ohio, a Republican governor has taken aggressive steps to contain coronavirus before becoming an outbreak hotspot

Julia Lynch, Associate Professor of Political Science, discusses the national coordinated policy response to the pandemic.

Human rights during the coronavirus pandemic

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, former United Nations high commissioner for human rights, spoke to PWH interim director Michael Horowitz about the importance of centering human rights and about holding governments accountable in a time of pandemic.

 

Source: PENN TODAY

April 6, 2020

Civilian Technologists Should Assist the State During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Shashank Srinivasan, founder of Technology for Wildlife, talks about the need for civilian technologists to ensure their worker is being used for the good of the nation and not to press people.

April 2, 2020

OMNIA Q&A: COVID-19 Outcomes

Kok-Chor Tan, Professor of Philosophy, says the ways in which individuals are affected by the pandemic are a result of a complex tapestry of economic, social, and cultural factors.

March 31, 2020

The Great Depression, the New Deal, and how disasters change politics

History professor Brent Cebul talks about lessons politicians can take from the Great Depression and the New Deal and how disasters like the current pandemic can change politics.

Source: Penn Today

March 31, 2020

Why Asian-American racism is rampant during the coronavirus

Professor of English Josephine Park discusses the history of Asian-American racism in the U.S. and how it connects to today’s use of ‘Chinese virus’ to describe COVID-19.

Source: Penn Today

March 30, 2020

The legal history of epidemics in America

Sarah Barringer Gordon, the Arlin M. Adams Professor of Constitutional Law and Professor of History, offers a commentary on American political responses to epidemics past.

Source: Penn Today

March 30, 2020

No, it's not public health versus the economy

Jonathan Moreno, David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Ethics, examines the relationship between public health principles and economic growth.

March 27, 2020

As Coronavirus Surges, Crime Declines in Some Cities

John MacDonald, Professor of Criminology, comments on how the pandemic is affecting crime rates.

March 26, 2020

How Philly’s neighborhoods can help us understand pandemics

David Barnes of the School of Arts & Sciences, Eugenie Birch of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, and Susan Wachter of the Wharton School weighed in on how Philadelphia has historically handled epidemics, how these approaches have shaped the city over time, and what can be done now to manage COVID-19.

Source: WHYY

March 26, 2020

Science/Fiction

“When times get bad,” says Aylin Malcolm, “the medieval world seems more relevant than ever.”
March 26, 2020

A Global Cinema Watch-List

Julia Alekseyeva, Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies, shares her list of the best works of global cinema available on Netflix.
March 22, 2020

Wuhan Lockdown Halted Spread of Coronavirus Across China

Hanming Fang, Class of 1965 Term Professor of Economics, and colleagues have released a working paper showing that the lockdown of the city of Wuhan played a crucial role in reducing cases of COVID-19 in other Chinese cities and halting the spread of the virus.

Source: Penn LDI
March 17, 2020

In Ohio, a Republican governor has taken aggressive steps to contain coronavirus before becoming an outbreak hotspot

Julia Lynch, Associate Professor of Political Science, discusses the national coordinated policy response to the pandemic.