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Coronavirus Coverage

UA COVID-19 Test Tracker

Daily (9/25)
944 31 3.3%
Total (8/4)
35,583 2,255 6.3%
Includes tests since August 4, 2020
Data from https://covid19.arizona.edu/updates
Updated September 25, 2020

New study finds less than 10% of Americans have antibodies against novel coronavirus

By Amit Syal

Now nearly seven months into the global pandemic, the world has seen a wide gamut of strategies to battling the coronavirus. In Sweden, the futile attempt to induce herd immunity led to a sharp increase in the number of deaths nationwide. In the U.S., despite nearly 7.5 documented infections and over 200,000 reported deaths, a new study published in The Lancet on Sept. 25 found that under 10% of Americans have antibodies against the coronavirus. Read more

Heart-throbbing: Are patients having heart problems post-COVID-19?

By Annie Gao | 09/24/2020 10:18pm

Researchers in Germany discovered something odd about the aftereffects of COVID-19, not when the spread of the virus first started stirring global panic, but rather months down the line. The possibility of a heart condition, myocarditis, was found at alarmingly high rates in an MRI imaging study of 100 people who had been recently infected with the coronavirus. 

Letter to the Editor: Responses to "Why the COVID-19 antibody test is useless on campus" from scientists who created the antibody test

By Guest Authors: Janko Nikolich-Zugich, MD, PhD; Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD; Ryan Sprissler, PhD | 09/22/2020 12:51am

As the scientists whose labs developed the [University of Arizona] antibody test for exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, we read with interest the opinion piece by Andrea Moreno last week in the Daily Wildcat (OPINION: Why the COVID-19 Antibody Test is Useless on Campus). We would like to offer our thoughts on exactly how the test is useful on campus.

Hablas Español? Spanish in an evolving medical stage

By Andres Diaz | 09/14/2020 7:33am

At its core, the medical profession is founded on human connections. Long before the advent of modern medicine, let alone a relative understanding of science and the human body, care revolved around relationships, trust, and human touch.

Stuck at home and bored? Start making your own masks

By Johnnie Mitchell | 09/13/2020 8:23pm

For those searching for a DIY quarantine activity, making your own masks may be the solution. Mask-making is a fun activity that goes a long way toward preventing the need to quarantine, helping the environment and allowing people to do everyday activities safely.

OPINION: Not a matter of if, but when

By Ian Tisdale | 09/02/2020 2:54pm

As students return to university campuses in the promise that it will be safe from COVID-19, outbreaks skyrocket due to parties and gatherings off-campus, which leaves students of the University of Arizona wondering what to expect.

A poopy situation: The proactive use of wastewater testing as a leading indicator of infection

By Amit Syal | 09/01/2020 11:48am

Last week, to the surprise of many around the country, the University of Arizona announced that it was able to use wastewater testing to mitigate a potential future outbreak of COVID-19. When a sample of wastewater came back positive from the Likins Residence Hall, the UA tested all of the dorm's 311 residents and found two asymptomatic students who tested positive and were immediately quarantined.

CDC reverses 'very concerning' guidelines regarding who test for COVID-19

By Amit Syal | 09/18/2020 11:01am

Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention modified its guidance regarding who to test for COVID-19 — a move that has sparked controversy from those in the scientific community. The agency said that people who are asymptomatic do not need to be tested for COVID-19 when that same cohort of individuals make up nearly half of those who are infected, according to that same agency.

Childhood vaccination rates drop to alarmingly low rates amidst global pandemic

By Amit Syal | 08/24/2020 11:34pm

The U.S. is now over five months into a devastating battle with seemingly no end in sight.  As of Aug. 24, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken over 180,000 confirmed lives and infected about 6 million individuals. On top of this, a latent issue could be rising to the surface as schools across the country are in the process of reopening: a stark drop in childhood vaccination rates.

FDA announces emergency use authorization of convalescent plasma therapy

By Amit Syal | 08/24/2020 3:02am

On Sunday, Aug. 23, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced an emergency use authorization of convalescent plasma therapy to help treat COVID-19. An emergency use authorization from the FDA does not require the same level of evidence as full FDA approval however, it increases the availability of a given therapy and "allows FDA to help strengthen the nation’s public health protections."

Round two: Cracking some common myths about COVID-19

By Amit Syal | 08/21/2020 10:01am

Schools across the country are in the midst of deciding whether to stick with online classes or move to in-person instruction. With all that has happened this year, confusion and misinformation have been all too widespread. As of Aug. 20, there have been nearly 6 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States, according to The New York Times. Here are 10 different pieces of fact and fiction about COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus strain.