While a COVID-19 vaccine could be available in a matter of weeks, offering much-needed hope at the end of a grim and challenging year, a University of Maryland expert urges public health leaders and other authorities to begin communicating about the approval process and the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness right away.

Children and families across Maryland and throughout the United States are grappling with the challenges and necessity of virtual learning required by the Covid-19 pandemic. But Black, Latino, and low-income children face starker difficulties and may be at risk of falling behind or disengaging from school entirely. Inequities that existed before the pandemic have become even deeper and difficult to bridge. 

Importance of moving activities outdoors and ensuring proper ventilation indoors stressed, as experts urge science community to clarify definitions

New research exposes full spectrum of misinformation online, reveals even well meaning vaccine proponents can spread misleading information

Climate change affects the timing of spring and is leading to an increase in asthma hospitalizations , according to a new study led by Amir Sapkota of the University of Maryland School of Public Health. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), is the first to provide quantitative data on the connection between climate change, changes in plant phenology and asthma hospitalizations.

Plant phenology is the study of periodic plant cycles and how seasonal and yearly variations in climate influence them.

A new publication in PLoS Pathogens by an international team of investigators shows that flu virus might spread via air rather than through contact and large droplet spray, as commonly thought. A large part of the evidence about how respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 are transmitted comes from research on influenza. These new data provide more support for the recommendation by scientists that we include precautions against airborne spread of Covid-19 to have an impact on slowing infection rates.

After Push by UMD Researcher, WHO Changes Course/New Recommendations Acknowledge Possibility of Airborne Transmission

A high-profile campaign led in part by a University of Maryland infectious disease expert moved the World Health Organization (WHO) to acknowledge the novel coronavirus may remain airborne indoors and infect people through breathing.

Staying active can help older people prevent depression while following the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, according to a new University of Maryland School of Public Health study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. The study is the first to examine the association between physical activity levels and mental health symptoms in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We, the undersigned members of LGBTQ+ Students and Allies in Public Health (LGBTQ-SAPH), strongly denounce police brutality and impunity against Black communities and, more broadly, racism and white supremacy in all their societal manifestations. We unequivocally express our support of the Black community, and all other communities of color demanding justice.

A new University of Maryland study assessed the impact of a program focused on increasing access to birth control among women in Delaware. Called Delaware Contraceptive Access Now (DelCAN), this initiative between the reproductive-health nonprofit Upstream USA and the state of Delaware launched in 2015. The program aims to give all women of reproductive age, regardless of insurance or ability to pay, same-day access to the full range of contraceptive methods at low or no cost.