Coronavirus Research

hand holding a smartphone in a public transit station tracking human images on the screen in red or green indicating covid exposure

Cell phone location used to estimate COVID-19 growth rates

Cell phone location data shows that in counties where activity declined at workplaces and increased at home, coronavirus infection rates were lower.

Penn Medicine helps power international COVID-19 data consortium

An international consortium involving Penn researchers pools electronic health record data from around the world to discover clinical insights about COVID-19.

Cellphone tracking can help predict pandemic’s spread

Joshua Baker of the Perelman School of Medicine authored a study that found that counties with greater declines in workplace cellphone activity during stay-at-home orders had lower COVID-19 rates. “This analysis supports the incorporation of anonymized cellphone location data into modeling strategies to predict at-risk counties across the U.S. before outbreaks become too great,” he said.

closeup view of gloved hand holding a vial and pipette in a medical lab.

Existing drugs like statins may be promising COVID-19 treatments

Commentary by two Penn researchers outline a systematic framework for repurposing existing drugs to quickly find new therapies, after an observational study suggested statins may be helpful in combating COVID-19.

COVID-19 ‘long haulers’ face uncertain future

A Penn clinic run by Robert Kotloff of the Perelman School of Medicine is studying and treating patients with persistent COVID-19 symptoms.

Beauty and the mask: People who wear face masks rated ‘far more attractive,’ study finds

David Sarwer of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about research he helped conduct about perceptions of mask wearing. “For people who might self-conscious or concerned about how they look in a mask when they go in the public, we now have evidence that says, in reality, people are going to see you as more attractive,” he said.

3-D graphic rendering of the human body surrounded by a large transparent virus cell.

COVID-101: Medical students get a crash course in coronavirus

When physicians-in-training at the Perelman School of Medicine were sent home for remote work and virtual learning due to the pandemic, 80 fourth-year students immersed themselves in a crash course on COVID-19 virology, epidemiology, therapies, vaccines, and related topics.

A hand in a medical glove is see holding a face mask with the words "Mask Tehran."

Iranian, American health experts share coronavirus experiences in rare talk

The coronavirus crisis and the move to online events presented Penn’s Middle East Center with a rare opportunity to foster the first public conversation about the virus between senior health officials in Iran and counterparts in the United States.

Can dogs detect the novel coronavirus? The nose knows, scientists hope

Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine and A.T. Charlie Johnson of the School of Engineering and Applied Science spoke about how trained dogs and electronic sensors can use scent to detect illness.

Uncovering the neurological connections to COVID-19

A variety of research efforts across Penn are working to uncover the neurological implications of COVID-19, including stroke, neuroinflammation, and loss of smell.

Filters