Public Health | Penn Today

Person wearing full protective gear including latex gloves, goggles, hood and full protective medical gown.

COVID-19 and lessons for public health

Six lessons for public health in the U.S. during the fight against COVID-19.

Penn’s wellness goals reach far and wide, together or apart

In just a few weeks, Student Health Service, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Campus Health revamped almost entirely, providing a full array of support for students on and off campus.

Two large and three small temporary tents outside the Emergency Department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn ED tents ready for COVID-19 surge

The aim of the temporary structures is to identify and sort patients before they enter the hospitals. Those with mild symptoms can get tested and sent home, leaving the space inside for more severe cases.

Tracking those $1,200 checks

Susan B. Sorenson of the School of Social Policy & Practice spoke about the pandemic’s effect on women in abusive relationships, particularly in light of a surge in gun sales.

As nation stays home, early indicators suggest rise in domestic violence killings

Susan B. Sorenson of the School of Social Policy & Practice commented on the uptick in gun purchases during the coronavirus pandemic. “A lot of gun purchases are motivated by fear,” she said. “People are being told to stay in their homes, that thousands of people will die, and that this may go on for an extended period ... It is completely understandable to be afraid.”

Bike food delivery courier wearing a protective face mask while riding through NYC empty streets

Is the U.S. winning the war against COVID-19?

Ezekiel J. Emanuel, vice provost for global initiatives, gave a sobering update on how the United States is doing in the fight against COVID-19, saying the country needs to be prepared to battle the new coronavirus for about 18 months.

The new faces of Type 1 diabetes

Researchers at Penn identified a significant increase in Type 1 diabetes diagnoses in black children in Philadelphia between 1985 and 2009. “When we think about chronic disease, diabetes is one that has potentially very high health-care costs and high cost in terms of quality of life,” said Terri Lipman of the School of Nursing.

To house the homeless, agencies turn to vacant hotels

Dennis Culhane of the School of Social Policy & Practice spoke about homeless people struggling during the pandemic. “Our primary strategy for prevention and containment is, basically, sheltering in place and quarantine,” he said. “Neither of these things are really effective options for people who are either living unsheltered or in what are typically pretty densely populated shelters.”

Polarizing tweets by Russian trolls on vaccination targeted groups in 2016

During the 2016 election cycle, politically polarizing tweets about vaccination included pro- and anti-vaccination messages targeted at people with specific political inclinations by Russian trolls using an assortment of fake persona types, according to a recent study.

Person praying in front of a crowd in China with mask down around their chin, people wearing masks walk around them, outside a temple.

Human rights during the coronavirus pandemic

During a virtual event at Perry World House, 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.

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