March 2020    
         
         
 
     
     
  Special issue: COVID-19  
     
     
  With so much media coverage devoted to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease it causes (COVID-19), it's easy to get overwhelmed. But information and preparation are powerful antidotes to anxiety, so this supplemental issue offers a selection of stories and resources as a place to begin.  
     
     
  Start by visiting UChicagoMedicine.org/Coronavirus, a trusted source for answers to your questions about the novel coronavirus and late-breaking updates.  
     
     
 
  NOTE: This is a rapidly developing situation, and the information is accurate at the time of writing.  
 
     
 
     
   
 
     
  This illustration shows the crown-like spikes that give coronaviruses their name. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness now named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). (Illustration courtesy CDC/ Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMS)  
     
 
     
 
     
 
     
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Oregon Public Broadcasting offers a broad and accessible primer on COVID-19.
 
     
     
     
     
 
     
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Epidemiologists are telling us to "flatten the curve." What does that mean?
 
     
     
     
     
 
     
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Based on a preliminary study, SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious on surfaces up to 72 hours. Here is the EPA's list of registered products effective against the virus. NOTE: In this context, "ammonia-based products" means quaternary ammonium, like the active ingredient in Clorox wipes, not ammonium hydroxide, the household ammonia found in Windex glass cleaner, which is not listed by the EPA as a disinfectant.
 
     
     
     
     
 
     
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Garlic and colloidal silver do not destroy the coronavirus. Vampires on the other hand ...
 
     
     
     
     
 
     
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Johns Hopkins University created an interactive map showing the effects of the coronavirus in real time. NOTE: No downloads are required to view this map. Hackers and cybercriminals have been leveraging the pandemic; one phishing scam involves the Johns Hopkins map. If you think you are a victim of a scam or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, report it.
 
     
     
     
     
 
     
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At Argonne National Laboratory, scientists are studying how the novel coronavirus works so that drugs can be developed to stop it.
 
     
     
     
     
 
     
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UChicago pathologist Shu-Yuan Xiao talks about his risky decision to stay in Wuhan, China, and help triage patients.
 
     
     
     
     
 
     
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Researchers provide an early glimpse of the pathology of lung infection from the coronavirus.
 
     
     
     
     
 
     
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Booth professor Chang-Tai Hsieh discusses the outbreak's possible economic impact on China and beyond in a February Big Brains podcast episode.
 
     
     
     
     
 
     
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A health care journalist tells how to ask the right questions about the coronavirus--and how to spot misleading statements in the news.
 
     
 
 
     
  Visit UChicagoMedicine.org/Coronavirus for COVID-19 updates, useful FAQs, and recommended precautions.  
     
 
     
 
     
  Support the UChicago Medicine
COVID-19 Response Funds.


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