The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/category/science/)
In a Zoom call initially addressed to family and friends, Weill Cornell fellow of pulmonology, Dr. David Price, has attempted to dispel some of the public confusion regarding the virus. Since being reposted online the video has garnered nearly four million views. Working at one of the epicenters of the pandemic — New York City — and specializing in patients with respiratory illnesses in the intensive care unit, Price is uniquely positioned to speak about COVID-19.
When Dr. Anthony Fauci did not appear at a White House news conference on March 18, “Where is Dr. Fauci” began trending on Twitter — proving to many that Fauci has become one of the U.S.’s most trusted voices in the fight against the progressing COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 15, Provost Michael Kotlikoff and Vice Provost Emmanuel Gianellis alerted principal investigators and researchers in an email that the majority of on campus research activities would be restricted.
For some, this suspension could result in significant delays in conducting experiments and publishing papers. But it remains unclear how this halt in research will affect the long term projects of laboratories or the degree progress of graduate students.
COVID-19 is placing unprecedented pressure on the U.S. health system, with medical professionals and supplies in high demand. As New York State faces a potential shortage of respirators and intensive care unit beds due to the exponential rise in coronavirus cases, healthcare systems may have to answer the difficult question: Who receives care when there isn’t enough for everyone?
For over 50 years, Cornell has made astronomical contributions in the ongoing efforts to explore and understand the mysterious inner workings of Earth’s rust-colored neighbor, Mars. In honor of these decades of research and discovery, The Sun illuminates the achievements of Cornellians past, present and future in their tireless expedition towards revealing the secrets of the Red Planet.
Severe estimates of COVID-19’s spread have sent hospitals, like Cayuga Medical, scrambling to prepare for a sudden influx of patients.
For instance, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean Kathryn Boor sent an email to CALS faculty on the morning of March 16, alerting them that Cayuga Medical anticipated likely needing three different variants of swabs.
New York State put into effect a new plastic bag ban on March 1 that aims to reduce high levels of plastic consumption and mitigate environmental hazards, such as water and air pollution from plastic disposal. The new ban prohibits any distribution of plastic bags by any establishment that collects New York State tax unless it is an exempt bag — bags used for pharmacy prescriptions or produce bags used for fruits and vegetables. Although many states like New York have policies in place to limit the overuse of single-use plastics, the production of plastic still continues to be a looming issue. It is projected that by 2028, the mass production of plastics will increase by more than 40 percent. “Until we are talking about limiting plastic production, we still are going to be pushing the problem around into different places without really addressing what’s going on here,” said Ph.D. student Bethany Jorgensen, department of natural resources.
While Tompkins County has no confirmed cases of COVID-19, New York City —the location of both Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Tech — is in the epicenter of an outbreak with more than 300 cases between New York City and nearby Westchester County.
Undergraduate students in the biological sciences honors program were informed on Wednesday afternoon that they will officially not be allowed to work in laboratories starting March 28, the deadline the University set after which all classes must be held online. As a part of the honors program, students conduct novel, independent research and then write a formal honors thesis in a specific field of study. As a result of the disruption, participants should plan to collect as much data as possible before spring break, according to an email sent by Laura Schoenle, coordinator of undergraduate research and honors. Even though aspects of the course will be cut short, students enrolled in Biology 4990: Independent Research in Biology, will receive full credit. “If you are enrolled in BIOG 4990, you will be able to receive full credit for the course, as we will have passed the 60% time point in the semester when we reach spring break,” Schoenle wrote in an email to biological sciences honors students.
Minutes after Cornell officially announced that classes would go virtual after spring break, professors dissected the severity of the COVID-19 epidemic while offering steps that students and travelers could take to prevent further infections.
New York state has reported 142 confirmed cases of COVID-19, as of Monday noon. With the number of reported cases on the rise, Cornell professors are bracing themselves for the possibility of class cancellations.