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University of Nebraska Medical Center

COVID-19 Updates & Resources

 

 

COVID-19 Updates | COVID-19 Resources

 Recent News

COVID-19 Updates

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UNMC’s Global Center for Health Security leadership team meets weekly (biweekly starting in June 2023) with local and state public health representatives to review and discuss new COVID-19 developments and other infectious disease challenges. James V. Lawler, MD, MPH, FIDSA, provides an overview of new data, developments, and updates on a local, state, national, and international level. These updates have been recorded and are available below for informational purposes. Watch the recordings here. 

COVID-19 Resources 

 
 

Recent News

Stay up to date with current and recent COVID-19 news. You can also subscribe to the weekly Transmission Newsletter for weekly updates on COVID-19 and other emerging pathogens and outbreaks. 

 

COVID-19 Updates

Date Subject
11/28/23 Hodgepodge: Upsurge of respiratory illnessess among Children in Northern China, Mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs, Recent data of respiratory illness activity, and Long COVID in the US 
11/14/23 Lessons Learned from COVID-19: Lockdowns & More 
10/31/23 New COVID-19 Strain: JN.1 
10/17/23 Recent Data & Outlook on the Tripledemic: COVID-19, RSV, and Influenza
10/3/23 Breakdown of Data of Recent National Statistics Report- Mortality by COVID Vaccination Status 
9/19/23 Updates on COVID-19 boosters, Prevalence of COVID symptoms, and Long Covid. 
9/5/23 Study: COVID-19 & Vaccination in An Incarcerated Population | COVID-19 Updates 
8/22/23 BA.2.86 COVID Variant & Recent Wastewater Testing 
8/8/23 Current COVID-19 Variants & Trends 
7/25/23 COVID-19 Updates & Fall Outlook and Dr. Lawler's recent "Lessons Learned" 
7/11/23 Participation in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) and Findings from the N3C Rural Health Domain Team (Presentation by Jerrod Anzalone, MS)
6/27/23 Reinforcing lessons learned from COVID-19 
6/13/23 China's COVID waves, U.S. waste water, and the effects of long COVID in children
5/30/23 State of public data on COVID-19 & Marburg virus disease (Presentation by David Brett-Major, MD, PhD)
5/23/23 State of post COVID-19 syndromes in kids (Presentation by Arthur Chang, MD) 
5/16/23 Risk of death after vaccination or infection & changes in U.S. life expectancy
5/9/23 Reports: NBA & COVID | Long COVID in the UK 
5/2/23 Kids & COVID-19: A Wake Up Call? 
4/25/23 Vilobelimab Therapy for COVID-19 
4/18/23 COVID-19 & POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) 
4/11/23 Paxlovid treatment studies
4/4/23 COVID-19 Immunity |  The Rise of XBB 1.16 in India
3/28/23 New phase of the pandemic: Low levels of COVID-19 testing 
3/21/23 COVID-19 Vaccine studies
3/14/23 Studies surrounding the origin of COVID-19
3/7/23 COVID-19 Updates & Studies 
2/28/23 World tour: Updates on health emergencies  (Presentation by Lauren Sauer, MSc) 
2/21/23 Evolution of COVID-19 in free-ranging white tailed deer  (Presentation by Joseph Fauver, PhD) 
2/14/23 Marburg virus disease outbreak in Equatorial Guinea (Plus Covid Updates) 
2/7/23 All eyes on the Avian Flu (Plus Covid Updates)
1/31/23 COVID-19: Vaccine safety & effectiveness of bivalent vaccines
1/24/23 SARS-CoV-2 Variant Update (Presentation by Dr. Joseph Fauver)
1/17/23 Presence and locations of SARS-CoV-2 at autopsy
1/10/23 Bivalent vaccines vs. BQ & XBB
1/3/23 2023: New year--new dominant variant?
12/27/22 2022: A Year in Review
12/20/22 You Again 
12/13/22 What's in store for us this winter?  (Presentation by Dr. Joseph Fauver)
12/6/22 Groundhog Day
11/29/22 Triple threat
11/22/22 *No update
11/15/22 The ongoing toll of COVID-19
11/8/22 *No update
11/1/22 The winter of our discontent
10/25/22 Preventable Nebraskan deaths (Presentation by Dr. David Brett-Major)
10/18/22 Smokescreens and the actual facts
10/11/22 Navigating the Nile
10/4/22 COVID-19: Long Road Home
9/27/22 They can't hear you
9/20/22 It is not over yet
9/13/22 You can't have it: The failure to distribute effective antivirals
9/6/22 Flu
8/30/22 How did we get here? 
8/23/22 Weird Science 
8/9/22 Transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2
8/2/22 Seroprevalence in children
7/26/22 Recent observations of long COVID & of BA.5 
7/19/22 Why does vaccine protection vary? What might fall bring?
7/12/22 Variants rising faster
7/5/22 Global impact of COVID-19 vaccine on mortality
6/28/22 Let 'er rip: A failed strategy that continues to fail
6/21/22 Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine update  (Presentation by Dr. Alice Sato) 
6/14/22 REACT-1 Study
6/7/22 Post-COVID-19 conditions & prevention via vaccination (Presentation by Dr. Mark Rupp)
5/31/22 Global Monkeypox Update (Presentation by Lauren Sauer)
5/31/22 COVID-19 Update (Presentation by Dr. David Brett-Major)
5/24/22 1,000,000
5/17/22 Nebraska's COVID-19 deaths: How many were preventable? (Presentation by Dr. David Brett-Major)
5/10/22 South Africa and U.S. case trends
5/3/22 Newest variants of concern: BA.4 & BA.5 
4/26/22 Reviewing the facts: What we know about COVID-19
4/19/22 Pandemics are a team sport
4/12/22 Vaccine v. Snake Oil (aka "natural" immunity)
3/29/22 The BA.2 waiting game--will we surge or plunge?
3/22/22 BA.2: Around the world in 80 days
3/15/22 Beware the Ides of March: COVID surging in Hong Kong, China, and Western Europe; new data on the threat of BA.2 variant
3/8/22 Decoupling factor analysis
3/1/22 Hong Kong's Omicron wave swells & social media's sea of misinformation briefly recedes
2/22/22 Reinforced lessons: Mental health, vaccine reactions, and enclosed spaces/singing
2/18/22 Looking forward: Additional boosters, variants, and hospitalizations
2/15/22 Louder than a bomb: COVID-19 virions
2/11/22 The role of trust in pandemic response and infection fatality rates
2/8/22 The absurdity of removing masks in schools
2/4/22 Lies, damned lies, and statistics
2/1/22 Excess mortality during COVID-19 pandemic
1/28/22 Current Omicron status: Realizing the statistical peril before it's too late
1/25/22 Debunking myths on COVID risks & transmission among children, long COVID risks, herd immunity, and more.
1/21/22 Long COVID effects and length of recovery frequently underestimated
1/18/22 Vaccine effectiveness in pregnant women and children ages 5-18
1/14/22 Predictions of Nebraska's Omicron cases and peak 
1/11/22 The Omicron battle: No retreat, no surrender 
1/7/22 Projected Nebraska Omicron hospitalizations 
1/4/22 Principles of exponential growth: Why COVID is rapidly spreading despite vaccinations
12/28/21 U.S.: Delta recedes and Omicron emerges causing increase of pediatric hospitalizations
12/21/21 Harbingers: South Africa, the UK, and Denmark
12/17/21 Delta, Omicron, and the upcoming influenza season
12/14/21 Omicron: Why its transmissibility is more worrisome than its lethality.  
12/10/21 Post-Acute COVID Syndrome (Presentation by Dr. Andy Vasey)
12/7/21 Early Omicron data from South Africa & the UK
11/30/21 Omicron: Known facts and next-step suggestions
11/19/21 Top ten states with highest mortality rates
11/16/21 COVID-19 and influenza vaccines--reasons to get both!  (Presentation by Dr. Mark Rupp)
11/12/21 COVID-19 Pandemic Comparison
11/9/21 Latest COVID-19 case counts
11/5/21 Portugal's Success against COVID-19
11/2/21 VAERS: Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (always subject to bias)
10/29/21 Studies: COVID-19 Vaccination and Non-COVID-19 Mortality Risk, first responders' risk of COVID-19 Infection, and SSRI use to treat COVID-19
10/26/21 Study results of children's vaccinations
10/22/21 Mixing and matching vaccines for boosters
10/19/21 COVID-19 was a leading cause of (unnecessary) deaths in Sept. '21
10/15/21 Vaccine vs. natural immunity and an update about the Moderna booster (presentation by Dr. Mark Rupp)
10/12/21 Pediatric Update (presentation by Dr. Russell McCulloh)
10/8/21 Europe, the U.S. and beyond--data trends and global vaccinations
10/5/21 Pandemic fatigue on health care workers
10/1/21 Distinctions between states with high versus low vaccination rates
9/28/21 COVID-19's potential effect on the central nervous system
9/24/21 Exactly how does a vaccine get approved in the U.S.?
9/21/21 Preventable deaths...and preventive measures (presentation by Dr. David Brett-Major)
9/17/21 Experimental therapies and associated risks
9/14/21 It's not over
9/10/21 Review: Path Out of the Pandemic
9/7/21 The failure of "focused protection" as a strategy against COVID-19
8/31/21 The truth about vaccine vs. natural immunity, COVID-19 transmission in schools, and long-term health risks to children
8/24/21 Vaccination and pregnancy
8/17/21 Current U.S. COVID-19 hot spots
8/10/21 Common COVID-19 Myths Busted
8/3/21 Southern states suffering from a large Delta variant surge
7/27/21 Hospitalizations due to Delta variant increase nationwide.
7/20/21 Mirroring the UK's Delta variant transmission in the U.S.
7/13/21 The Delta Variant and children
7/6/21 Delta Variant doubling cases and hospitalizations in some states
6/29/21 The Delta Variant in the UK
6/22/21 Global vaccine status (presentation by Lauren Sauer)
6/15/21 Pediatrics and COVID-19 (presentation by Dr. Kari Simonsen)
6/8/21 Global & national cases rates, COVAX, and immunocompromised issues (presentation by Dr. David Brett-Major)
5/25/21 Global variant trends and early indications of vaccine efficacy
5/21/21 Current variant trends
5/18/21 Observations of Washington state's vaccination rates and test positivity rates
5/14/21 CDC guidelines, current case counts, and vaccination status update 
5/11/21 Subcutaneous monoclonal antibodies' efficacy against variants
5/4/21 Canada's variant spike and the lessons learned
4/27/21 Additional evidence of increased risk associated with singing
4/23/21 How bots, trolls, and cyborgs threaten our health security
4/20/21 Hong Kong hospital outbreak and 2020 deaths attributed to COVID-19
4/16/21 India experiences dramatic rise in positive cases
4/13/21 Subcutaneous monoclonal antibodies, vaccine vs. variants, and C-19 prison outbreak
4/9/21 Johnson & Johnson and Astra-Zeneca vaccine side effects
4/6/21 P.1 variant spreads across Brazil
3/30/21 MRNA vaccine efficacy, vaccine in pregnant/lactating women, and the surge in Brazil
3/26/21 Vaccine and monoclonal antibody efficacy against variants
3/23/21 Variant trends
3/19/21 Recent global trends--increasing activity
3/16/21 Seroprevalence studies, obesity risk ratios, and monoclonal antibody products' effectiveness against specific variants
3/12/21 Top three myths debunked: Downslope, herd immunity, and open schools
3/5/21 Infection in children based on seroprevalence data
3/2/21 Plateauing case counts and other indicators the U.S. is following U.K. variant trends
2/26/21 Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) single-dose vaccine 
2/23/21 CHARM Study Q&A, vaccine prioritization, and vaccine efficacy after first and second doses.
2/19/21 CHARM Study: Marine Corps recruits in basic training at Parris Island 
2/16/21 Modeling of transmission modes aboard the Diamond Princess and new school guidance from the CDC 
2/12/21 What happens when you can actually do good contact tracing?
2/9/21 Variants and vaccines
2/5/21 Double masks and KN95s (presentation by Dr. John Lowe)
2/2/21 Incomplete study data on school transmission levels and variant sequencing
1/29/21 Race to vaccinate against variants
1/26/21 Mitigation policies & mortality; quarantined college athletes 
1/22/21 New executive orders, antigen tests, and ICU mortality
1/19/21 Variants: modeling, transmission, and mutation challenges
1/15/21 Transmission in children and in-person learning
1/12/21 Nebraska plateaus, college counties, and the importance of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions to mitigate transmission
1/8/21 Status report, high-titer plasma therapy, and seroprevalence surveys
1/5/21 UK and South Africa Variants in the U.S. 
12/29/20 UK Variant's transmission and reinfection of health care workers
12/22/20 UK SARS-CoV-2 Variant (B.1.1.7.)  
12/18/20 Review of mortality rates and vaccine data
12/15/20 Household transmission and restaurant transmission study
12/11/20 Post-Thanksgiving plateau and Pfizer vaccine on the horizon
12/8/20 Transmission among Marine recruits during quarantine
12/4/20 Current case counts and upcoming vaccines
12/1/20 Nebraska's high level of transmission despite dip in cases
11/24/20 No room for complacency during a pandemic
11/20/20 Nebraska ranks 10th in the world, vaccine update, and implemented interventions in Iowa prove effective
11/17/20 Epidemiological study findings on restaurants/bar risks
11/13/20 Nonpharmaceutical interventions and restoring freedoms
11/10/20 Rural Midwest and Monoclonal Antibody trial
11/6/20 Pandemic doubling time
11/3/20 COVID-19 trends across the U.S.
10/30/20 Europe, Belgium, and Nebraska.
10/27/20 Where we are, how we got here, and our escape route.
10/23/20 Nebraska's positivity and deaths are increasing. What's changed?

COVID-19 Resources

 

Industry & Education Playbooks

These materials were developed by public health and infectious disease experts with extensive experience in the development of standard operating procedures for cases of highly hazardous communicable disease and the provision of training to a range of governmental and non-governmental organizations, including for Ebola virus disease and Covid-19 responses. The development of these videos was funded by contract HHS0100201700005C from the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services.

First Responder Resource Videos

These materials were developed by public health and infectious disease experts with extensive experience in the development of standard operating procedures for cases of highly hazardous communicable disease and the provision of training to a range of governmental and non-governmental organizations, including for Ebola virus disease and Covid-19 responses. The development of these videos was funded by contract HHS0100201700005C from the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services.

Nebraska Crisis Protocol

The provision of medical care during a pandemic requires considerable planning, along with the recognition that the delivery of healthcare services may change quickly due to the potential scarcity of resources. The Nebraska Health Care Crisis Protocol provides guidelines for how the medical community should allocate scarce resources when patient needs exceed the resources available. Nebraska healthcare providers hope to avoid using this protocol, but they must be prepared to use the protocol if ever necessary. The Nebraska Medical Emergency Operations Center, a state-wide, joint initiative with participation from health care coalition’s coordinators, CMOs, COOs, and health care associations, developed this protocol in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.