An interdisciplinary team of engineers and doctors are researching the development of new technology designed to detect severe COVID-19 complications. The goal is to develop a diagnostic test that uses a drop of blood from a finger prick and could be performed at a hospital, in a clinic or at home.

A study co-authored by Emily Cook, assistant professor of economics, shows that colleges that required COVID-19 vaccinations averted an average of 339 cases per 100,000 residents and almost 7,300 deaths within their surrounding communities in fall 2021. The research group used data on colleges’ vaccination policies, semester start dates and county-level public health outcomes.

Tulane immunologist Clovis Palmer analyzed the metabolic changes that occur in cells when viral invaders, such as HIV, hepatitis B, or SARS-CoV-2, pose a threat. Palmer concluded that the way in which cells use nutrients in the presence of a viral pathogen can determine disease outcome and severity.

Katharine Lee, assistant professor of anthropology, co-authored a study that found COVID-19 vaccines affected people’s menstrual periods, especially those who don’t typically have periods due to long-acting contraceptives, gender-affirming hormone treatments or menopause. The study began shortly after vaccines became widely available and individuals reported through social media changes in their menstrual cycles after receiving the vaccines.

Researchers are investigating the role endothelial cells play in the development of severe and long COVID-19. The cells line blood vessel walls and can malfunction following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This dysfunction can cause blood clotting in organs, as seen in the most severe COVID-19 cases. Dr. Xuebin Qin of the Tulane National Primate Research Center is leading the research.

Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who had a combination of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes or other conditions associated with metabolic syndrome were at much higher risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome and death, according to a study published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open. Dr. Joshua Denson, assistant professor of medicine, was the study’s lead author.

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $1.24 million grant to a research team to come up with standards for measuring viruses and other pathogens in treated wastewater for water re-use projects. Samendra Sherchan, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and director of the Water Quality Lab at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, is part of the team.