Dawn Nolt, M.D. says it’s “quite unlikely” that someone becomes infected with the coronavirus by touching a surface with the virus, and notes “there are many times that we don’t know who gave it to whom or how someone got it."

Judit Pallos, Ph.D., is cited among post-doctoral fellowships awarded by the American Parkinson Disease Association. Pallos will study mechanisms of neurodegeneration induced by the LRRK2 gene. Association press release is picked up by outlets across the country.

Terri Niles, R.N., is quoted about the health care proposal of Southwest Washington congressional candidate Carolyn Long.

Mary Beth Martin, B.S.N, M.B.A, is quoted in a feature story about fetal syndrome diagnostics and care. She says of MFM centers: “[they] provide a framework for multi-specialist collaboration in the diagnosis and novel treatments of both mother and baby. This gives hope to families as they manage during this most difficult time in their lives.”

In a story about the different types of vaccines being developed to fight COVID-19, Louis Picker, M.D., says that even if the length of a new vaccine’s effectiveness isn’t clear, a finite amount of time could be enough to “break the back of the pandemic.”

OHSU contributed to a study that found a COVID-19 vaccine candidate can prevent severe disease in hamsters.

William Hersh, M.D., writes, “While I am aghast at those who want to re-open the economy or the schools too fast, or not wear masks, I crave the return to normal life as much as they do.”

The American Psychiatric Association’s new treatment guidelines for schizophrenia are covered. George Keepers, M.D., who chaired the panel that authored the guidelines, says, “Patients are often treated with an effective medication and then forced, by circumstances or their insurance company, to switch to another that may not be effective for them, resulting in unnecessary relapses of the illness.”

In a story about the pitfalls of a public health strategy that depends upon testing, Mark Slifka, Ph.D, says a hypothetical patient “could be on the downward slope, where he’s already cleared it, and would continue to be less likely to transmit. Or it could be the opposite, where he has a viral load that’s low and then goes up.”

An editorial calls for police reform, citing head injury during arrest of OHSU intensive care nurse Tyler Cox, R.N., who was volunteering as a medic during downtown protest.