2021 Coverage: Infectious diseases faculty share expertise during coronavirus outbreak

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause several symptoms including fever, coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. The majority of people experience mild symptoms, while others have severe illnesses including reports of the virus leading to death. Patients who are older and have pre-existing medical problems appear to be at the highest risk for complications. The virus was first detected in China and has since spread to other countries.

View the faculty members being featured in the news, below. To learn more about coronavirus updates for the Emory community, please visit the Emory Forward website.

Click here to view 2020 media coverage.

Evan Anderson, MD
Professor of Medicine

• January 30: “Why parents should brace themselves for another uncertain summer and fall,” CNN
• January 26: “Luck, foresight and science: How an unheralded team developed a COVID-19 vaccine in record time,” USA Today
• January 22: “Pfizer says its Covid vaccine trial for kids ages 12 to 15 is fully enrolled,” CNBC
• January 22: “Capital of public health,” Atlanta Business Chronicle

Carlos del Rio, MD
Professor of Medicine
Executive Associate Dean for Emory at Grady

• February 27: “FDA considering emergency use authorization for third vaccine,” CNN
• February 25: “Dr. del Rio on Selecting Between Available Vaccines for COVID-19,” OncLive
• February 24: “Growing global demand for Russia’s ‘Sputnik V’” CNN
• February 24: “Pfizer’s vaccine trial data holds up in the real world, according to large-scale study in Israel,” Los Angeles Times
• February 24: “COVID variant could mean a brutal March for the US,” The Hill
• February 23: “Studies find that two-shot vaccines are effective even with just one shot,” Salon
• February 22: “The Russians and the Chinese are touting their vaccines. Should we trust them?” The Washington Post
• February 19; “‘A massive gap in information’: Most vaccine clinical trials fail to report data on participants’ ethnicity or race,” STAT
• February 18: “Why COVID cases are falling around the country, and what’s different in Georgia,” WMAZ-TV
• February 18: “Q&A: Why are COVID-19 cases declining in the US?” Healio
• February 18: “Atlanta schools push for teacher vaccines, though some staff are wary,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• February 18: “COVID-19 has already cut U.S. life expectancy by a year. For Black Americans, it’s worse,” PBS NewsHour
• February 15: “Study identifies seven new virus strains in the U.S.” CNN
• February 13: “California woman, 78, dies after vaccination, though no sign of link,” NBC News
• February 11: “Elderly bear the brunt of U.S. COVID death toll despite vaccines,” Bloomberg
• February 11: “Do Vaccines Stop the Spread of COVID-19? What You Need to Know,” TIME
• February 11: “National cheerleading competition could become super-spreader event, health officials warn,” NBC News
• February 10: “Will the COVID-19 vaccine actually end the pandemic? Emory doctor answers,” WXIA-TV
• February 10: “CDC report: Double-masking can block more than 90 percent of viral particles,” NBC News
• February 6: “There are multiple coronavirus vaccines available. Is any one of them better?” Salon
• February 6: “U.S. showing slight decline in coronavirus cases,” CNN
• February 2021: “Study: More contagious COVID variant spreading rapidly in U.S.” CNN
• February 5: “Virginia woman dies shortly after Covid vaccination, though no link has been found,” NBC News
• February 4: “In Virginia, a disconnect between supply and demand for vaccine rollout,” PBS NewsHour
• February 4: “Can AstraZeneca’s Vaccine Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 Virus?” TIME
• February 3: “With a seductive number, AstraZeneca study fueled hopes that eclipsed its data,” STAT
• January 29: “As new Covid vaccines near U.S. debut, here’s what you need to know about the shots,” CNBC
• January 29: “J&J one-dose Covid vaccine is 66% effective, a weapon but not a knockout punch,” STAT
• January 29: “Novavax vaccine works well, except on South African variant,” CNN
• January 28: “Novavax says its Covid-19 vaccine is 90% effective, but far less so against one variant,” STAT
• January 28: “Tyler Perry trying to sway vaccine skeptics,” WXIA-TV
• January 27: “Opinion: America could be passing our darkest hour. But calamity could lie ahead if we don’t act.” The Washington Post
• January 27: “Biden’s First Three Steps to Getting COVID-19 Vaccines to Every American,” TIME
• January 27: “Biden sets bold timeline for return to normal life,” CNN
• January 26: “Mexico’s pandemic policy: No police. No curfews. No fines. No regrets.” The Washington Post
• January 24: “Unpacking The Biden Administration’s Coronavirus Strategy,” NPR
• January 23: “Addressing vaccine hesitancy,” Fox NewsNow
• January 21: “‘Twindemic’ concerns,” KNBC-TV
• January 21: “Takeaways from Biden’s COVID-19 executive orders: Experts celebrate plan, warn ‘a lot of work’ is left,” USA Today
• January 21: “A year into the Covid crisis, scientists explain what we learned — and what we got wrong,” CNBC
• January 20: “Biden administration to resume US engagement with WHO,” Healio
• January 20: “As America Engages With WHO Again, An Overwhelming Sense Of Relief And Hope,” Forbes
• January 19: “Georgians fear debacle when 2nd vaccine shots come due,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• January 18: “< 1 Year, 400,000 Dead: What Could Change This Week About America’s Pandemic Response,” NPR
• January 18: “Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID, According to Doctors,” Eat This, Not That!
• January 18: “Another coronavirus variant linked to growing share of cases, several large outbreaks, in California,” The Washington Post
• January 16: “New COVID model predicts 192,000 U.S. deaths from now to May 1,” CNN
• January 15: “CDC: More contagious UK coronavirus strain could be dominant in US in March,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• January 14: “Infectious disease doctors discuss importance of masking up,” WSB-TV
• January 14: “CDC forecasts another 92,000 U.S. deaths in the next 3 weeks,” CNN
• January 13: “U.S. Vaccine Shift Stirs New Unease as 128 Million Join Line,” Bloomberg
• January 13: “Data fuel debate over whether J&J’s one-dose Covid vaccine will measure up,” STAT
• January 12: “Why You Should Still Wear A Mask And Avoid Crowds After Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine,” NPR
• January 12: “Speeding up vaccinations,” ABC World News Tonight
• January 11: “Sluggish vaccine rollout,” CNBC
• January 8: “Georgia’s health care system on the brink,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• January 8: “Vaccine expert blames underfunding, personnel shortages for slow vaccine rollout,” WXIA-TV
• January 7: “Emory doctor discusses new COVID-19 variant,” WAGA-TV 
• January 6: “Fauci sees greater China role in COVID-19 spread, one year on,” Axios

Colleen Kelley, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine

• February 27: “Third coronavirus vaccine on verge of emergency use authorization,” CNN
• February 17: “Yes, you can take OTC pain meds after getting the Covid vaccine, says CDC — plus other tips for dealing with side effects,” CNBC
• February 8: “What are my chances of having an adverse reaction to the vaccine?” WGCL-TV
• February 2021: “Seven-day average of new cases has dropped by 100,000 since Jan 6 ,” CNN
• February 3: “COVID-19 variants: What we know, what we don’t know,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• February 2: “Will coronavirus vaccines work against new variants? Experts weigh in,” TODAY
• January 29: “Pain relief medications like Tylenol and Advil are ‘perfectly fine’ for COVID-19 vaccine aftereffects, experts say,” USA Today
• January 26: “VERIFY: Two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are needed for protection against COVID-19,” WXIA-TV
• January 25: “My Parents Will Be Vaccinated Long Before Me. Can They Come Visit?” TIME
• January 22: “With new COVID-19 strains on the rise, here’s the safest way to grocery shop,” TODAY
• January 22: “Capital of public health,” Atlanta Business Chronicle
• January 21: “When can grandparents see grandkids after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?” TODAY
• January 12: “Emory holds clinical trial for another COVID-19 vaccine,” WAGA-TV

Colleen Kraft, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine

• February 26: “Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, which requires just one shot, is on track to become third allowed for use in US,” USA Today
• February 23: “3 Health Experts on What We’ve Learned After a Year of COVID-19,” Healthline
• February 7: “My Parents Are Vaccinated but I’m Not. Is It Safe for Us to Visit?” Healthline
• February 1: “Why are variants of the coronavirus more contagious?” WXIA-TV
• January 25: “Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine is effective against new variants,” CNN
• January 19: “Could 100 days of mask-wearing change the course of the pandemic in the US?” TODAY

Aneesh Mehta, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Chief of Infectious Diseases Services at EUH

• February 26: “When will the US reach herd immunity and what will it look like?” CNN

Walter Orenstein, MD
Professor of Medicine

• February 26: “What It Will Take to Get Life Back to Normal,” The New York Times
• February 25: “How Will We Know When We Reach Herd Immunity?” VOA Learning English
• February 23: “So You Got Vaccinated … And Then You Got COVID. Now What?” FiveThirtyEight
• February 20: “What’s safe after COVID-19 vaccination? Don’t shed masks yet,” Associated Press
• February 17: “EXPLAINER: How will we know we’ve reached herd immunity?” Associated Press
• February 12: “Fauci Optimistic That Kids Will Get Vaccine By September,” Fatherly
• February 7: “9% of Americans have gotten COVID-19 vaccine so far, prompting criticism from metro health experts,” WSB-TV
• February 4: “Thanks to physical distancing, masks, doctors see fewer cases of a polio-like condition in children,” STAT
• January 26: “Clearing the COVID confusion,” WGCL-TV
• January 23: “The COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Has Been Slow And Chaotic. Here’s How That Could Change.” BuzzFeed
• January 11: “Vaccines were a chance to redeem failures in the U.S. coronavirus response. What went wrong?” The Washington Post
• January 7: “A Slow Start To COVID-19 Vaccines Has The FDA Facing Calls To Change Shot Schedules,” BuzzFeed
• January 6: “As COVID-19 Cases Surge, Critics Say Vaccinations Must Speed Up,” NPR

Nadine Rouphael, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine

• February 17: “Rouphael Appointed Hope Clinic Executive Director,” Patch
• January 26: “Luck, foresight and science: How an unheralded team developed a COVID-19 vaccine in record time,” USA Today
• January 22: “Capital of public health,” Atlanta Business Chronicle

Marybeth Sexton, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine

• February 24: “Weighing the need to visit sick loved ones while keeping Georgians healthy,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• February 8: “Does the vaccine protect against COVID-19 variants?” WGCL-TV
• February 4: “Emory University School of Medicine Professor Explains the Dangers Of New COVID-19 Variants,” WABE-TV
• January 26: “Health experts now say you may want to double up on face masks,” WSB-TV
• January 26: “What do coronavirus variants mean for your masks?” NBC News

Jennifer Spicer, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine

• January 6: “Loss of smell and taste can linger after Covid or come back different,” NBC News

Jay Varkey, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine

• February 14: “Is it safe to visit grandparents after getting the Covid vaccine?” NBC News
• February 14: “Life after vaccination: Can you go back to normal?” NBC News

Zanthia Wiley, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine

• February 1: “The ‘Black Tax’ and COVID-19: Amid Pandemic, Black Doctors Carry Double Load,” U.S. News & World Report

Henry Wu, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine

• February 12: “White House says no plan to require virus testing for domestic air travelers,” The Washington Post
• February 9: “As CDC weighs coronavirus testing requirement for domestic flights, industry voices fierce opposition,” The Washington Post
• February 3: “CDC Now Requires Negative COVID-19 Test Result From International Travelers,” VeryWell Health
• January 15: “Coronavirus FAQ: Do Airplane Passengers Not Know There’s A Pandemic Going On?” NPR
• January 13: “Your Questions About the COVID-19 Vaccine and Travel, Answered,” Conde Nast Traveler