Dr. Thomas Friedrich, a professor of virology at UW-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine, says his lab focuses on understanding how viruses that cause pandemics overcome evolutionary barriers to get transmitted.
January 25, 2021
Research
Higher Education/System
Fewer Wisconsin high school seniors seek financial aid, raising concerns about college plans
Fewer Wisconsin high school students are filing for federal financial aid this school year in what education experts fear is a sign that some students are putting college plans for fall on hold, or abandoning those dreams altogether.
Campus life
Transform State Street into promenade
Madison should finally take city buses off of State Street and turn the entire length of the street into a pedestrian mall. This would allow shops and restaurants to take over more public space outside, where the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus is much lower than inside.
UW Campuses Significantly Expanding COVID-19 Testing This Spring, Though Strategies Vary
University of Wisconsin System campuses are planning to significantly increase COVID-19 testing during the spring semester. But many students at UW-Madison will be tested twice as often as those at the state’s 25 other universities and branch campuses. In addition, new federal research shows tests used to detect outbreaks at UW System’s other 25 campuses are more likely to miss positive cases than the type of tests being used at the state’s flagship university.
UW-Madison officials discuss new COVID testing requirements ahead of spring semester
Undergraduate students living in certain areas downtown will be required to be tested twice per week using a new saliva testing method, and access to university buildings will be restricted to those who can prove they are up-to-date on their tests and have not tested positive.
As some struggle with Safer Badger app, UW switches to drop-in only testing
If you take a look at the Safer Badger app in the App Store, it’s pretty clear that some University of Wisconsin – Madison students and staff don’t like it. A large majority of the reviews are one star, with people complaining about glitches, not being able to schedule a test or see the new saliva-based test results. Reviewers called it “embarrassing” and “pointless.”
UW-Madison switches coronavirus testing protocol to drop-in format
“What we realized after about three weeks of about pilot or soft launch testing is that we believe we can move people through the test sights more quickly and reduce wait times if we move to a drop in system,” said Meredith McGlone, UW-Madison spokesperson.
UW-Madison enhances its response to mental health crises
UW-Madison’s University Health Services (UHS) is working on a collaborative effort with UW-Madison Police Department (UWPD), University Housing and the Dean of Students Office to enhance the campus’s response to mental health crises.
UW students no longer required to make appointment for COVID-19 test
UW Madison noted that people will now use the Safer Badgers app on the day they want to go get tested to figure out which testing sites have the shortest wait time.
UW to make all testing drop-in, delay use of Badger Badges after lines, scheduling troubles
Students can view available testing facilities in the Safer Badgers app, where different colored symbols will be used to indicate estimated wait times at each of the 14 on-campus testing facilities. Students will need to update their Safer Badgers app anytime after Saturday, Jan. 23 at 8:00 p.m. to access these new updates.
Health
The Vaccine Rollout Will Take Time. Here’s What The U.S. Can Do Now To Save Lives
Dr. Patrick Remington, a professor emeritus in the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, previously worked as an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He says a career spent studying public health policy has taught him that laws are typically only effective for the people already inclined to follow a given health recommendation, like wearing seat belts in cars or not smoking indoors.
Wisconsin’s COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Has Been Rough. Will New Plans Turn That Around?
“It’s really complicated to go from zero to 100 mph and be writing the rules as you go,” said Patrick Remington, former epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s preventive medicine residency program.
UW-Madison says 1,800 members of campus community qualify in next round of vaccines
With people over the age of 65 becoming eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting next week, UW-Madison says it’s notified about 1,800 members of their campus community to make appointments.
Athletics
UW swimming teams open new facility with victories
The University of Wisconsin men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams kicked off the start of their seasons in winning fashion Saturday at the inaugural meet in the Soderholm Family Aquatic Center.
Opinion
Meet Spring 2021 Editorial Board
The Editorial Board serves to represent the voice of The Badger Herald editorial department, distinct from the newsroom, and does not necessarily reflect the views of each staff member.
The Badger Herald Editorial Board: Spring 2021 stories to watch
With many students complaining about the use of saliva testing compared to the nasal swab testing used last semester, it will be interesting to see how COVID-19 on the UW campus plays out this semester.
UW Experts in the News
Why The Second Trimester Ultrasound Is So Important For Fathers
“Fathers say it means a lot to them to see their baby on the screen and have an unmediated experience with the baby,” explains Tova Walsh, PhD, MSW, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who studies the transition to fatherhood.
Will public trust in science survive the pandemic?
Even though the public largely maintains a generic confidence in science, “people are quite capable of viewing scientists as lousy experts when it comes to specific issues that don’t fit their notions of what’s true,” says Sharon Dunwoody, professor emerita of journalism and mass communication at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Obituaries
Webb, Maurice Barnett “Barney”
Dr. Webb was a world-renown Emeritus Professor of Physics on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his alma mater (B.S. 1950, Ph.D. 1956), up until his retirement in 2001.
UW-Madison Related
UW rolls out ambitious COVID-19 testing plan with mixed reactions
The University of Wisconsin-Madison began its new, saliva-based COVID-19 testing regimen last week, planning to test more than 80,000 people weekly this spring. The rollout began with minor setbacks, as students waited in long lines, complained about app glitches and, of course, shared memes about dripping drool into a tube.