SCANning for coronavirus

09/22/20 • 19 min

In the winter of 2019, a series of storms dubbed “Snowpocalypse” dumped more than 20 inches of snow on the Seattle area, forcing the closure of schools and businesses. This weather-induced social-distancing caused flu cases to plummet. What researchers learned from these snowstorms helped prepare them for the coronavirus pandemic and find what, at the time, were the earliest known cases of community spread. Their work has gone on to provide invaluable data that social distancing works to slow down deadly viruses.

Behind every science headline, there is a human story. Hear about the scientific advancements aiming to shape the cures of tomorrow with Lab Notes: A podcast from the Allen Institute. Streaming everywhere.

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Taming the Beast

When the first U.S. COVID-19 cases began arriving at the hospital, doctors nicknamed the illness "The Beast" because of the way it attacked the body. Dr. Ryan Padgett treated several patients before he himself became infected and nearly died. How can this beast be tamed? A team of researchers in Ohio believes they have identified a set of tools that could help save lives and speed recovery times for patients like Dr. Padgett.

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Aldan Beaubien was in high school when a smorgasbord of bagels, cream cheese and apple juice left him in agony. Months later, doctors diagnosed him with Crohn's disease. Now an IT engineer at a research institute studying the disease, Aldan has new hope for better treatments or even a cure.

Lab Notes - SCANning for coronavirus

Transcript

Rob Piercy

Before the novel coronavirus became a full-blown global pandemic, there was a worldwide scramble to understand how and where it was spreading, and who was getting sick; critical information needed to guide public health decisions and save lives.

Rachel Tompa

Today, we’re going to hear about a team of researchers in the Pacific Northwest whose work on another virus gave them a head-start on SARS-CoV-2 – and helped them find wha