Colleges fighting the COVID-19 pandemic

Due to COVID-19, colleges and universities in America are transitioning to remote instruction for the remainder of the school year to lessen the pandemic’s impact. USC Aiken sent an email to students and faculty at USC Aiken last month to announce the transition from face-to-face instruction to remote instruction for the remainder of the semester.

Most students and faculty are busy adapting to Zoom and other group chat devices to get work done for the semester, but some colleges have taken different roles.

An article written by Michael T. Neitzel, Missouri State University President Emeritus, explained how colleges are helping to fight COVID-19.  In his article, he mentions that soon American colleges and universities are re-purposing their resources to help fight the virus.

Neitzel reports this: “… in recent days, we’ve seen campuses answering the call, drawing on faculty expertise, campus facilities, logistical assets, research labs, and campus leadership to provide just-in-time assistance in the battle against the pandemic.” 

The University of Nebraska Medical Center was approved to conduct a clinical trial to test medications that might be used to treat COVID-19.

Researchers from the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, Northwestern University and the University of California studies help the scientists came to a suggestion that the drug that was previously use to treat SARS could The University of Nebraska Medical Center now be developed to use as a drugs against COVID -19. 

They were able to map out a 3-D protein structure of the virus that allows scientist to figure out how to interfere in the pathogen’s replication in human cells.

The University of Pittsburgh is collaborating with scientists in Paris and Vienna to develop a vaccine and so many things that other universities and colleges are doing to help fight against this virus.