Alabama State University has managed to keep COVID-19 cases at zero since the start of the fall semester, even as the number of infections rises among college students at other campuses across the U.S. The university's president, Quinton Ross, Jr, in part, credits Dragonfly's thermal-screening technology that identifies coronavirus symptoms.
"This is a contactless device that we're using. We're non-invasive, where students can just walk up and get a quick check of their temperature and other vital signs," he told Cheddar. "It's been an asset to all of the protocols that we've set in place here to help identify and to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on campus."
Even before the technology was implemented at the historically Black university, steps were already being taken to protect the safety and health of everyone on campus.
"From the outset, we determined — even before the city of Montgomery, even before the state of Alabama — that we would become a mask-mandatory campus," he said.
For Ross, safety, especially for students, was the sole priority in taking steps to reopen campus. While a lack of PPE was a major concern for many early in the pandemic, the university was committed to avoiding "any barrier" that could potentially keep students from learning on campus. Therefore, the school decided to provide masks for them, he said.
Once back on campus, Ross explained, students have even stepped up and are doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“I cannot say enough about my student leadership, who’s embraced keeping our campus safe,” he noted.
In the event of an outbreak, Ross said there is a contingency plan in place that includes isolating students in already established dormitories.
A common criticism of universities' reopening plans during the pandemic has been that restrictions prevent students from socializing — a notable aspect of the on-campus college experience. It is also a scenario that, in many cases, is unavoidable; but Ross said the protocols and safety standards that were set, along with the students' ability to be mindful, are the reasons for his school's success in keeping infections at zero so far.
"I'm just thankful to our Board of Trustees and all of our leadership team for allowing us to put these procedures in place," he said.
Ellen Fitzsimmons-Craft, assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine, joins Cheddar News to discuss how chatbots can help prevent eating disorders and the research that uncovered these findings.
Shoulder injuries are one of the most common orthopedic injuries – and they're also one of the most commonly ignored. But chimpanzees, with whom we share nearly 99% of our DNA, don’t encounter the same issues we do. So why are human shoulders such a design disaster? Well, we can trace the answer back to a very particular moment in our evolution.
As the Omicron variant continues to sweep across the country. The US Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments at the end of this week on whether or not the Biden administration can force private companies to vaccinate or test millions of their employees. In addition, the National Nurses United has spearheaded legal action to protect nurses and health care workers, patients, and the public while on the job. President of the National Nurses Union, Zenei Cortez, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
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Jake Carbone, senior data analyst at InfluenceMap joins Cheddar News to talk about a new report by The Guardian and InfluenceMap that reveals how companies are creating fossil fuel ads designed to look like Google search results.
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The year 2021 saw numerous natural disasters around the world, including extreme heat and wildfires, rare deep freezes, and historic flooding. This year's United Nations COP26 conference was key for getting world leaders on board with emissions reductions and other climate-focused policies as the UN Secretary-General said the agency's report on global warming is a 'code red for humanity.' In the U.S., President Joe Biden has focused most of his domestic agenda on slashing emissions and building climate-focused infrastructure. Guests from The Economist, UNC-Chapel Hill, Global Rescue, and more join Cheddar Climate's year-end special to discuss how the climate changed in 2021, and what to expect in 2022.
Digital mental health company Little Otter recently announced it closed a $22 million Series A round. Little Otter was founded in 2020 by a mother-daughter team, which based the company on the idea that a child's mental health can only be addressed by treating the whole family through technology available to everyone. Little Otter CEO and co-founder Rebecca Egger and her mother, Little Otter Chief Medical and Scientific Officer and co-founder Dr. Helen Egger joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Among all the other events of the last few years, you may have missed this one: Spermageddon. This is the fun name for the idea that sperm counts among mainly ‘Western’ men are in freefall. The Spermageddon hype began with the publication of a 2017 study showing a nearly 60% drop in overall sperm counts in men living in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
But four years later, it seems that Spermageddon has been overblown. By a lot. And all that hype has obscured the real issue behind declining male fertility.
Covid-19 has changed the way we view wellness. Jillian Hughes, communications director of Mental Health America, joins Cheddar News to discuss breaking the stigma around mental health. Justin Davis, CEO and co-founder of Spectrum Labs, weighs in on how social media impacts our wellbeing. Lastly, Precision Nutrition CEO Timothy Jones advices us on what trends to watch in 2022.
