Iowa’s landmark moments from the pandemic
Thanks to its experts and health care providers, Iowa has been recognized nationally for its important role in combating COVID-19. And when the pandemic upended traditional educational practices across campus and the country, Hawkeyes proved to be tough, compassionate, and resourceful. Below are landmark moments from the past year that exemplify our expertise and our spirit.
Veteran researcher Stanley Perlman—until recently, one of only 10 full-time coronavirus virologists in the world—leads the University of Iowa’s search for answers on COVID-19.
Story: Scientists, media turn to Iowa’s coronavirus expert
A sampling of Perlman’s writings and quotations from early on in the pandemic:
- ABC News: Human-to-human transmission of new coronavirus reported in China (Jan. 20, 2020)
- New England Journal of Medicine: Another decade, another coronavirus (Jan. 24, 2020 [online publication date])
- New York Times: Why the coronavirus seems to hit men harder than women (Feb. 20, 2020)
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, students returned March 30 to classes not on campus but at their homes on their computers or other electronic devices. Faculty and staff across the university spent the preceding weeks migrating nearly all courses to a virtual environment. The University of Iowa is no stranger to online learning. It is one of the largest deliverers of online education, ranking in the top 50 in the nation and No. 4 among its peers.
Story: University of Iowa no stranger to teaching and learning online
In the early days of the pandemic, health care professionals needed face shields. University of Iowa personnel acted quickly: the College of Engineering delivered more than 1,000 shields to UI Health Care, and the University of Iowa’s medical device design business used materials provided by Iowa manufacturers to build the coronavirus-fighting tools by the thousands.
Stories:
Biological agents at the University of Iowa’s Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank (DSHB) are being enlisted in the quest to fight the novel coronavirus. The DSHB distributed antibodies to researchers racing to learn more about the coronavirus and to potentially find ways to blunt its ability to wreak havoc in humans.
Story: Special reservoir to be used for coronavirus research
When typical blood drive locations—schools, community centers, campus buildings—closed due to the pandemic, the University of Iowa Department of Athletics stepped up, offering space in the Feller Club Room of Carver-Hawkeye Arena that was not otherwise being used.
Story: DeGowin Blood Center holding weekly blood drives at Carver-Hawkeye Arena
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, the patient care mission of University of Iowa Health Care, became the first in the state of Iowa to participate in an international clinical trial for a remdesivir, believed to be the most promising drug available to treat COVID-19.
Story: UI Health Care participates in remdesivir clinical trial
Inside homes across the country and around the world, friends and family of more than 5,400 graduates celebrated a historic virtual commencement for the University of Iowa class of 2020. “We are recognizing your college graduation this year in a very unique way. But our pride in your accomplishments remains as strong and bright as any Iowa commencement,” said UI President Bruce Harreld. “As always, we stand together as Hawkeyes today with strength, purpose, and pride.”
Story: Spring 2020 graduates celebrate commencement virtually
In May, widely shared claims on social media linked to a video alleging that a future vaccine against COVID-19 would “genetically modify” humans. This claim is scientifically untrue. Paul McCray, professor of pediatrics, microbiology, and internal medicine at the University of Iowa, was among those to offer explanations on how the vaccines would work.
Read the Reuters story: False claim: A COVID-19 vaccine will genetically modify humans
Jon Lensing always knew he wanted to pursue a career in medicine. But deep into his medical-school path, he focused on launching a business—one he and his co-founders designed to meet a need in the medical industry—and soon saw its numbers skyrocket due to COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a growing need for specialized follow-up care for a subset of patients experiencing long-term effects from the disease. In June, UI Health Care became the first health system in the state, and one of the first in the country, to establish a dedicated post-COVID-19 clinic.
Story: Respiratory Illness Follow-up Clinic treats patients with long-term complications from COVID-19
The University of Iowa emerged as a preferred manufacturer for companies seeking new drugs to treat patients with the novel coronavirus. UI Pharmaceuticals has partnerships with multiple firms to manufacture and test their drug products for potential treatments.
The University of Iowa participated in a large-scale, international clinical trial to study the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity, and efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19. The study tested an experimental RNA vaccine developed by drug companies BioNTech and Pfizer.
Story: University of Iowa to participate in clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine
Temporarily reassigned University of Iowa employees helped fill critical roles in the testing process at the State Hygienic Laboratory over the summer of 2020. “These individuals have continued to work in Test Iowa outside of their normal work hours and on weekends,” says Ryan Jepson, SHL’s microbiology lab supervisor. “They have been essential to keeping testing moving at night and even training new staff.”
Story: UI employees step up to help State Hygienic Lab with COVID-19 testing
University of Iowa Health Care experts and specialists collaborated on a Waterloo woman’s life-or-death case, which involved an astounding recovery and a healthy baby.
Story: Pregnant with COVID-19
In November, Pfizer pharmaceutical company announced promising preliminary results from clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Pat Winokur, executive dean of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and principal investigator for the UI study site of the Pfizer vaccine trial, followed Pfizer’s announcement with an editorial to offer clarity and reassurance about how we reached this point—and what comes next.
Story: Keeping safety at the forefront of the race for a COVID-19 vaccine
Dance Gala maintained its high level of professionalism and artistry while offering a slightly different viewing experience. Instead of watching at Hancher Auditorium or Space Place Theater, audiences tuned in online to watch more than 35 students bring to life works created by six Department of Dance faculty members. The works were filmed in the Theatre Building’s E.C. Mabie Theatre and outdoors around campus.
During the first day of COVID-19 vaccinations, 178 University of Iowa Health Care employees received the first of two doses of the vaccine, which UI Health Care tested in clinical trials.
Story: UI Health Care begins employee vaccinations
Numerous media outlets covered the vaccination of UI Health Care employees:
- New York Times: In Iowa, an emergency room nurse is first in line for vaccination
- Bloomberg: Health care workers in Iowa cry, cheer, and celebrate as long-awaited COVID-19 shots arrive
- Good Morning America: Iowa nurse Allison Wynes receives one of the first vaccinations
- CNN: Nurse practitioner one of first to be vaccinated in Iowa
- ABC News: First in line: Health care heroes at Iowa receive COVID-19 vaccine
The Iowa Department of Public Health has selected four University of Iowa experts to serve on its Infectious Disease Advisory Council. The council, which brings together more than 20 subject matter experts from across Iowa, will assist the state in developing COVID-19 vaccine distribution guidance and prioritization of populations for early in the response when vaccine supply will be limited.
Story: UI experts appointed to state’s Infectious Disease Advisory Council
When cases of COVID-19 surge, one potential solution that may allow hospitals to care for more patients with the virus without exceeding their bed capacity is a “virtual hospital” model, such as the one used by University of Iowa Health Care’s Home Treatment Team.
Story: Helping to maintain bed capacity during COVID-19 surge
In December, experts on a CDC panel, including the University of Iowa’s Stanley Perlman, said all available evidence indicated the Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective for nursing home residents, and older Americans generally. “The vaccine seems to be performing as well as one would like, even in very old populations,” said Perlman.
Read the New York Times story: The Next Vaccine Challenge: Reassuring Older Americans
UI Health Care experts again lend their expertise in clinical research to participate in a COVID-19 vaccine trial, this time a large, Phase 3 trial for a new COVID-19 vaccine made by Novavax, Inc.
Story: Now Novavax: UI Health Care’s role in a new COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial
March 8, 2021, marks one year since the State Hygienic Laboratory detected the first case of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and the lab has processed more than 1 million samples since that fateful day. And as vaccines for COVID-19 work their way across the country, SHL isn’t slowing down.
Story: State Hygienic Lab exceeds 1 million COVID-19 tests since start of pandemic in Iowa
The coronavirus pandemic has paused many things, but pediatric cancer is not one of them. Despite COVID-19, University of Iowa participants in one of the nation’s largest student philanthropies are as committed as ever to helping young oncology patients, raising $1.4 million while using a virtual format for the Big Event.