MADISON, WI (January 31, 2022) — As the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic draws to a close, many people are reflecting on how far we have come since early 2020. At the same time, amid the rise of the omicron variant and continued isolation, many report an eerie feeling of déjà vu. Where do we go from here? What do we know about COVID-19 now that we didn’t know in 2020, and how does that affect the way we fight this virus? What are the keys to getting from pandemic to endemic? How have the discoveries of the past two years changed the way we look at the pandemic — and what do they suggest about our future?
On the next UW Now Livestream, two leading experts discuss our progress and prospects in fighting COVID-19. The talk will be moderated by Mike Knetter, CEO of the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association.
Our guests:
Nasia Safdar is a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, vice chair for research in the Department of Medicine, and medical director of infection control at UW Hospital and Clinics. She is also the School of Medicine and Public Health’s inaugural associate dean for clinical trials. She leads the department in its mission to reduce and prevent health care-associated infections by identifying, testing, and implementing novel interventions. Because of her work and research in this area, Safdar received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2017, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.
Ajay Sethi is an associate professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences and is the faculty director for the master of public health program at UW–Madison. As an infectious disease epidemiologist, he studies modifiable behavioral and structural factors associated with infectious disease transmission and morbidity. He teaches the popular UW course Conspiracies in Public Health, preparing future health care workers for difficult conversations.
Watch the UW Now Livestream presentation:
https://www.uwalumni.com/events/covids-past-and-future/
More information:
https://www.uwalumni.com/news/sifting-and-winnowing-covid-facts/
https://www.uwalumni.com/news/variant-views/
