Syra Madad is a nationally recognized epidemiologist in public health and special pathogens preparedness and response. A Belfer Center Fellow, she directs the Special Pathogens Program at New York City Health + Hospitals. During the pandemic, she has written and spoken widely on health tips for the public and frontline health providers. She has also organized a popular COVID seminar series at the Belfer Center. We asked Syra to tell us about her important work and how she juggles her professional and personal life.  

As more people get vaccinated, we will not only see improvements individually, but its impact collectively, at the population level, with decreasing cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

As women leaders in the field of emergency management, we know all too well the need for speed when it comes to any local health threat, let alone a rampant, global one like the COVID-19 pandemic.

As universal eligibility for covid19 vaccine expands across the nation and millions of Americans are getting ready to get a life-saving vaccine, we offer a guide on what to do before, during and after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

To get through this next stage of the pandemic as safely as possible, we’ll need to know when we can lift restrictions without sparking new surges. Fortunately, if we pay attention to some key metrics, we can figure that out.

Household transmission of COVID-19 remains a high priority given the ease of how the virus, SARS-CoV-2, that causes COVID-19 can spread in closed, confined spaces. Here, the authors outline environmental health strategies to fortify home air ventilation and filtration systems.

As President Biden’s “American Rescue Plan” heads to his desk to become law, we asked several of our economics and pandemic experts for their thoughts on the significance of the bill: How much impact will the Biden administration’s COVID relief bill  have on the U.S. economy and on those suffering most from the pandemic?

With three remarkable COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S. and millions of Americans getting vaccinated daily, it is indeed time for COVID optimism, write Syra Madad and Monica Gandhi. 

As fully vaccinated persons wonder what activities they can engage in, it’s important to look at it from the lens of those around you and their vulnerability to the virus. The table here provides high level information for those vaccinated.

The graphic “Keeping Safe and Protecting Yourself and Others from COVID19” covers 11 measures we should all be taking to prevent infection and spreading it to others. 

Transmission of SARS-Co-V-2 increases by 10 fold among household members when living with a person infected with the virus compared to other contacts. However, it is possible to care for a household member who is has COVID19 and not catch the virus yourself.