The Conversation

The long history of US racism against Asian Americans, from 'yellow peril' to 'model minority' to the 'Chinese virus'

Written by Adrian De Leon, Assistant Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Members of the Massachusetts Asian American Commission protest on the steps of the Statehouse in Boston.AP Photo/Steven Senne

In a recent Washington Post op-ed, former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang called upon Asian Americans to become part of the solution against COVID-19.

In the face of rising anti-Asian racist actions – now...

Porn use is up, thanks to the pandemic

Written by Joshua B. Grubbs, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Bowling Green State University

Self-isolation can be boring and lonely.Annie Spratt/Unsplash, CC BY

Across the globe, the coronavirus pandemic is affecting almost all aspects of daily life. Travel is down; jobless claims are up; and small businesses are struggling.

But not all businesses are experiencing a downturn. The world’s largest pornography website, Pornhub, has...

A coronavirus vaccine that wouldn't require a shot

Written by Louis Falo, Professor of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh

Wouldn't it be nice if getting a vaccine was a simple as putting on a Band-Aid? UPMC, CC BY-SA

As labs around the world race to develop a vaccine, my colleagues and I are trying to find a better way to deliver it than the standard, cringe-inducing shot.

I am an immunologist and dermatologist, and my colleagues and I have been working on vaccines...

America is drinking its way through the coronavirus crisis – that means more health woes ahead

Written by David H. Jernigan, Professor of Health Law, Policy & Management, Boston University

Shopping for wine in Seattle, where many liquor stores are considered "essential businesses."AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

In the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, it has become easier to buy alcohol than toilet paper or eggs.

Across the U.S., governors are terming alcohol sales an essential business and loosening restrictions to permit home delivery and ca...

Domestic violence growing in wake of coronavirus outbreak

Written by Shelly M. Wagers, Assistant Professor of Criminology, University of South Florida

In lockdown, many homes around the country are less safe than usual.Kittisak Jirasittichai/EyeEm/Getty

As people across the country scrambled to buy toilet paper and extra canned food, millions of them had an additional set of stresses: worrying about being forced to stay at home, unable to get away from their abuser.

Consider these possibilities:

Mil...

A virtual Passover may be the first for many, but Judaism has a long history of ritual innovation

Written by Samuel L. Boyd, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Boulder

As workers make matzo for Passover, many families will not be able to get together this year.Guy Prives/Getty Images)

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the globe, it is affecting how families celebrate important religious events such as Easter, Passover and Ramadan, which would normally involve the gathering of families.

For example, in...

With Boris Johnson in intensive care, who runs the UK?

Written by Luke Reader, Teaching Fellow, History Department, Case Western Reserve University

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson in mid-March, before he tested positive for the coronavirus.Ray Tang/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Boris Johnson – who was admitted to intensive care on April 6 with worsening symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus – is not the first British prime minister to experience a...

¿Qué tipo de vacunas están desarrollando los laboratorios contra el coronavirus?

Written by Jean Peccoud, Professor, Abell Chair in Synthetic Biology, Colorado State University

There are many ways to make a vaccine. In a time of crisis, the more paths towards success the betterAdriana Duduleanu / EyeEm via Getty Images

El coronavirus paralizó todas las actividades sociales, económicas y educativas a nivel mundial. Por ahora, los profesionales de la salud se basan en medidas como el distanciamiento social...

Beyond sanitizing and social distancing – a healthy circadian rhythm may keep you sane and increase resilience to fight COVID-19

Written by Satchin Panda, Professor of Regulatory Biology at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Adjunct Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at UCSD, University of California San Diego

Try to get outside during daylight to set your circadian rhythms.LordRunar /Getty Images

Social distancing and washing hands have become the frontline in the fight against COVID-19, but there is another powerfully protective resource immediately available to all: your circadian rhythm.

Every cell in your body has a sense of time.wildpixel / Getty...

What does 'recovered from coronavirus' mean? 4 questions answered about how some survive and what happens next

Written by Tom Duszynski, Director Epidemiology Education, IUPUI

Recovery is the result for most coronavirus patientsAP Photo/Tony Dejak

The coronavirus is certainly scary, but despite the constant reporting on total cases and a climbing death toll, the reality is that the vast majority of people who come down with COVID-19 survive it. Just as the number of cases grows, so does another number: those who have...