The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill leaving people world-wide uncertain and asking a range of questions. Should I go to the grocery store? How does the virus spread? How can I stay healthy? From the how to why questions, Ohio State's researchers and Sustainability Institute’s faculty members have taken an interdisciplinary approach to looking at the many elements of COVID-19.
Explore the compilation of stories and virtual events pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic and learn how Ohio State researchers are on the cutting edge to understand the many impacts of a global pandemic. Check back often; we'll add new features as they become available. Visit the events page for a list of webinars focusing on sustainability in the face of COVID-19.
A Rising Weapon against Coronavirus? Sewage.
The Ohio Water Resources Center (Ohio WRC), a federally authorized and state-designated Water Resources Research Institute located at Ohio State, recently received a research award for wastewater COVID-19 surveillance, as part of the Coronavirus Relief Fund through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. CARES Act. Sustainability Institute-affiliated faculty involved in the project are Linda Weavers, Zuzana Bohrerova and John Lenhart.
Businesses Look to Stay Safe and Sustainable Through COVID-19
As Ohio and surrounding states slowly reopen after the shutdowns caused by COVID-19, many individuals are wondering how to stay safe and sustainable while moving forward. The Sustainability Institute staff talked to business owners about their top needs and concerns related to the pandemic.
Ohio State Researchers, Testing Polymer Face Masks to Protect Against COVID-19
Judit Puskas, food, agricultural and biological engineering and a Sustainability Institute core faculty member, is in the final stages of developing a new polymer face mask that she expects will be more effective in the fight against COVID-19.
Ohio State Researchers Testing Breathalyzer to Detect COVID-19
Researchers at Ohio State are working on a testing system that would require a simple exhaled breath. Perena Gouma, engineering professor and a Sustainability Institute affiliated faculty member, is the primary investigator of a team developing a breathalyzer device that will sample breath for key biomarkers of the COVID-19 infection.
Mapping the COVID-19 Economic Recovery
To aid government and other officials in making sound decisions regarding infrastructure projects, Sustainability Institute faculty members, Daniel Gingerich, Jeffrey Bielicki and Yue Qin created an online tool to help guide stakeholders' investment in infrastructure projects while examining the social benefits of these expenditures.
What History Can Teach Us About Pandemics
Nicholas Breyfogle, associate history professor and Sustainability Institute affiliated faculty member, was awarded funding through the Office of Research. With this funding, Breyfogle and other faculty in the Department of History and College of Education will create media materials such as videos, articles, podcasts and lesson plans to place the current coronavirus pandemic in historical context to be shared with students and the general public.
Chinese, American Scientists Leading Efforts on COVID-19
Despite the political tensions between the United States and China, scientists in the two countries are working together more than ever to study the COVID-19 virus, a new study suggests.
Declines in Public Transit Demand Show Essential Workers Reliance on COTA and Similar Services
The COVID-19 pandemic brought life to a standstill. Harvey Miller, the Bob and Mary Reusche Chair in Geographic Information Science in the Department of Geography, director of the Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (CURA) and Sustainability Institute faculty advisory board member, focused research to understand how a city moves and what happens when it stops.
Glacial Ice Will Likely Hold Records of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Researchers Say
Ice from glaciers around the world, undisturbed for centuries, show changes in how societies functioned throughout history – and will likely hold a record of the current impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for future generations.
How One Cough Can Overwhelm your Environment
Using computer simulations from Ohio State researchers such as Mark Weir, an assistant professor in environmental health sciences and Sustainability Institute affiliated faculty member, this video illustrates how rapidly a virus can spread and what measures will keep us safe as Ohio reopens.
Boots on the Ground
Ohio State’s College of Public Health faculty and students offer their expertise in disease modeling and other essential areas since the crisis began to unfold in the United States in late winter. College experts have continued their partnership with the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to create a containment strategy for COVID-19.
Keeping Food Fresh Longer amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Brian Roe, professor of agricultural, environmental and development economics and Sustainability Institute affiliated faculty member, offers advice on ways to keep your food fresh longer so you can make fewer trips to the grocery store.
Office of Research Awards COVID-19 Funding
Ohio State launched a funding program for a series of research projects to rapidly address critical health and community problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Three Sustainability Institute affiliated faculty members were granted funding through the Office of Research. Read the stories related to the research projects researchers are working through to answer questions surrounding the coronavirus.