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UArizona Health Sciences Developing Antibody Test That Could Help Fight COVID-19

The virus that causes COVID-19 is new and mysterious, presenting more questions than answers. But University of Arizona Health Sciences immunobiologists are laying the groundwork to answer some of those questions. Janko Nikolich-Žugich, MD, PhD, lead a team devoted to developing a COVID-19 antibody test, which is different from the test that detects if someone is infected with the virus.

Arizona to Test 250,000 First Responders, Healthcare Workers for COVID-19

(Reuters) - Arizona on Tuesday said it would provide coronavirus antibody tests for 250,000 health-care workers and first responders in the largest such testing in the United States to date.

The blood tests show who has been exposed to the novel coronavirus and successfully built immunity, the University of Arizona, which will produce and carry out the tests, said in a statement.

SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 in older adults: what we may expect regarding pathogenesis, immune responses, and outcomes

SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative agent of the coronavirus infectious disease-19 (COVID-19), is taking the globe by storm, approaching 500,000 confirmed cases and over 21,000 deaths as of March 25, 2020. While under control in some affected Asian countries (Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam), the virus demonstrated an exponential phase of infectivity in several large countries (China in late January and February and many European countries and the USA in March), with cases exploding by 30–50,000/day in the third and fourth weeks of March, 2020. SARS-CoV-2 has proven to be particularly deadly to older adults and those with certain underlying medical conditions, many of whom are of advanced age.

UArizona Colleges of Medicine to Provide Free Tuition for Primary Care Medical Students

TUCSON, Ariz. – In a move to address both the severe statewide primary care physician shortage and the growing burden of student debt, the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix will begin providing free tuition in the spring semester to students who agree to practice primary care in a federally designated underserved community in Arizona for at least two years after completing their residency.

Op-Ed: Elder abuse and the power of social isolation and loneliness

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was June 15. The day was designated by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization to increase sensitivity to the fact that, worldwide, 15.7% of older adults experience some form of mistreatment. In the U.S., about 1 in 6 is a victim.