UAB

UAB Predicts COVID Hospital Patients Will Double By Christmas, Vaccines Expected Soon

In a gathering of 20 people, there's more than a 50% chance that one person in that gathering will be infectious and contagious with COVID-19, according to Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson.

Alabama Health Officials Hope To Receive First COVID-19 Vaccines Next Friday

Alabama will receive about 41,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, which will be distributed at 16 vaccination sites at hospitals across the state.

Health Experts: Scale Back Thanksgiving Plans To Avoid COVID-19

Research from Georgia Tech University shows there is a one in five chance you will catch the virus if you gather with a group of ten people in Jefferson County.

UAB Looking For A Variety Of Patients For COVID-19 Clinical Trials

UAB is offering both inpatient and outpatient COVID-19 trials ranging from vaccines to treatments that hope to weaken the effects of the virus.

Can Alabama College Students Skip The Next Phase Of Coronavirus Testing? Maybe.

GuideSafe plans to roll out the next phases of testing at Alabama higher education institutions.

After Bipolar Diagnosis, French Became Her ‘Asylum From The Madness’

This Alabama woman struggled with mental illness and found solace in French. She recently recounted her story in an award-winning essay.

College Entry Testing Shows Less Than 1% Of Students Have COVID-19

Preliminary numbers from a program to test college students returning to campus indicate a low positivity rate. The program has tested about 30,000 students so far.

Birmingham Gives Tax Breaks For UAB-Area Student Apartment Project, Commission Expected To Follow Suit

The company building a seven-story student housing development near UAB received permission from the city this week to forgo some property and sale taxes for the project. The county is now set to hear a similar request later this week.

Pregnancy During The Pandemic: What You Should Know

The interim chair of UAB’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology debunked a number of COVID pregnancy myths.

Health Care Disparities: Being The Target Of Racism Can Make You Physically Sick, Research Shows

The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that racial discrimination against Black children and youth can affect their health.

UAB Researchers Create Culturally-Based Protocol For Palliative Care

Ronit Elk led the study for the new protocol, after noticing the lack of respect for cultural differences for the nation’s sickest minority patients.

UAB To Open New Coronavirus Facility For Elderly Patients

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is creating a specialized skilled nursing facility for some COVID-19 patients in Jefferson County. Alabama's nursing homes have seen an influx of coronavirus cases since the pandemic began in late March.

Coronavirus Cases In Ages 5-24 Double Within A Month; Alabama Hits New Record Daily High

Alabama saw the number of coronavirus cases double among 5 to 24-year-olds, according to data from the Alabama Department of Public Health. The state also recorded a new daily high of 1,129 cases between 10 a.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Thursday.

The ‘Old Normal’ Is Making Us Sick Again, UAB Doc Says; NY-Area Bans Alabama Travelers Without A Quarantine

The number of COVID-19 cases in the state rose Wednesday by 954, one of the state’s largest daily increases since the pandemic began, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.

UAB Treating Its Highest Number Of Coronavirus Patients Since The Pandemic Began, Health Experts Say

Alabama continues to break records as cases of COVID-19 increase at the highest rate yet.

Privacy Concerns Decrease Amid Launch Of Tech Giants’ Contact Tracing App

Alabama is one of a few states getting ready to deploy a bluetooth-based contact tracing app created by tech giants Apple and Google.

As Coronavirus Cases Spike, Numbers Bear ‘Very Close Watching’

Alabama hit record highs this past week in the number of new coronavirus cases. Health officials are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Alabama COVID-19 Hospitalizations Hit Record High

There are more Alabamians hospitalized for the coronavirus than at any point during the pandemic. UAB's Dr. Rachael Lee explains why.

Amid COVID-19 Pressures, Lucy’s Coffee & Tea Closes For Good

Lucy’s Coffee & Tea has been a Birmingham staple for more than 25 years. Earlier this week, owner Lucy Bonds announced she’s closing her cafe for good.

UAB Furloughs Staffers And Cuts Pay Amid Pandemic

UAB announced Monday that more than 300 university staff members will be temporarily furloughed in an effort to offset significant financial losses due to COVID-19.

UAB Drug Remdesivir Is First to Block the COVID-19 Virus, May Become Standard of Care. Fauci “Optimistic.”

Remdesivir, a drug developed through a federal grant to UAB, may be the first effective therapy for treating severely ill COVID-19 patients, early analysis of a large federally sponsored study found this week.

Some Alabama Graduations Saved By Going Virtual

Most spring graduations are canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. But a few groups and institutions are organizing virtual ceremonies for the class of 2020

UAB to Start COVID-19 Testing With Mobile Units in Bush Hills, Center Point

UAB will deploy a new COVID-19 mobile testing unit this week to communities across Jefferson County.

Alabama Lags Coronavirus Testing Rate Advised to Begin Reopening

Data shows Alabama lags behind most of its Southeast neighbors in COVID-19 testing.

Q&A With UAB Med School Dean Selwyn Vickers: Pandemic “Significantly” Shutting Down Clinical Trial Enterprise

BirminghamWatch spoke with the dean of UAB's Medical School about COVID-19's impact on clinical trials.

Coronavirus Peaks In Alabama On April 20. Here’s What To Expect

COVID-19 is expected to peak Monday. Here's how UAB has been preparing for this and the months that follow.

UAB’s Pastoral Care Team Counsels Health Care Workers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Hospital chaplains usually show comfort to patients or their families, but at UAB that has changed. During the coronavirus pandemic, the pastoral care team spends a lot of time counseling health care workers who are on the front lines.

There Will Be a Day After, But Then Comes The Day After That

UAB officials are starting to look toward the day when the number of COVID-19 cases starts to decline in Alabama, but there are no easy answers to what could come next.

Volunteers Step Up To Face The Challenges Of The Pandemic

Efforts in Birmingham to thwart the spread of COVID-19 stretch from volunteer organizations that have stitched more than 18,500 cloth face masks to tech companies and businesses using prototyping, fabrication and 3D printers to create face shields and ventilator adaptors, as well as prototypes for portable intensive care units.

How Inhaled Nitric Oxide Could Treat COVID-19

UAB announced Tuesday it will start testing inhaled nitric oxide as a treatment for COVID-19 patients. Nitric oxide was also used during the 2003 SARS pandemic and showed that it not only helped increase oxygen in patients, but also had anti-viral properties

New Coronavirus Tracker Hopes To Locate Hotspots In Rural, Underserved Areas

UAB has created a new symptom checker to track the spread of COVID-19. The website hopes to give public health officials insight on virus hotspots, especially in underserved communities.

Birmingham Could Be Two Weeks Away From NYC COVID-19 Rates

The coronavirus pandemic in Alabama is not as bad as hot spots elsewhere in the country, but public health officials expect that to change.