COVID-19 news releases and experts

 As a land-grant university, Kansas State University is actively involved in the fight against COVID-19, including research projects, outreach efforts and faculty experts. Learn more through this list of news releases and expert sources, which are organized by topic.

As the fight against COVID-19 continues, Kansas State University has received a five-year, $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to research a new treatment method for the virus.
Experts: Kyeong-Ok Chang, kchang@vet.k-state.edu; and Yunjeong  Kim, ykim@vet.k-state.edu
Read the news release.

University-licensed compound selected as candidate against COVID-19

K-State is continuing to help in the fight against COVID-19 with a licensed technology against coronaviruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19.
Experts: Kyeong-Ok Chang, kchang@vet.k-state.edu; and Yunjeong  Kim, ykim@vet.k-state.edu
Read the news release.

K-State medical director contributes to research behind updated CDC quarantine guidance

Kyle Goerl, the medical director of Kansas State University's Lafene Health Center, is part of a collaborative team that has published recent research on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and quarantine periods.
Expert: Kyle Goerl
Read the news release.

Two K-State studies focus on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in domestic cats, pigs

Two recently published studies from Kansas State University researchers and collaborators include important findings related to SARS-CoV-2 transmission and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Expert: Jürgen A. Richt, jricht@vet.k-state.edu
Read the news release.

University-community partnership eases COVID-19 testing shortage, receives commendation from state of Kansas

Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas secretary of the Department of Health and Environment, has commended a Kansas State University-community partnership in their efforts to make COVID-19 testing supplies available.
Experts: Jungkwun Kim, jkkim1324@k-state.edu
Read the news release.

New published study from K-State virologists identifies potential COVID-19 treatment

Yunjeong Kim and Kyeong-Ok "KC" Chang, virologists in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University, have published a study showing a possible therapeutic treatment for COVID-19.
Experts: Kyeong-Ok Chang, kchang@vet.k-state.edu; and Yunjeong  Kim,  ykim@vet.k-state.edu 
Read the news release.

New research consortium uses artificial intelligence to find promising drugs for COVID-19 treatment

Kansas State University is leading the consortium, which is making all its findings freely available to researchers worldwide.
Expert: Ho-Leung Ng, hng@k-state.edu
Read the news release.

K-State study first to show SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, not transmitted by mosquitoes

A new study by K-State researchers is the first to confirm that SARS-CoV-2 cannot be transmitted to people by mosquitoes.
Expert: Stephen Higgs, shiggs@bri.k-state.edu
Read the news release.

University signs research agreement for COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Kansas State University has signed a new preclinical research and option agreement with Tonix Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, to develop a vaccine candidate for the prevention of COVID-19.
Expert: Waithaka Mwangi, wmwangi@vet.k-state.edu
Read the news release.

Infectious disease expert offers road map for future COVID-19 research; investigates potential therapeutic options

A Kansas State University infectious disease scientist and collaborators are offering a possible research road map to find the answers to COVID-19 questions.
Experts: Jürgen A. Richt, jricht@vet.k-state.edu; and Stephen Higgs, shiggs@bri.k-state.edu
Read the news release.

Licensed technology for  coronavirus  antiviral drug 

 Kansas State University has licensed a technology that may lead to the production of an antiviral drug to treat coronaviruses and noroviruses.
Expert: Yunjeong  Kim,  ykim@vet.k-state.edu 
Read the news release.

K-State expands licensing agreement for COVID-19 antiviral treatment

Researchers from Kansas State University are doing their part to help discover a treatment for COVID-19 through a second licensing agreement with Cocrystal Pharma. 
Expert: Yunjeong  Kim,  ykim@vet.k-state.edu 
Read the news release.

K-State veterinary faculty target new ways to confront COVID-19

Scientific work continues in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University to better understand and confront the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease.
Expert: Derek Mosier,  dmosier@vet.k-state.edu
Read the news release.

Outreach

SORT steps up to help with COVID-19 efforts in Riley County

Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine veterinary students and Master of Public Health students are helping the Riley County Health Department with its COVID-19 efforts as members of the Student Outbreak Response Team, or SORT.
Experts: Ellyn Mulcahy, emulcahy@vet.k-state.edu
Read the news release.

K-State begins offering COVID-19 testing for university students, employees

Kansas State University is helping combat the coronavirus pandemic by developing important diagnostic tests and offering testing services for the university community.
Experts: Kyle Goerl, lafene@k-state.edu; and Jamie Henningson, clientcare@vet.k-state.edu
Read the news release.

Tackling COVID-19: K-Staters taking on the challenge to help locally and globally

Kansas State University faculty and staff have been helping local and state efforts to battle COVID-19 by contributing their time and expertise as well as university resources.
Experts: Peter Dorhout, dorhout@k-state.edu; and Bonnie Rush, vetdean@k-state.edu
Read the news release.

Face time: K-State projects creating face shields, cloth masks

Area health care organizations are getting custom-made face shields and cloth face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, courtesy of Kansas State University.
Expert: Jonathan Dessi-Olive, jdessiolive@k-state.edu
Read the news release.

Technology Development Institute assists state's small businesses, manufacturers with Great Plains TMC initiative

The Technology Development Institute has assembled a COVID-19 resource guide and is disseminating this information through the Great Plains Technology and Manufacturing Cluster initiative.
Read the news release.

Art department aids in production of PPE face shields for health care workers

The art department is collaborating with a College of Architecture, Planning & Design club to produce PPE face shields for local health care workers using 3D printing technology.
Expert: Owen Oertling, oertling@k-state.edu
Read the announcement.

Education

 Remote learning and distance education: Higher education 

K-State has created resources to help universities transition to online/remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic. One initiative is called Keep Teaching: Resources for Higher Ed and it's an online community among the first of its kind in the U.S. 
Expert: Katie Linder,  kelinder@k-state.edu
Read the news release.

Remote learning  and distance education: P-12 

The K-State College of Education's Remote Learning P-12 community is a place where educators and parents can share innovative ideas and resources that support student success.
Expert: Thomas Vontz,  tvontz@k-state.edu
Read the news release.

College of Education study finds top challenges of Kansas K-12 teachers in COVID-19 crisis

More than 800 teachers in rural, urban and suburban school districts across the state participated in the project, "Access, Engagement and Resilience During COVID-19 Remote Learning."
Expert: Debbie Mercer, dmercer@k-state.edu
Read the news release.

Agriculture

Model of beef cattle, transportation industries as critical infrastructures reveals vulnerabilities

An interdisciplinary team of K-State researchers developed a computer simulation that revealed beef supply chain vulnerabilities that need safeguarding — a realistic concern during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts: Caterina Scoglio, caterina@k-state.edu; and Qihui Yang, qihui@k-state.edu
Read the news release.

K-State keeping rural, urban Kansans on the forefront of COVID-19 knowledge

K-State is helping families in Kansas by arming them with new research, information, tools and outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts: Joel DeRouchey, jderouch@k-state.edu
Randall Phebus, phebus@k-state.edu
Glynn Tonsor, gtonsor@k-state.edu
Marcie Lechtenberg, mlechten@k-state.edu
Read the news release.

Livestock prices

Temporary packing plant closures and changes in meat demand linked to the coronavirus pandemic have driven cattle and hog prices lower.
Expert: Glynn Tonsor, gtonsor@k-state.edu
Read the news release.

Coping with volatile farm commodity prices

Agricultural producers should seek to control costs and increase liquidity as much as possible given the current upheaval linked to the COVID-19 outbreak. 
Expert: Brian Briggeman, 785-532-2573,  bbrigg@k-state.edu 
Read the news release.

Family life

K-State financial planning therapist helps develop MoneyTalk digital tool; offers tips to cope with COVID-19 financial stress

Megan McCoy, Kansas State University professor of practice in personal financial planning, is helping couples and families cope with financial stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Expert: Megan McCoy, 785-532-5510, meganmccoy@k-state.edu
Read the news release.

While food and food packaging does not seem to be a source of contamination for the novel coronavirus, Karen Blakeslee still urges consumers to use common food safety practices.
Expert: Karen Blakeslee, 785-532-1673,  kblakesl@k-state.edu 
Read the news release.

Foods from farm animals considered safe from COVID-19 

Proteins produced by livestock are safe to eat. People do not have to worry about those products carrying COVID-19 to the population. 
Expert: Gregg  Hanzlicek, 785-532-5650,  gahanz@k-state.edu 
Read the news release.

Shopping during a quarantine 

 Planning for meals you plan to eat is the best strategy for limiting trips to the grocery store during a quarantine. 
Expert: Sandy Procter, 785-532-1675,  procter@k-state.edu
Read the news release.