Author: jgerman (page 2 of 3)

Congrats to our February Smartphone App Download Winners!

We are happy to award monthly prize drawings to two students during the month of February for downloading and running out smartphone app!

 

CATCHing up with Maggie Fox from NBC News…

Another great write up about the study, this one from NBC News, Health:

Sneeze machine study takes a deep dive into how flu spreads

Work from CATCH researchers on TWiV!

This Week in Virology (more affectionately known as TWiV), had a recent episode reviewing the current flu season and discussed our recently published work in PNAS concerning flu in exhaled breath!

CATCH was featured on Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien!

The Centers for Disease Control now report that a total of 63 children have died from the flu this season and this is the highest rate of flu-like illnesses since the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Part of the reason is the prominence of the H3N2 virus, a particularly deadly influenza virus, and the low efficacy …

Source: Dr. Fauci: A Universal Flu Vaccine is Possible – Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien

Announcing our first bi-monthly smartphone app download winner of 2018!

An important part of the research study involves students who are eligible downloading and running our smartphone app.  Each time the app sends a data point, we also count that data point as an entry into a lottery.  Twice each month we’ll be randomly selecting a winner from this lottery pool to win $20 and a Giant Microbe.  Our first winner was announced this week!

Despite also coming in as a case because she wasn’t feeling well, our winner smiled for a photo op with her Influenza Giant Microbe.

Congratulations, and we hope you have enjoy your flu (but only the stuffed one!)

CATCH has hit CBS This Morning

The study was highlighted in a segment on CBS This Morning! CATCH it here!

CATCH us on ABC7!

The CATCH study has been getting some local press! The study was recently featured in a story on ABC7 WJLA:

CATCH is back!

The spring semester is well underway, and CATCH is up and running again!

In the past two weeks we’ve been working to get participants into the clinic.  Dr. Milton visited the GPH and STS freshmen colloquia to remind students the study is on-going, and how to contact us when they get sick.

CATCH also sponsored several informational events, with hot cocoa and Insomnia Cookies.

We had study staff and research assistants on had to answer questions and help people download the phone app.

 

We were also able to award our fall semester phone app download prize of $500.  Our lucky winner was on hand to collect his prize and get his picture taken.  Congrats again to him, and remember, when you download the app, each data point you collect goes into our lottery for a bi-monthly $20 prize, and for another $500 prize at the end of the spring semester!

So far this semester, the CATCH study has seen 8 cases and seen cases of Flu and Coronavirus.  With this flu season shaping up to the worst in almost a decade, we expect to see even more cases as the semester continues.

Remember, if you’re a freshman living the Cambridge community and in the STS, LS, or GPH scholars program, or a roommate of one of these students, and you start to feel sick, we’d love to see you! You can make a little cash, find out what you’re sick with, and most importantly, help us as we try to CATCH the virus!

Announcing Our First Monthly Smartphone App Download Winner

Each month, the CATCH study awards a prize to a randomly selected participant who has downloaded and is collecting data for our smartphone app.  Each winner is awarded a $20 debit card and a GiantMicrobe, an adorable  stuffed version of some of the viruses we’re tracking in our study.

Here is our December winner and his Rhinovirus!

The longer you have the app downloaded, the longer you are collecting data points, and the more entries you have in our next drawing! We’ll also be selecting a winner for our end of semester drawing, which is for $500, so stay tuned!!!!

In addition to the chance to win some great prizes, you also get paid $10 just for downloading!

Download here, or by scanning this code:

CATCH RAs are the BEST!!!

As we finish our fall 2017 semester, we just want to send a HUGE thank you out to all of the students that helped out as a Research Assistant with the study.

This semester we had 61 students serving as an RA split between our clinical section and our laboratory section (although some couldn’t make it to the photo).

The Lab RAs

The Clinic RAs

 

We appreciate all of the effort you put in this semester, especially given the challenges we encountered with getting the study approved and started.  We are excited to continue in the spring, and especially excited that so many of you are planning on returning!

Interested in participating as an RA with CATCH? Find more information on our website!

 

Have a great break, rest up and get ready to CATCH the virus; we’ll see you next semester!

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