In the News

Texas A&M University researchers have begun recruiting health care workers to test whether a century-old tuberculosis vaccine can help in the fight against the coronavirus, scientists’ latest attempt to repurpose a drug to help fend off the deadly pandemic.

Pressure to return to normalcy is building, but health experts say even gradual steps will increase the number of COVID-19 cases. First, they say, Texas needs more testing and contact tracing.

While we’re still sorting out the use of face masks by the public, what about the use of gloves. They’re seen as important gear to help stop the spread of germs, but are they recommended for civilians? Or, should they be left solely to medical professionals? Also, if you do use them, what are the best practices to ensure you’re safe?

So, being pregnant and delivering in a pandemic … what’s that gonna look like?”

That question, sent to me by a colleague who is both a registered nurse and an expectant mother, stopped me in my tracks. As an OB-GYN physician, I naturally focus on the science of health care. Her email reminded me of the uncertainty expectant mothers now face as health risks and the health care system around them change amid this coronavirus pandemic.

EnMed is a dual-degree, engineering-based medical school and requires all students to have received their undergraduate degree in either engineering (whether electrical, mechanical, material science or another type) or computer science. Students begin the program with a three-week engineering boot camp followed by four years of medical school integrated with engineering and mathematics at the Texas A&M campus in the Texas Medical Center.