School of Public Health

The amount in external funding for research and other sponsored programs at West Virginia University for fiscal year 2021 tops the previous year’s record by $8 million.

As infection and hospitalization rates due to the delta variant decrease, West Virginia University will lift mask requirements for individuals in indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status, beginning Thursday, Oct. 21; however, the University will continue to require masks in all classrooms, labs or any WVU System facility or building being used as a classroom for the remainder of the semester.

The West Virginia University School of Public Health is providing critical insights to help target minority communities and other key demographics as the state works to boost its vaccination rate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement is a continuation of requirements put in place in September which were set to be reevaluated in early October and apply to all people, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.

About 90% of Americans who need treatment for a substance use disorder don’t get it. West Virginia University researchers have developed a program that allows people who have already walked the path of substance use disorder through recovery to be their guides to a healthier life.

WVU researchers are monitoring wastewater for COVID-19 concentrations and thanks to a nearly $3 million grant will develop a testing network throughout the state. The new testing process has possibilities beyond the pandemic to test for influenza, RSV, HIV and other viruses, as well as signs of antibiotic-resistance genes.

West Virginia University is temporarily revising its masking guidelines. Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 18, and for the next 30 days, masks will be required for all those in classrooms, teaching and research labs on all campuses - regardless of vaccination status.

As West Virginia University kicks off a new academic year amid a recent spike in COVID-19 cases across the country, public health researchers at both WVU and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now have a better understanding of university students’ knowledge and perceptions of mask-wearing.

Based on the latest guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, West Virginia University will distribute $27,271,733 in emergency grants to eligible students during the 2021-22 academic year.

While the world has been focused on COVID-19 as a health crisis, individual communities may have other specific health concerns that need attention. Population health, which integrates healthcare and public health practices, is an emerging healthcare field that allows professionals to identify a locally pressing health issue, intervene and transform the community’s health outcomes.