COVID-19 Response
UF Health Cancer Center Director Jonathan Licht, M.D., administers the COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 was first detected in Florida on March 1. As the disease quickly spread throughout our state, cancer care and research experienced a dramatic shift. Through immense dedication and the quick development of robust testing and treatment protocols, the UF Health Cancer Center maintained our resolve to decrease the cancer burden in our region through direct clinical care and continued research. Many of our faculty and staff even shifted gears to help in the fight against COVID-19 using their specialized skills; some attempted to harness the potential of immunology, others developed new tests for the virus and others still contributed to public health and awareness efforts.
To see more cancer-relevant COVID-19 news releases, articles, blogs and webinars featuring UF Health Cancer Center members, click here.
Members Making Headlines
Developing a next-generation coronavirus test for home use
Piyush Jain, Ph.D., was headed home from another late night in his University of Florida lab when he got the word from his grad student — the rapid test they had been trying to develop for the novel coronavirus worked. READ MORE
Certain compounds may block coronavirus from cells, UF Health researcher finds
Computer simulations run by a University of Florida Health researcher have shown that three compounds appear to have the potential to block cells from being infected by the novel coronavirus COVID-19. READ MORE
Quicker reviews, designated funding is speeding COVID-19 research efforts at UF Health
University of Florida Health researcher Mark Brantly, M.D., and his team are working to evaluate a drug treatment for the novel coronavirus that might block the deadly inflammatory response caused by the disease that curtails the lungs’ ability to function. READ MORE
Dr. Folakemi Odedina Coordinates COVID-19 Research Collaboration in Florida
Folakemi Odedina, Ph.D., UF joint professor in radiation oncology, pharmacotherapy and translational research, is director of the CaRE2 Health Equity Center, which will coordinate COVID-19 outreach efforts in some of the hardest-hit communities in northern and central Florida. These areas include Alachua, Duval, Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. READ MORE
Addressing Oncology Concerns in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Patients with cancer, especially those who are older and who are receiving active cancer treatments, are particularly vulnerable to the more severe form of COVID-19. Published data on the impact of the disease on patients who are immunocompromised as a result of cancer or cancer treatment is limited. READ MORE
UF researchers lead the way in rapidly designing, building low-cost, open-source ventilator
As a University of Florida mechanical engineering student decades ago, Samsun Lampotang, Ph.D., helped respiratory therapist colleagues build a minimal-transport ventilator that became a commercial success. So, when the coronavirus pandemic hit and he heard the desperate international plea for thousands more ventilators, the longtime UF professor of anesthesiology set out to build a prototype using plentiful, cheap components that could be copied from an online diagram and a software repository. READ MORE
Florida Cancer Patients Await COVID-19 Vaccine
“Some protection is better than no protection,” said Dr. Merry J. Markham, acting chief of the Division of Hematology & Oncology at UF Health, to the Florida Political Review.
Markham also noted that getting the vaccine to cancer patients is a logistical struggle. In addition to consulting their doctor, “most people with cancer should presume automatically that they should get vaccinated,” she said. “The issue is more of timing and where to get it.” READ MORE
UF Health researchers join national study of COVID-19 impacts on health workers, potential remedies
A new research program to understand the effect of COVID-19 on health care workers is soon to be underway at University of Florida Health and other sites across the country. A clinical trial to evaluate whether hydroxychloroquine can prevent COVID-19 infections is also being planned. READ MORE
ASH-ASTCT COVID-19 and Vaccines: Frequently Asked Questions
John Wingard, M.D., deputy director of the UF Health Cancer Center, is on the COVID vaccine guidelines committee for ASH and ASTCT. The recommendations are published on the ASH and ASTCT websites and regularly updated: READ MORE
Don’t let COVID-19 delay cancer screenings
At this point in the pandemic, we’re all painfully aware that COVID-19 is an immediate health concern for millions of Americans. But cancer doctors like me are afraid the disease will prove deadly in another, unexpected way, even for those who manage to avoid infection. READ MORE
Community Outreach, Engagement & Equity office COVID-19 initiatives
The COEE team has pivoted and adapted to the pandemic by engaging with over 800 community members about topics related to COVID-19 and cancer through educational webinars. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the COEE team partnered with the Florida Cancer Control and Research Advisory Council (CCRAB) and the North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC) to host an informational webinar with 411 attendees on how to best navigate cancer treatment and survivorship during the pandemic. Speakers included oncologists Christopher Cogle, M.D., and Amar Kelkar, M.D.
In partnership with Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE), a national hereditary cancer advocacy organization, and the North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC), the office provided an update for those navigating cancer care during the pandemic as part of our monthly Cancer Connections meeting with speaker Merry Jennifer Markham, M.D., FACP, FASCO, and 220 attendees.
During the summer, UFHCC COEE Community Advisory Board members recommended a webinar focused on hurricane preparedness for cancer patients and survivors in a pandemic. The COEE office partnered with the American Cancer Society and the North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC) to host the webinar which had 57 attendees. Speakers included John MacDonald of Levy County Emergency Management, Sue Colson, R.N., of the City of Cedar Key, Jennifer McKathan of the American Cancer Society, Inc., and Merry Jennifer Markham, M.D., FACP, FASCO, of the UF Health Cancer Center.
In January 2021, the COEE office again partnered with the Florida Cancer Control and Research Advisory Council (CCRAB) and the North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC). With 247 attendees, Christopher Cogle, M.D., and Amar Kelkar, M.D., presented on a webinar for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and providers, this time on what individuals with a current or prior cancer diagnosis needed to know about the COVID-19 vaccine.
The UFHCC COEE team is involved in the Florida Community-Engaged Research Alliance Against COVID-19, a statewide initiative aimed at advancing evidence-based COVID health promotion practices and minority participation in vaccine and therapeutic clinical trials.
COEE is also working with Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., on the Health and Human Services (HHS) Special Project for Equitable and Efficient Distribution (SPEED) of COVID-19 therapeutics, a federal allocation of COVID-19 outpatient therapeutic, bamlanivimab, to be administered in priority communities with a high-risk of hospitalization. This study is being conducted in Columbia and surrounding counties, targeting people 65 and older who are considered high-risk with a positive COVID result. These patients are identified through a database and are contacted for participation and to schedule an infusion of the therapeutic. During the infusion, our team is administering a survey to understand the impact of COVID-19 on their social, physical and mental well-being, their experience and assess their knowledge of COVID-19. This survey is also being administered to those being cared for by safety-net facilities and in the UF Health Hematology and Oncology Clinics.
