SIGMA XI COVID-19 PREPAREDNESS KIT

The Sigma Xi COVID-19 Preparedness Kit consists of tools and resources that will help Sigma Xi members and others manage the challenges of social distancing.

Sigma Xi members and staff have compiled a list of useful links to free or low-cost resources to use during the COVID-19 outbreak. Members can access personal and professional development courses, tips for homeschooling children, or entertainment websites, including free online concerts, museum tours, and interactive experiences.

The Preparedness Kit also includes key scientific information about the outbreak as well as the latest research on COVID-19.

Sigma Xi COVID-19 Content

COVID-19 Expert Interviews

Sigma Xi has teamed up with science communicator Brian Malow (@sciencecomedian) to produce a series of interviews that connect COVID-19 questions with scientists.

How Viruses Work
Published: June 24, 2020
Featured Scientist: Ann Skalka, Sigma Xi member, virologist, and professor emerita at Fox Chase Cancer Center
Topics: How she began her career in virology; what she finds interesting about SARS-CoV-2

Using Viruses As Vectors
Published: May 20, 2020
Featured Scientist: Ann Skalka, Sigma Xi member, virologist, and professor emerita at Fox Chase Cancer Center
Topics: Some approaches to developing a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine involve using other viruses to teach our bodies to respond to the new coronavirus.

Why Do Viruses Affect People Differently?
Published: May 20, 2020
Featured Scientist: Ann Skalka, Sigma Xi member, virologist, and professor emerita at Fox Chase Cancer Center
Topics: Factors that help determine the strength of a viral infection in an individual.

What Does Coronavirus Survive Longer on Some Surfaces?
Published: May 15, 2020
Featured Scientist: Mark Peeples, past president of Sigma Xi, molecular virologist, professor at The Ohio State University, and a principal investigator at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Topics: The types of surfaces that coronavirus easily survives on, and how the virus can infect you if you touch your eye.

How Does a Virus Get Inside a Cell?
Published: May 7, 2020
Featured Scientist: Mark Peeples, past president of Sigma Xi, molecular virologist, professor at The Ohio State University, and a principal investigator at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Topics: The structure and function of the attachment and fusion proteins that viruses use to gain access to a cell in order to replicate.

Does a Virus Eat?
Published: May 7, 2020
Featured Scientist: Mark Peeples, past president of Sigma Xi, molecular virologist, professor at The Ohio State University, and a principal investigator at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Topics: Capabilities of viruses and how viruses obtain energy to infect a cell.

Anatomy of a Coronavirus–An Interview with Virologist Barbara Sherry
Published: April 21, 2020
Featured Scientist: Barbara Sherry, professor of virology and head of the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Topics: The full interview with Barbara Sherry covers the definition of a virus, what is the ACE2 receptor, how soap stops the spread of the virus, and more. Clips of this interview are posted below.

Can We Tell If the Coronavirus Was Bioengineered?
Published April 16, 2020
Featured Scientist: Barbara Sherry, professor of virology and head of the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Topic: How do scientists know the new coronavirus has a natural origin?

What Is the Origin of the Coronavirus?
Published April 15, 2020
Featured Scientist: Barbara Sherry, professor of virology and head of the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Topic: Where did other coronaviruses, SARS and MERS, come from? Where did the new virus, SARS-CoV-2, come from? How do we know where it came from?

UPDATE: Can Pets Be Infected by the New Coronavirus?
Published April 13, 2020
Featured Scientist: Barbara Sherry, professor of virology and head of the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Topic: A small number of cases of infected cats have been found. What does that mean for pet owners?

INTERVIEW 1 of 2: Can Pets Carry Coronavirus?
Published March 25, 2020
Featured Scientist: Barbara Sherry, professor of virology and head of the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Topic: Should we worry about touching our pets if we're not yet diagnosed, or are diagnosed, with COVID-19?

Is It Safe to Order Food Delivery and Takeout During the COVID-19 Outbreak?
Published March 27, 2020
Featured Scientist: Benjamin Chapman, food safety professor and food safety Extension specialist at North Carolina State University

Topics: What is the risk of eating food from a restaurant? How is the virus transmitted to people?

Social Distancing Isn't New
Published: March 30, 2020
Featured Scientist: Benjamin Chapman, food safety professor and food safety Extension specialist at North Carolina State University

Topics: What do scientists know about coronaviruses from studying influenza; the history of quarantine; the developments that have allowed us to avoid social distancing until recently.

Does Cooking and Freezing Affect the Coronavirus?
Published:April 1, 2020
Featured Scientist: Benjamin Chapman, food safety professor and food safety Extension specialist at North Carolina State University

Topics: How does heating and freezing food affect viruses and food-borne pathogens; the importance of hand sanitizers and disinfectants

Sigma Xi Speaks – A Moment of Truth for Science

Sigma Xi Signs Letter in Support of Evidence-Based Public Health Guidance