Ep 34: Back to School and COVID-19 with Dr. Alessio Fasano, MGH for Children
In today’s episode of Catalysts for Change, Jill talks to Dr. Alessio Fasano, world-renowned gastroenterologist and chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC). Renowned for his pediatric and gastroenterology work, we focus on Dr. Fasano’s most recent research on COVID-19 and its impact on children.
A leader in celiac disease research, Dr. Fasano also directs the Center for Celiac Research, focusing on the treatment of patients with gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Dr. Fasano also directs the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center at Mass. General and is associate chief for Basic, Clinical and Translational Research. World renowned for his research and work, Dr. Fasano has been featured in hundreds of interviews from outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and more.
Released in August, Dr. Fasano and a team of researchers provided insight into how children are impacted by COVID-19, timely with the discussion of the reopening of schools. The research found that children were found to have a higher viral load of the virus in their airways compared to hospitalized adults, and that they are more contagious than originally thought.
As schools start to reopen for this school year, Dr. Fasano’s research reminds us about the importance of safely reopening and implementing important protocols to keep children, families, teachers, and communities safe. If you’d like to read more of Dr. Fasasno’s research on COVID-19, please click here.
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