A viral illness spreads across Washington state, causing respiratory illness. Most cases are mild, but some are severe and even fatal. At the same time it causes many fewer illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths than the seasonal flu. So why are we obsessed with this COVID-19? Why is it that pharmacies have run out of surgical masks and hand sanitizer, and people no longer feel shy about wearing a mask in public? Why are conferences and classes getting canceled and governors declaring states of emergency when we don’t do that with seasonal flu?

March 8 is International Women's Day! To celebrate the day, the Department of Global Health is highlighting stories from the past year that showcase the work of our talented and diverse students, alumna, staff, and faculty working to promote health for all. 

HONG KONG — It’s been hard to be far away from home, watching a pandemic of panic over the new coronavirus ripple across the world.

A month ago I left Seattle for Hong Kong — a city of 7.3 million bordering mainland China and one of the planet’s most densely populated — as part of a Doctors Without Borders effort to rein in the widespread fear gripping the city as it began to wrestle with a virus the world knew little about.

That fear has now reached home.

54 years in medicine and public health, including 13 years of leadership in the UW Department of Global Health, has brought profound impacts on infectious diseases worldwide and solidified UW’s work in research, collaborative partnerships, mentorship of global health leaders, and grant funding.

Dr. King Holmes, Director of Research and Faculty Development and inaugural Chair of the UW Department of Global Health, has been named Distinguished Professor Emeritus.