Susan Hassig

Associate professor of epidemiology

  • New Orleans LA UNITED STATES
  • School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
shassig@tulane.edu

Susan Hassig is an expert in infectious disease outbreaks, vector-borne disease, HIV and associated infection and COVID-19.

Contact

Spotlight

2 min

COVID: New highly transmissible Arcturus variant may spark 'summer surge,' epidemiologist says

A new, highly transmissible COVID variant has arrived in the U.S. As of April 15, the new Arcturus variant – officially named XBB.1.6 – comprised 7.2% of all U.S. COVID cases, an increase from 3.9% a week prior. Arcturus gained global attention after causing a spike in cases in India. And as infection numbers begin to tick upwards, Tulane University epidemiologist Susan Hassig said the U.S. – and the Southern states, in particular – may be in for a “summer surge.” “The summer could be problematic, especially in the South where people spend a lot more time indoors,” Hassig said. “As this variant takes over, and it undoubtedly will as all of the more transmissible variants have, it's going to be peaking in a couple of months, June, July.”So far, the CDC’s Region 6 – comprised of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas and Louisiana – has seen the largest spread of Arcturus cases with the variant making up 21.3% of COVID cases. The spread of Arcturus comes one month before the expiration of the Public Health Emergency declared by the federal government during the initial COVID-19 pandemic. With public testing efforts already vastly reduced, Hassig said “we may not recognize (a surge) as quickly as we might have historically, because we're not testing the way we used to.”Little is known about Arcturus thus far besides it being another highly transmissible variant. There have been reports of conjunctivitis associated with positive cases, with some having itchy, sticky eyes. “It is not unusual that, as organisms mutate, they present some slightly different symptomology, but the challenge is there are a lot of things that cause conjunctivitis,” Hassig said. “Oak pollen and allergies can result in red, itchy eyes. A whole number of bacterial organisms, many common in India, are also associated with conjunctivitis. But a new symptom wouldn’t be that surprising. These things take a lot of time to evaluate and fully understand.” With testing down and vaccine rates unlikely to change dramatically, Hassig said it’s important for people to take safety protocols into their own hands to avoid infecting anyone, particularly those who are immune-compromised or have pre-existing conditions. “Wear masks indoors, use rapid testing before seeing an older family member. We still need to be paying attention,” Hassig said. “We're still losing what will ultimately be 100,000 people a year to a totally preventable disease, a really unacceptable level of impact in my mind. So be aware of who you’re interacting with, and if you're healthy, don’t potentially put people in your circle at risk by your own actions.”Hassig is available for media interviews on the Arcturus variant of COVID-19 and related issues. She can be reached at shassig@tulane.edu.

Susan Hassig

2 min

Epidemiologist breaks down newest COVID-19 variant, the most contagious to date

The newest strain of the novel coronavirus may be the most transmissible yet. The latest variant, named XBB.1.5, is an offshoot of the BA.1 variant of Omicron. Since the first case was reported in New York City around Thanksgiving, XBB.1.5 has spread rapidly, increasing from 2% of U.S. COVID-19 cases in December to 27% in early January. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, said the virus’ high transmissibility means it will “push out the other Omicron strains fairly soon” and that the cessation of community testing has made tracking XBB.1.5 more difficult. “We really have a limited view into the actual burden of infection with the virus generally, and new variants in particular,” Hassig said. “Currently approximately 3% of all ER visits are testing positive for coronavirus infection. Wastewater testing for coronavirus at the community level shows 50-55% of testing sites seeing increasing virus levels but this testing is not done uniformly or universally.” It’s hard to predict what will happen next as XBB.1.5 spreads, Hassig said. While the virus has been most prevalent in the Northeastern U.S., Hassig has not seen excessively high rates of severe illness yet. “Lots of people will miss work or school and hospitalizations and deaths will likely be elevated, but there’s no way to know how high,” Hassig said. “And then what will happen with long COVID/post-COVID conditions is totally unknowable.” The XBB.1.5 is completely resistant to bebtelovimab, Evusheld and other monoclonal antibody treatments. According to an article published in Cell, XBB.1.5 evades antibodies due to 14 new mutations to the spike protein, which also allow the virus to better bind to cells. While Paxlovid, an antiviral therapeutic, is effective against the new strain, Hassig said the best way to stay safe is to get boosted with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine and immediately get tested if you show signs of a respiratory illness. “Bivalent vaccinated people continue to die at lower rates than vaccinated but un-boosted, and both of those groups at much lower rates than the unvaccinated,” Hassig said. “We are now seeing 300-400 deaths a day from COVID, the equivalent of 1-2 planes crashing each day. Many would be avoidable with wider uptake of vaccine and early diagnosis and treatment.”Hassig is available for media interviews on the XBB.1.5 variant of COVID-19 and related issues. She can be reached at shassig@tulane.edu.

Susan Hassig

2 min

Ask an Epidemiologist: How to Safely Celebrate the Holiday Season

Now that COVID-19 vaccines are widely available and mask mandates and restrictions on gatherings are no longer in place in many areas, is this the year that Thanksgiving and the holidays return to normal? It’s a question on many people’s minds as they plan for festive parties and big family dinners to make up for last year’s muted holiday season. At the same time, COVID-19 is still circulating in the United States — and cases are rising in Europe despite high vaccination rates. How should people consider their risks as they begin to gather and celebrate the season with friends and family? Tulane University epidemiologist Susan Hassig is available to speak about how to be COVID-19 safe during the holidays. Hassig can answer questions about what to consider before having a multigenerational event, whether it’s appropriate to enforce a vaccine policy for family gatherings and why timing one’s social calendar will be critical for reducing risks in the weeks ahead.She recently spoke about these topics on Tulane’s On Good Authority podcast. One key takeaway is, if you are having an event involving those at higher risk, limit your exposure the week before — even if you’re vaccinated.“Everybody that's coming to the party is bringing their behavior for the last week into the party space, whether they're vaccinated or unvaccinated,” she said.Her advice is to be mindful of how many people you’re circulating around — and how it may affect those most vulnerable to the virus.“I think it's a matter of setting priorities in terms of which events you want to invest. My nightmare is someone who is doing a whole series of all sorts of parties, one right after another, leading up to Thanksgiving or to Christmas,” Hassig said. “That is a kind of situation where there is a possibility of exposure and then they would potentially bring that into the family gathering.”

Susan Hassig

Biography

Dr. Susan E. Hassig has been a faculty member of the Epidemiology Department since 1996, after more than a decade of work in HIV research, surveillance, and intervention programs in the U.S. and around the globe. She has also served in the Peace Corps, where she worked to improve disease diagnosis methods and blood transfusion safety in Thailand.

Areas of Expertise

Public Health
Epidemiology and Infection Prevention
Coronavirus
Vector-borne disease
Infectious disease outbreaks
HIV and associated infections
COVID-19
Epidemic Response and Emerging Infectious Diseases
COVID-19 Vaccine Perception

Education

Tulane University

M.P.H.

Tulane University

DrPH

St. Mary's University (formerly College)

B.A.

Media Appearances

New Orleans Faces a Virus Nightmare, and Mardi Gras May Be Why

The New York Times  print

2021-03-26

Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, said there were other likely reasons, beyond Mardi Gras, that may explain why New Orleans has been hit so hard — the dense, compact nature of the city; its tourism industry; its port, which connects it to the world; and the way people connect culturally.

“Everybody talks to everybody, which means you stop and you have a conversation and then you move on and have a conversation with somebody else,” said Dr. Hassig, who rode in a Mardi Gras parade with the Krewe of Muses this year.

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‘Quarantine fatigue’: Researchers find more Americans venturing out against coronavirus stay-at-home orders

The Washington Post  print

2020-04-25

Some people also might have mistakenly believed they could safely start bending the stay-at-home rules, experts say, when some governors began to publicly announce how and when their economies would begin to reopen. “People can feel it’s coming, so they get more antsy,” said Susan Hassig, an associate professor of epidemiology at Tulane University. “It’s kind of like a kid before Christmas.”

...Hassig, of Tulane, said the data is interesting because the United States has such limited experience requiring residents to stay home for lengthy periods. Any quarantines typically are small enough that local health officers can check in daily to monitor people’s symptoms and encourage them to stay isolated. Moreover, she said, most last a maximum 14 to 21 days. “We can usually reduce the likelihood of substantial quarantine fatigue,” Hassig said. “. . . On this massive scale, the support and encouragement can get lost.”

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The risk levels of everyday activities like dining out, going to the gym, and getting a haircut, according to an infectious-disease expert

INSIDER  online

2020-05-18

We spoke with Dr. Susan Hassig, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, about the risks of going out to eat, gathering with friends, and opening mail.

While different activities are, by nature, riskier than others, you should wear a mask when possible and try to keep a distance of 6 feet from others. Things like social distancing and wearing a mask (or the lack thereof) can alter risk level significantly. Here's what you should consider about various activities as restrictions start to lift across the country.

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