Jay Varma

Last updated
Jay K. Varma
Dr. Jay Varma.png
Education
Medical career
Profession
  • Physician
  • Epidemiologist
Field
Epidemiology
InstitutionsCenters for Disease Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City Office of the Mayor
Sub-specialties
Epidemiology
ResearchEpidemiology

Jay Varma is a physician and epidemiologist [1] who is the Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of SIGA Technologies. He previously served as senior advisor for public health [2] [3] and COVID-19 to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. [4] [5]

Contents

In that role, Varma helped lead New York City’s COVID-19 pandemic response, including diagnostic testing, [4] contact tracing, [6] and the phased re-opening of businesses. [7] He was the architect of the NYC plans for public schools during the COVID-19 crisis. [8]

Early life and education

Varma graduated magna cum laude with highest honors from Harvard University. [7] Varma completed medical school, internal medicine residency, and his residency at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, where he was chief resident. [7] [9]

Career

In 2001, Varma joined the Center for Disease Control’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, working on foodborne diseases. [9] That same year, he led the CDC’s study of an E. coli outbreak at an Ohio county fair, determining the bacteria was spread through sawdust in the air of an Exhibition Hall, the first time scientists connected transmission of E. Coli to a contaminated building. [10]

While working for the CDC on infectious diseases prevention and control, Varma had postings in Atlanta, Thailand, China, Ethiopia, and New York City. [7] [9] From 2003 to 2008, Varma directed the CDC’s tuberculosis programs and research in Southeast Asia. [9] From 2008 to 2011, he directed the CDC’s International Emerging Infections Program in Beijing, China. [9] [11]

He became the deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in 2011. [9] [12] In 2014, he acted as the “incident commander” for Ebola in New York after two people tested positive for the virus. [13] [14] Varma authorized the 21 day quarantine of the fiancée and two of friends of a doctor who fell ill with Ebola after he returned from treating patients in Guinea. [15] That same year he led NYC’s response to an outbreak of measles in more than two dozen people [1] and an outbreak of meningitis among gay and bisexual men. [16] He also managed the city’s response to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease cases in 2014-2015 linked to contaminated cooling towers, [17] which sickened dozens of people and killed four. [17] [18]

Varma also worked as the Senior Advisor to the Director of Africa CDC, assisting with strategy and execution of the Africa Center for Disease Control’s programs and helping develop the African Union’s continent-wide strategy for COVID-19. [7] [9]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Varma became de Blasio’s senior advisor for public health, after the mayor clashed with NYC Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot. [2] [19] [20] [21] [22] Before Barbot left the department, Varma was described as a “shadow commissioner” for COVID-19 matters. [23]

In September 2020, Varma was involved in NYC’s opening of a laboratory that prioritized testing for city residents. [4] In December 2020, Varma said New York City was monitoring wastewater and sewers to find COVID-19 clusters before they appear through patient testing. [24]

After a new variant of COVID-19 called B.1.526 was identified in February 2021 as likely originating in NYC, [25] Varma said preliminary analysis of the variant showed it was likely more infectious, but New Yorkers did not need to take additional precautions. [26]

Varma was the architect of the NYC plans for the public school system during the COVID-19 crisis, including assessing the risk factors for keeping schools partially opened in January 2021 as citywide positivity rates climbed. [8] In March 2021, the journal Pediatrics published a peer-reviewed study authored by Varma about COVID-19 transmission rates in NYC schools between October and December 2020. [27] The study showed virus transmission rates remained low within in-person classes, with 191 of 36,000 students and staff quarantined after exposure to COVID-19 testing positive for a transmission rate of .5%. [28] A follow-up study during the COVID-19 Delta wave showed that vaccination and other COVID-19 prevention measures continued to keep transmission low; fewer than 1 in 100 people exposed to COVID in school went on to develop active disease. [29]

After becoming a professor at Weill Cornell Medical College and director of the Cornell Center for Pandemic Prevention and Response in September 2021, Varma spoke out critically regarding the decision by the administration of New York Mayor Eric Adams to remove COVID-19 vaccine verification for public facilities, [30] exempting basketball player Kyrie Irving from being vaccinated, [31] [32] and removing COVID-19 vaccine mandates for government and private employers. [33]

Varma has written articles on a range of public health issues for outlets including the Washington Post, [34] New York Times, [35] [36] [37] and Atlantic. [38] [39] [40] [41]

Varma joined the Board of Directors for SIGA Technologies in November 2022 and began serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer in September 2023.

Recognition and awards

In 2010, Varma was recognized as the U.S. Public Health Service Physician Researcher of the Year. [7] [11] In 2011, he received the Public Health Service Distinguished Service Medal, the highest decoration of the Department of Health and Human Services United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. [7] [11] In 2017, he was awarded Physician Leader of the Year. In 2018 he received the Public Health Service Meritorious Service Medal. [7] [11]

Varma serves on the advisory committee to the US CDC director. [42] He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. [43]

Selected works

Varma has authored 144 scientific manuscripts, 12 essays, and one book. [7]

Some of his peer-reviewed works include:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</span> United States government public health agency

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epidemic</span> Rapid spread of disease affecting a large number of people in a short time

An epidemic is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of hosts in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infections, an attack rate in excess of 15 cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks is considered an epidemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Frieden</span> American physician

Thomas R. Frieden is an American infectious disease and public health physician. He serves as president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a $225 million, five-year initiative to prevent epidemics and cardiovascular disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reston virus</span> Species of Ebola virus

Reston virus (RESTV) is one of six known viruses within the genus Ebolavirus. Reston virus causes Ebola virus disease in non-human primates; unlike the other five ebolaviruses, it is not known to cause disease in humans, but has caused asymptomatic infections. Reston virus was first described in 1990 as a new "strain" of Ebola virus (EBOV). It is the single member of the species Reston ebolavirus, which is included into the genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae, order Mononegavirales. Reston virus is named after Reston, Virginia, US, where the virus was first discovered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebola</span> Viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses

Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates, caused by ebolaviruses. Symptoms typically start anywhere between two days and three weeks after infection. The first symptoms are usually fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headaches. These are usually followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash and decreased liver and kidney function, at which point some people begin to bleed both internally and externally. It kills between 25% and 90% of those infected – about 50% on average. Death is often due to shock from fluid loss, and typically occurs between six and 16 days after the first symptoms appear. Early treatment of symptoms increases the survival rate considerably compared to late start. An Ebola vaccine was approved by the US FDA in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebola virus cases in the United States</span>

Four laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease occurred in the United States in 2014. Eleven cases were reported, including these four cases and seven cases medically evacuated from other countries. The first was reported in September 2014. Nine of the people contracted the disease outside the US and traveled into the country, either as regular airline passengers or as medical evacuees; of those nine, two died. Two people contracted Ebola in the United States. Both were nurses who treated an Ebola patient; both recovered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebola in Nigeria</span>

Cases of the Ebola virus disease in Nigeria were reported in 2014 as a small part of the epidemic of Ebola virus disease which originated in Guinea that represented the first outbreak of the disease in a West African country. Previous outbreaks had been confined to countries in Central Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kivu Ebola epidemic</span> Ebola virus outbreak in the eastern DRC from 2018 to 2020

The Kivu Ebola epidemic was an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) mainly in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and in other parts of Central Africa, from 2018 to 2020. Between 1 August 2018 and 25 June 2020 it resulted in 3,470 reported cases. The Kivu outbreak also affected Ituri Province, whose first case was confirmed on 13 August 2018. In November 2018, the outbreak became the biggest Ebola outbreak in the DRC's history, and had become the second-largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history worldwide, behind only the 2013–2016 Western Africa epidemic. In June 2019, the virus reached Uganda, having infected a 5-year-old Congolese boy who entered Uganda with his family, but was contained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic</span> Pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2

The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is a global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified in an outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, and spread to other areas of Asia and then worldwide in early 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020, and assessed the outbreak had become a pandemic on 11 March 2020. The WHO ended the PHEIC on 5 May 2023. As of 25 March 2024, the pandemic has caused 7,037,007 confirmed deaths, ranking it fifth in the list of the deadliest epidemics and pandemics in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19</span> Contagious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in the United States</span>

In the United States, the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in 103,436,829 confirmed cases with 1,180,025 all-time deaths, the most of any country, and the 20th highest per capita worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic is the deadliest disaster in the country's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syra Madad</span> American pathogen preparedness expert

Syra Madad is an American pathogen preparedness expert and infectious disease epidemiologist. Madad is the Senior Director of the System-wide Special Pathogens Program at NYC Health + Hospitals where she is part of the executive leadership team which oversees New York City's response to the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in the city's 11 public hospitals. She was featured in the Netflix documentary series Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak and the Discovery Channel documentary The Vaccine: Conquering COVID.

The COVID-19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 10 March 2020. The first few confirmed cases were all outside arrivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Daszak</span> British zoologist

Peter Daszak is a British zoologist, consultant and public expert on disease ecology, in particular on zoonosis. He is the president of EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit non-governmental organization that supports various programs on global health and pandemic prevention. He is also a member of the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. He lives in Suffern, New York.

Science diplomacy is the collaborative efforts by local and global entities to solve global issues using science and technology as a base. In science diplomacy, collaboration takes place to advance science but science can also be used to facilitate diplomatic relations. This allows even conflicting nations to come together through science to find solutions to global issues. Global organizations, researchers, public health officials, countries, government officials, and clinicians have previously worked together to create effective measures of infection control and subsequent treatment. They continue to do so through sharing of resources, research data, ideas, and by putting into effect laws and regulations that can further advance scientific research. Without the collaborative efforts of such entities, the world would not have the vaccines and treatments we now possess for diseases that were once considered deadly such as tuberculosis, tetanus, polio, influenza, etc. Historically, science diplomacy has proved successful in diseases such as SARS, Ebola, Zika and continues to be relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave A. Chokshi</span> American physician

Dave Ashok Chokshi is an American physician and former public health official who served as the 43rd health commissioner of New York City. He was the first health commissioner of Asian descent. Chokshi previously served as the inaugural chief population health officer for NYC Health + Hospitals and as a White House fellow in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently he is a practicing physician at Bellevue Hospital and the inaugural Sternberg Family Professor of Leadership at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, part of the City College of New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant</span> Variant of SARS-CoV-2 detected late 2020

The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in India on 5 October 2020. The Delta variant was named on 31 May 2021 and had spread to over 179 countries by 22 November 2021. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicated in June 2021 that the Delta variant was becoming the dominant strain globally.

The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–2023 Uganda Ebola outbreak</span> Disease outbreak in East Africa

The 2022–2023 Uganda Ebola outbreak was an outbreak of the Sudan ebolavirus, which causes Ebola, from 20 September 2022 until 10 January 2023 in the Western and Central Regions of Uganda. Over 160 people were infected, including 77 people who died. It was Uganda's fifth outbreak with Sudan ebolavirus. The Ugandan Ministry of Health declared the outbreak on 20 September 2022. As of 25 October 2022, there were confirmed cases in the Mubende, Kyegegwa, Kassanda, Kagadi, Bunyanga, Kampala and Wakiso districts. As of 24 October 2022, there were a total of 90 confirmed or probable cases and 44 deaths. On 12 October, the first recorded death in the capital of Kampala occurred; 12 days later on 24 October, there had been a total of 14 infections in the capital in the last two days. On 11 January 2023 after 42 days without new cases the outbreak was declared over.

References

  1. 1 2 Hartocollis, Anemona (18 March 2014). "Measles Outbreak May Have Spread in Medical Facilities, a New York City Official Says". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 Kilgannon, Corey (8 December 2020). "What New York City's Sewers Reveal About the Virus". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Siemaszko, Corky (19 November 2020). "N.Y.C. mayor's reason for closing public schools was 'arbitrary,' adviser says". NBC News. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Goldstein, Joseph (16 September 2020). "N.Y.C. Is Opening Its Own Virus Testing Lab to Address Shortages". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Szekely, Peter (25 February 2021). "New York officials downplay concern over new coronavirus variant". Reuters. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  6. ↑ Goodman, J. David (17 August 2020). "New York Has Tamed the Virus. Can It Hold Off a Second Wave?". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Jay K. Varma, MD". The Rockefeller Foundation. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  8. 1 2 Elsen-Rooney, Michael (11 January 2021). "Surging community COVID spread tests NYC's efforts to keep schools safe for in-person learning". New York Daily News. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jay Varma Senior Advisor, Science & Programme". Africa CDC. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  10. ↑ Reichgott, Megan (26 November 2003). "RESEARCHERS TIE E. COLI OUTBREAK IN 2001 TO CONTAMINATED BUILDING". St. Louis Post - Dispatch. The Associated Press.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Borchardt, Reuvain (24 December 2020). "Do Antibodies Equal Immunity?". Hamodia. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  12. ↑ Santora, Marc (1 July 2016). "As Experts Confront the Hazards of Zika, Fear and Uncertainty Hover". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  13. ↑ Hartocollis, Anemona (11 November 2014). "With Persistence and Phone Calls, Defending Against Ebola in New York". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  14. ↑ Haddon, Heather; Orden, Erica; Dawsey, Josh (25 October 2014). "New York Ebola Patient Has Gastrointestinal Symptoms". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  15. ↑ Fink, Sheri (2 December 2015). "Ebola Crisis Passes, but Questions on Quarantines Persist". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  16. ↑ Hartocollis, Anemona (5 September 2014). "New York City Reports 3 New Cases of Meningitis". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  17. 1 2 "NYC health official expects more Legionnaires' disease cases". The Associated Press. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  18. ↑ Hu, Winnie (29 July 2015). "Legionnaires' Disease Sickens 31, 2 Fatally, in the South Bronx". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  19. ↑ Goodman, J. David (4 August 2020). "N.Y.C. Health Commissioner Resigns After Clashes With Mayor Over Virus". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  20. ↑ Renault, Marion (25 February 2021). "New coronavirus variant in New York spurs caution, concern". ABC News. ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  21. ↑ Gartland, Michael (10 July 2020). "New York City's top public health adviser rules out COVID-19 herd immunity". New York Daily News. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  22. ↑ Tompkins, Al (1 March 2021). "New COVID-19 variants could be more resistant to vaccines, but let's not jump to conclusions". Poynter Institute. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  23. ↑ Goldenberg, Sally (8 May 2020). "In the midst of a pandemic, tensions flare between de Blasio and his health department". Politico. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  24. ↑ Kilgannon, Corey (9 December 2020). "Scientists are monitoring New York's sewers, hoping to identify coronavirus clusters". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  25. ↑ Pereira, Sydney (3 March 2021). "City Health Official Says New NYC Variant Is A 'Reminder' To Stay Diligent About COVID Precautions". The Gothamist. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  26. ↑ King, Kate (2 March 2021). "South Africa Coronavirus Variant Infects Two New York City Residents". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  27. ↑ Shapiro, Eliza (10 March 2021). "N.Y.C. public schools saw very low virus transmission as cases in the city spiked, a study says". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  28. ↑ Elsen-Rooney, Michael (9 March 2021). "New study of NYC school COVID-19 rates presents 'compelling' evidence of low in-school transmission". New York Daily News. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  29. ↑ Varma, Jay K.; Feldkamp, Cara; Alexander, Mariana; Norman, Emily; Agerton, Tracy; Davis, Rindcy; Long, Theodore (2022-05-23). "COVID-19 Transmission Due to Delta Variant in New York City Public Schools From October to December 2021". JAMA Network Open. 5 (5): e2213276. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.13276 . ISSN   2574-3805. PMC   9127551 .
  30. ↑ "Keep indoor vax rules, NYC: Why Adams is wrong to drop COVID shot proof for restaurants, museums and more". New York Daily News. 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  31. ↑ Cohen, Ben; Radnofsky, Louise (2021-10-13). "The Doctors Who Blocked Kyrie Irving". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  32. ↑ "Mayor Adams Ends Vax Mandates for Athletes and Performers | The Brian Lehrer Show". WNYC Studios. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  33. ↑ "Former de Blasio health advisor criticizes end of city vaccine mandate". ny1.com. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  34. ↑ Varma, Jay K. (29 September 2022). "Why are so many viruses popping up again?".
  35. ↑ Varma, Jay K. (2022-05-23). "Opinion | The Answer to Covid Fatigue Is Creativity, Not Surrender". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  36. ↑ Varma, Jay K. (2022-02-09). "Opinion | When Do Masks Come Off? The Hard Truth About Lifting Covid Restrictions". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  37. ↑ Varma, Jay K. (2021-12-20). "Opinion | There's One City That Can Show Us Our Omicron Future". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  38. ↑ Permar, Jay Varma, Sallie (2022-08-06). "The Problem With Being Too Cautious in Vaccine Trials". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-09-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  39. ↑ Varma, Jay (2022-05-15). "How Public Health Failed America". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  40. ↑ Varma, Jay (2021-09-21). "Not Every Question Has a Scientific Answer". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  41. ↑ Varma, Jay (2021-06-13). "The Public-Health Calculus Has Shifted". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  42. ↑ "The Laboratory Workgroup | About | CDC". www.cdc.gov. 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  43. ↑ "Jay K. Varma". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.