The New Normal: When your lab becomes a center of hope in a pandemic

Molecular virologist Dr. Jesse Erasmus works on a team at UW Medicine aiding the global effort to find a COVID-19 vaccine.

Sarah Hoffman

Sarah Hoffman • Jul 14, 2020

Jul 14, 2020

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          <article>
            <header>
              <hgroup>
                <h1>The New Normal: When your lab becomes a center of hope in a pandemic</h1>
                <h2><p>Molecular virologist Dr. Jesse Erasmus works on a team at UW Medicine aiding the global effort to find a COVID-19 vaccine.</p></h2>
              </hgroup>
               <p>By <a href="/author/shoffman-kcts9-org/">Sarah Hoffman</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Jul 14, 2020</time></p>
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            <p>Molecular virologist Dr. Jesse Erasmus is part of a team at UW Medicine developing a vaccine for COVID-19. The team works around the clock in the race to produce an effective vaccine at record speed. More typically, that work would take an average of 10 to 20 years. For Erasmus, focusing on a solution is a way of coping as the world shifts around him.</p><hr><p>Support for <em>The New Normal</em> is provided by Comcast. All news stories on Crosscut are controlled by our editorial team. Visit our <a href="https://crosscut.com/about?ref=avalancheghost.one">about us page</a> to learn more about Crosscut's editorial independence policy.</p><hr>
          </article>

Molecular virologist Dr. Jesse Erasmus is part of a team at UW Medicine developing a vaccine for COVID-19. The team works around the clock in the race to produce an effective vaccine at record speed. More typically, that work would take an average of 10 to 20 years. For Erasmus, focusing on a solution is a way of coping as the world shifts around him.

Support for The New Normal is provided by Comcast. All news stories on Crosscut are controlled by our editorial team. Visit our about us page to learn more about Crosscut's editorial independence policy.

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By Sarah Hoffman

Sarah Hoffman is a senior video producer at Cascade PBS, focusing on science and the environment. Previously she worked as a visual journalist for the Omaha World-Herald and The Dallas Morning News. F