Flu News and Research

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To stop coronavirus in its tracks, here’s your guide to 5 degrees of separation

As the number of coronavirus cases grows in the U.S., we're hearing a lot about how social distancing, self-monitoring and even quarantine play into containment efforts.

16 Mar 2020

Researchers develop new kind of CRISPR screen technology to target RNA

CRISPR-based genetic screens have helped scientists identify genes that are key players in sickle-cell anemia, cancer immunotherapy, lung cancer metastasis, and many other diseases.

16 Mar 2020

Former federal virus hunter says U.S. needs to act before new germs ‘kick your door in’

When the federal government decided to investigate the threat viruses in animals posed to humans, Dennis Carroll helped lead the charge.

16 Mar 2020

COVID-19 is not transmitted from pregnant mothers to babies, study suggests

Finally, some good news has emerged about the novel coronavirus that has spread to about 50 countries across the world.

16 Mar 2020

Chest CT shows COVID-19 damage to the lungs

A new study presents peer-reviewed cases of COVID-19 in order to ensure that the disease is diagnosed as rapidly as possible, and thus help prevent an overwhelming spike in infections in any one place during the course of the current pandemic. Much interest has been shown in the possibility of using chest X-rays, and computed tomography (CT) scans to screen for and diagnose patients with this illness, whether suspected or confirmed.

15 Mar 2020

Reports of flu-like symptoms seen with Keto diet

A new study has shown that those starting on a keto diet could develop certain flu-like symptoms in the initial weeks. The study titled, “Consumer Reports of “Keto Flu” Associated With the Ketogenic Diet,” was published in the latest issue of the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.

15 Mar 2020

Reusing masks may increase your risk of coronavirus infection, expert says

Panic buying and the hoarding of face masks to protect from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may not be a good idea, says a health expert. It puts you at an increased risk of contracting the virus.

15 Mar 2020

Looking for answers after coronavirus contact? Welcome to the gray zone

Liz Lucas got a call Tuesday afternoon from a friend she'd interacted with closely at a journalism conference in New Orleans days earlier who had tested presumptively positive for coronavirus. She wondered what this meant for her and those around her, so she reached out to local and state health officials in Missouri for guidance.

13 Mar 2020

Study estimates the asymptomatic transmission rate of novel coronavirus

Infectious disease researchers at The University of Texas at Austin studying the novel coronavirus were able to identify how quickly the virus can spread, a factor that may help public health officials in their efforts at containment.

13 Mar 2020

Digital intervention effective at reducing the spread of viral respiratory tract infections

A scientifically tested digital intervention created by the University of Southampton has already proved to be effective at reducing the spread of viral respiratory tract infections – such as colds and flu.

13 Mar 2020

The coronavirus, the congressman and me

I got the COVID-19 text at 8:30 Tuesday night, three days after returning from a journalism conference in New Orleans.

13 Mar 2020

UK lab looks for volunteers to be infected with coronavirus

Amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, scientists are asking for healthy volunteers to help in the development of the vaccine. Volunteers will be infected with the two strains of the common coronavirus.

12 Mar 2020

Weather modeling data helps predict potential spread and seasonality for COVID-19

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Institute of Human Virology (IHV), which is part of the Global Virus Network, predict that COVID-19 will follow a seasonal pattern similar to other respiratory viruses like seasonal flu.

12 Mar 2020

Coronavirus puts prisons in tight spot amid staff shortages, threats of lockdown

Federal prison union officials and inmate advocates warn that the combination of chronic understaffing, a new leave policy and the realities of coronavirus quarantines could lead to the first nationwide federal prison lockdown since 1995.

12 Mar 2020

Virtual reality becomes a drug design tool

A new study published in March 2020 in the journal PLOS ONE shows the use of virtual reality (VR) as a powerful tool to create next-generation therapeutics. The focus is on the ability of VR to simulate the way commonly used drugs act on the cells at the molecular level, which enables innovation to improve the mechanism of action or to use alternate mechanisms.

11 Mar 2020

Researchers discover human protein that potently inhibits coronavirus

A protein produced by the human immune system can potently inhibit several coronaviruses, including the one behind the current COVID-19 outbreak, an international team of investigators reports today. The research reveals that the LY6E protein impairs the coronavirus' ability to initiate infection, which could lead to treatments for the illness.

10 Mar 2020

Cream infused with microscopic STAR particles could facilitate better treatment of skin diseases

Skin diseases affect half of the world's population, but many treatments are not effective, require frequent injections, or cause significant side effects.

10 Mar 2020

Knowing more about new infectious disease threat may not satisfy people

People who rate themselves as highly knowledgeable about a new infectious disease threat could also be more likely to believe they don't know enough, a new study suggests.

10 Mar 2020

How does COVID-19 coronavirus compare to the 1918 Spanish flu?

The world has seen outbreaks, with some worst than others, but one thing is common, all these outbreaks result in loss of life and a global health crisis. One of the worst epidemics in the world was the 1918 Spanish flu. Now, the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is being compared to the Spanish flu that ravaged the world more than a century ago.

9 Mar 2020

Surging health care worker quarantines raise concerns as coronavirus spreads

As the U.S. battles to limit the spread of the highly contagious new coronavirus, the number of health care workers ordered to self-quarantine because of potential exposure to an infected patient is rising at an exponential pace.

9 Mar 2020