Health and Human Services News and Research

RSS

Newer form of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus dominates global infections

Research out today in the journal Cell shows that a specific change in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus virus genome, previously associated with increased viral transmission and the spread of COVID-19, is more infectious in cell culture.

2 Jul 2020

ACTIV group assesses controlled human infection models for developing SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

In a Perspective for the New England Journal of Medicine, members of the National Institutes of Health's Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) Vaccines Working Group assess practical considerations and prerequisites for using controlled human infection models (CHIMs), which can be used for human challenge studies, to support SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development.

2 Jul 2020

New program aims to prevent prescription drug use among high school students

George Mason University Professor Dr. Kenneth W. Griffin, received $156,581 from National Health Promotion Associates for a project aimed at preventing prescription drug use among high school students.

1 Jul 2020

Clinical-grade wearables provide continuous on-body sensing for COVID-19

Although it might be tempting to rely on your fitness tracker to catch early signs of COVID-19, Northwestern University researchers caution that consumer wearables are not sophisticated enough to monitor the complicated illness.

1 Jul 2020

Herd immunity in the U.S. unlikely

The race to develop an effective vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is on, with many vaccine candidates entering the human trial phase. When a vaccine is developed and introduced into the population at scale, it triggers herd immunity, with many people immune to the infectious disease.

30 Jun 2020

Study finds 26% drop in the number of EMS calls since the start of COVID-19 pandemic

Since early March and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., 911 calls for emergency medical services have dropped by 26.1 % compared to the past two years, a new study led by a University at Buffalo researcher has found.

26 Jun 2020

Study may provide opportunities to improve diet quality among cancer survivors

Xue and colleagues analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005-2014 on 2,361 cancer survivors and 23,114 participants who had not had cancer as a comparison group.

26 Jun 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The pandemic shifts; the politics, not so much

President Donald Trump caused a stir when he said at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, last weekend that he wanted less testing for COVID-19.

25 Jun 2020

As COVID cases spike, California shifts its strategy

Coronavirus infections are rising so fast in Fresno County that California public health officials have identified it as one of nearly a dozen counties entering dangerous territory as economies reopen.

25 Jun 2020

Discovery provides a potential target for infectious diseases immunotherapy

NIH investigators and colleagues have discovered that when the immune system first responds to infectious agents such as viruses or bacteria, a natural brake on the response prevents overactivation.

23 Jun 2020

Experts identify steps to expand, improve serology tests for COVID-19

More than 300 scientists and clinicians from the federal government, industry and academia published a report of their conclusions and recommendations on COVID-19 serology studies online in Immunity.

23 Jun 2020

C-Path announces launch of CURE Drug Repurposing Collaboratory

As millions of patients struggle with diseases that lack adequate treatments, there is a critical need to understand how existing drugs can be used in new ways to improve clinical outcomes.

23 Jun 2020

UQ superbug drug discoveries will be fast-tracked under international research deal

Antibiotics discovered at The University of Queensland will be fast-tracked under an US$11 million international research deal.

22 Jun 2020

As problems grow with Abbott’s fast COVID test, FDA standards are under fire

In mid-May, the Food and Drug Administration issued a rare public warning about an Abbott Laboratories COVID-19 test that for weeks had received high praise from the White House because of its speed: Test results could be wrong.

22 Jun 2020

Convalescent plasma found to be safe for diverse patients with COVID-19

Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have found investigational convalescent plasma to be safe following transfusion in a diverse group of 20,000 patients. The findings -- from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Expanded Access Program for COVID-19 -- are reported in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

18 Jun 2020

Staffing levels and quality linked to COVID-19 toll in nursing homes

A new study shows that residents of long-term care facilities with lower nurse staffing levels, poorer quality scores, and higher concentrations of disadvantaged residents suffer from higher rates of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths.

18 Jun 2020

Researchers develop tool to identify proteins associated with drug side effects

A multi-institutional group of researchers led by Harvard Medical School and the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research has created an open-source machine learning tool that identifies proteins associated with drug side effects.

18 Jun 2020

Impact Biomedical's COVID-19 research published in peer-reviewed scientific journal

SGX-listed Singapore eDevelopment Limited's wholly owned subsidiary Impact Biomedical Inc. announced today that their COVID-19 research with Global Research and Discovery Group Sciences, conducted in collaboration with Harvard Medical School and Vilotos Pharmaceutical, Inc., was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Molecules on June 11, 2020.

18 Jun 2020

Research finds higher exposure to harmful pollutants during rush hour trips

Studies have shown associations between exposure to traffic-related air pollution and adverse health outcomes, including preterm birth and low birthweight. However, few studies have estimated real-world exposures during personal vehicle trips for women commuters.

17 Jun 2020