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In vitro testing suggests effective novel drug combinations for SARS-CoV-2

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 shows the value of drug combinations to enhance the therapeutic and preventive efficacy of such repositioned drugs in standard antiviral therapy.

20 Sep 2020

Chinese workers knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19

In new research, scientists in China have looked at the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 among Chinese workers. The research paper titled, “Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to Coronavirus disease 2019 during the outbreak among workers in China: A large cross-sectional study,” is published in the latest issue of the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

20 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infects monocytes and macrophages, without cytopathic effect

A team of researchers from Aix-Marseille Univ, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Institut Paoli Calmettes and Laboratoire d’Immunologie, Marseille, France, conducted experiments to determine if SARS-CoV-2 can affect the myeloid compartment or infect monocytes and macrophages.

20 Sep 2020

Combination of two mosquito-borne viruses may be a trigger for stroke

A deadly combination of two mosquito-borne viruses may be a trigger for stroke, new research published in the The Lancet Neurology has found.

18 Sep 2020

Animal data supports efficacy of baricitinib vs SARS-COV-2

The high burden of disease caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to much research on effective ways to mitigate the health, social, and economic impact of the spread of the infection. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports on the characteristics of the drug baricitinib when used as monotherapy to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

17 Sep 2020

Michigan sees increasing EEE cases

In the United States, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) urge people to stay indoors, especially after dusk. Health officials have confirmed 22 horse cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), and one suspected human case.

17 Sep 2020

LOX-1-immature neutrophils may help identify COVID-19 patients at risk of thrombosis complication

To predict severe outcome in COVID-19 patients, innate immune cellular signals are analyzed, identifying two novel neutrophil subsets: LOX-1- and CD123-expressing CD10-CD64+. Thromboembolic events correlated with high LOX-1 immature neutrophils – a potential prognostic signature.

17 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 with D614G mutation is prevalent in central India

A team of scientists at the Defence Research and Development Establishment, India, reveals that there are multiple viral introduction events in central India, and SARS-CoV-2 with D614G mutation is the prevalently circulating strain.

16 Sep 2020

Tough to tell COVID from smoke inhalation symptoms — and flu season’s coming

The patients walk into Dr. Melissa Marshall's community clinics in Northern California with the telltale symptoms. They're having trouble breathing. It may even hurt to inhale. They've got a cough, and the sore throat is definitely there.

16 Sep 2020

Study: 1 in 10 COVID-19 patients require hospitalization after being discharged from ER

Roughly 1 in 10 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 needed to return to the hospital within a week of discharge from an emergency department visit, according to data from the first three months of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philadelphia region.

16 Sep 2020

Climate change could shift the spread of West Nile virus

West Nile virus spreads most efficiently in the US at temperatures between 24-25 degrees Celsius (75.2-77 degrees Fahrenheit), a new study published today in eLife shows.

15 Sep 2020

African swine fever does not pose health risks to humans

The ASF pathogen is a virus which infects domestic pigs and wild boar and which leads to a severe, often lethal, disease in these animals. It is transferred via direct contact or with excretions from infected animals, or through ticks.

15 Sep 2020

Human activities are more likely to promote disease-spreading mosquitoes

Disease-spreading mosquitoes may be more likely to occupy areas impacted by human activities like pesticide use and habitat destruction, than they are areas less disturbed by humans, a recent Oregon State University study found.

15 Sep 2020

Loss of taste in COVID-19 is highly variable by geographic region

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads in different parts of the world, scientists are still attempting to define the characteristic signs and symptoms that are useful in diagnosing the disease. This is essential knowledge to help contain severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. Especially when it comes to diagnosing symptomatic or mild cases of COVID-19, such research could hold the key to identifying more people and preventing viral spread.

15 Sep 2020

IRT technology provides more options to estimate facial temperatures with greater accuracy

Thermography has been a hot topic this year, due to the need for quicker diagnostics to detect and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

15 Sep 2020

Seroconversion marks recovery from COVID-19

Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists are still seeking to understand the protective immunity that develops against the causative agent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Despite the increasing need for serological tests in epidemiology, their clinical value has not been fully established. A new paper published in the Journal of Medical Virology in September 2020 describes the relationship of COVID-19 disease symptoms with the serological status over time.

11 Sep 2020

New review explores the role of antibodies and T-cells towards an effective COVID vaccine

More than 100 companies have rushed into vaccine development against COVID-19 as the U.S. government pushes for a vaccine rollout at "warp speed" -- possibly by the end of the year -- but the bar set for an effective, long-lasting vaccine is far too low and may prove dangerous, according to Marc Hellerstein of the University of California, Berkeley.

11 Sep 2020

New book gives overview of viruses and how they emerge to cause pandemics

Since the novel coronavirus SARS-Cov-2 emerged late last year, it has been virtually impossible to consume any news without encountering stories about the virus and how it spreads, potential treatments, and the development of new vaccines.

11 Sep 2020

Study links COVID-19 to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April, a 14-year-old boy was admitted to the emergency department at Nemours Children's Health System in Delaware with mysterious symptoms in what would later be identified as one of the first cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in the U.S.

10 Sep 2020

Convalescent plasma fails to improve outcome of COVID-19 in India

A new study based in India and published on the medRxiv preprint server explores the role of convalescent plasma (CP) in the treatment of moderate COVID-19 within the limitations on resources faced in a developing country.

9 Sep 2020