Pandemic News and Research

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A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. During a pandemic, transmission can be anticipated in the workplace, not only from patient to workers in health care settings, but also among co-workers in general work settings. A pandemic would cause high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss. Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places become seriously ill at the same time. Impacts could range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation and food delivery.

As covid infections rise, nursing homes are still waiting for vaccines

"Covid is not pretty in a nursing home," said Deb Wityk, a 70-year-old retired massage therapist who lives in one called Spurgeon Manor, in rural Iowa. She twice contracted the disease and is eager to get the newly approved vaccine because she has chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which weakens her immune system.

27 Sep 2023

Surrey researchers develop new rapid electronic diagnostic test for infectious diseases

A new molecular test for bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 has been developed by scientists at the University of Surrey, as they warn that the world needs to be prepared for the next pandemic.

27 Sep 2023

Pandemic lockdowns reduced selfie-related fatalities despite social media surge

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant decrease in selfie-related deaths, even as social media usage spiked. The study suggests that lockdowns and travel restrictions limited opportunities for risky selfies, highlighting the need for new preventative strategies.

27 Sep 2023

UKHSA launches centralized source for infectious disease data

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has launched the first iteration of its new dashboard, which will serve as a centralized source for infectious disease and outbreak data this winter, making it publicly available in a timely and transparent way.

26 Sep 2023

American College of Cardiology releases workbook on home-based cardiac care

The health care landscape has undergone rapid changes in recent years, requiring clinicians and stakeholders to consider innovative ways to provide care in traditional and non-traditional settings.

26 Sep 2023

Redefining global health security: A novel framework sheds light on equity and decolonial approaches

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new policy paper titled "Global Health Security and the Health-Security Nexus: Principles, Politics and Praxis" in the journal BMJ Global Health, warns of dangers and potential pitfalls associated with the increased attention paid to 'global health security' and the growing interaction between public health and security actors.

26 Sep 2023

Researchers discover how Zika virus persists in the placenta

Before SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic, there was the Zika virus epidemic, lasting from 2015 to 2016. The Zika virus can cause serious birth defects and abnormalities.

26 Sep 2023

New material more efficient at capturing coronavirus proteins with minimal impact on breathability

A research team at the University of Liverpool has developed a new material that captures coronavirus particles and could transform the efficiency of face masks and other filter equipment to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.

26 Sep 2023

Can training to suppress thoughts improve mental health? Study challenges century-old wisdom

Researchers describe the effects of thought suppression on mnemonic, affective, positive, or negative mental health indices.

26 Sep 2023

UKHSA agrees a deal to produce life-saving vaccines in the UK

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has agreed a deal for millions of life-saving vaccines to be produced in the UK if a future influenza pandemic is ever declared.

26 Sep 2023

A decades-long drop in teen births is slowing, and advocates worry a reversal is coming

Cicely Wilson's work doesn't end when she leaves her day job as a lactation consultant, doula, and child care expert.

26 Sep 2023

How the COVID-19 pandemic affected mental well-being of UK secondary school students

Researchers evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of secondary school children in the UK.

26 Sep 2023

One health wake-up call: London's river data highlights environmental perils

The largest-ever spatiotemporal monitoring of chemicals/contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in London waterways.

26 Sep 2023

Long COVID research plagued by flawed methods, say experts

Overly broad definitions, a lack of appropriate, or any, comparison groups, among other things, in studies looking at the incidence, prevalence, and control of the condition - epidemiology - have distorted the risks, say the researchers.

25 Sep 2023

Intranasal vaccine shows promise against COVID variants in hamsters

Intranasal mRNA-LNP vaccines show promise in Syrian golden hamsters, effectively reducing SARS-CoV-2 viral loads and lung pathology. The study suggests potential efficacy against new variants, setting the stage for future research in human applications.

25 Sep 2023

Research uncovers a link between antiviral drug for COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 mutations

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, the University of Liverpool, the University of Cape Town and UKHSA have uncovered a link between an antiviral drug for COVID-19 infections called molnupiravir and a pattern of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

25 Sep 2023

COVID drug molnupiravir appears to be driving SARS-CoV-2 to mutate and evolve

Molnupiravir, an antiviral drug used to treat patients with COVID-19, appears to be driving SARS-CoV-2 to mutate and evolve, with some of these new viruses being transmitted onwards, a new study has shown. It is not clear, however, whether these mutated viruses pose an increased risk to patients or are able to evade the vaccine.

25 Sep 2023

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

As covid infections rise, nursing homes are still waiting for vaccines

Surrey researchers develop new rapid electronic diagnostic test for infectious diseases

Pandemic lockdowns reduced selfie-related fatalities despite social media surge

UKHSA launches centralized source for infectious disease data

American College of Cardiology releases workbook on home-based cardiac care

Redefining global health security: A novel framework sheds light on equity and decolonial approaches

Researchers discover how Zika virus persists in the placenta

New material more efficient at capturing coronavirus proteins with minimal impact on breathability

Can training to suppress thoughts improve mental health? Study challenges century-old wisdom

UKHSA agrees a deal to produce life-saving vaccines in the UK

A decades-long drop in teen births is slowing, and advocates worry a reversal is coming

How the COVID-19 pandemic affected mental well-being of UK secondary school students

One health wake-up call: London's river data highlights environmental perils

Long COVID research plagued by flawed methods, say experts

Intranasal vaccine shows promise against COVID variants in hamsters

Research uncovers a link between antiviral drug for COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 mutations

COVID drug molnupiravir appears to be driving SARS-CoV-2 to mutate and evolve

Child mental health has worsened during pandemic, but inequalities have narrowed

Is the implementation of contact precautions crucial for preventing healthcare-associated MRSA?

Diabetes incidence significantly increased among youth during COVID-19 pandemic

Best practices - optimize qPCR processes for pathogen detection eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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