Epidemiology News and Research

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Noble False Widow Spiders have public health implications, shows study

NUI Galway study confirms that the Noble False Widow spider does have public health implications. Research team have established a DNA database to allow clinicians dealing with cases to confirm the species identity using genetic analysis

27 May 2021

Online survey provides key insight into the spread of COVID-19 infection

A pilot project using an online survey to gather data on COVID-19 symptoms received more than 87,000 responses from around the world, providing important insight into the spread of disease. Project leaders from Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University and Microsoft believe these questionnaires could be a valuable tool for population health.

27 May 2021

Can certain aircraft boarding procedures increase SARS-CoV-2 transmission risks?

In a study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, researchers simulated many aircraft boarding processes to assess their impact on social proximity during boarding. They also studied the dominant mechanisms by which these processes generate social proximity. The researchers systematically measured proximity by measuring the number of contacts originating from the following situations: 1. contacts between seated passenger pairs; 2. contacts between aisle passenger pairs; and 3. contacts between a seated passenger and an aisle passenger.

26 May 2021

Zoonotic and vector-borne emerging tropical diseases pose a constant threat

A recent article published in the journal Frontiers in Tropical Diseases assessed the threat of emerging zoonotic and vector-borne tropical diseases.

26 May 2021

Postmenopausal women who underwent bilateral oophorectomy have increased risk of carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which causes tingling and numbness in the hand, more commonly affects women than men and tends to peak around the age of menopause.

26 May 2021

Unique combination of AI-based diagnostic processes protects data privacy

Digital medicine is opening up entirely new possibilities. For example, it can detect tumors at an early stage. But the effectiveness of new AI algorithms depends on the quantity and quality of the data used to train them.

26 May 2021

Modeling the risk of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks upon lifting non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv* by Sachak-Patwa et al. (May 22nd, 2021), mathematical models are developed to assess the probability and impact of such localized outbreaks, accounting for changing general immunity levels in the population as vaccines are distributed.

25 May 2021

How conservative are the current COVID-19 pandemic global statistics?

After almost a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, the actual case count of those infected with its causative virus – SARS-CoV-2 – remains unclear. Though well over 167.2 million cases have been reported worldwide, this is certainly believed by many to be a massive undercount. A new epidemiological study uses the classical SIR-C mathematical model to find the peak size and date of cases, both documented and unidentified, and the gap between them.

24 May 2021

Memory B cells with a functional anti-SARS-CoV-2 response persist despite loss of specific IgG

In Munich, Germany, scientists at Ludwig Maximilian University studied temporal adaptive immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to better understand protection against re-infection. They found functional properties of persisting memory B specific to SARS-CoV-2 may help in protect against the virus.

23 May 2021

Landmark study confirms that controlled blood pressure is key to prevent stroke, heart disease

Follow-up data from the landmark SPRINT study of the effect of high blood pressure on cardiovascular disease have confirmed that aggressive blood pressure management -- lowering systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mm Hg -- dramatically reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, and death from these diseases, as well as death from all causes, compared to lowering systolic blood pressure to less than 140 mm Hg.

22 May 2021

Campylobacter infection can also be spread through sexual contact

Campylobacter infection, one of the most common foodborne illnesses in the Western world, can also be spread through sexual contact, according to a new research discovery by an OU Hudson College of Public Health faculty member, working in conjunction with colleagues in Denmark.

21 May 2021

Total COVID-19 deaths in US counties have been underestimated by 20%, indicates study

Deaths caused by indirect effects of the pandemic emphasize the need for policy changes that address widening health and racial inequities.

21 May 2021

North America has 87% of all unique SARS-CoV-2 S protein variants in the NCBI database among six continents

Recently, a team of researchers from various countries analyzed the unique variants of S proteins across six continents, including Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, South America, and North America. They wanted to characterize the unique S protein variants embedded in SARS-CoV-2 genomes infecting millions of people globally.

20 May 2021

COVID-19 cases in summer 2020 was not as low as previously thought, new genome-based model suggests

Many have attributed the low number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the summer of 2020 to hot weather or increased outdoor activities. But a new study from researchers in Germany suggests this might not have been the case.

20 May 2021

About two-fifths of Medicare beneficiaries with COPD have limited access to pulmonary rehabilitation services

Approximately two-fifths of Medicare beneficiaries with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have limited access to pulmonary rehabilitation services due to their distance from rehab centers, according to research presented at the ATS 2021 International Conference.

20 May 2021

Stark racial disparities persist in vaccinations, state-level CDC data shows

Black Americans’ covid-19 vaccination rates are still lagging months into the nation's campaign, while Hispanics are closing the gap and Native Americans show the highest rates overall, according to federal data obtained by KHN.

20 May 2021

Despite pandemic, Newsom declines to boost local public health budgets — again

In spite of a pandemic that has killed about 62,000 Californians — more than enough to pack Dodger Stadium — Gov. Gavin Newsom has again declined to boost the budgets of the state's underfunded and understaffed local public health departments.

20 May 2021

Two new SARS-like coronaviruses described in Russian horseshoe bats

Horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus sp.) are known reservoirs of zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs). Over the last twenty years, viruses thought to have originated from these bats have given rise to two severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic outbreaks in humans: SARS-CoV-1 in 2002/2003, which was limited mostly to Asia, and the currently globally circulating SARS-CoV-2, first identified in December 2019.

20 May 2021

Study reveals the accuracy of risk stratification scores among patients with unexplained syncope

The Canadian Syncope Risk Score (CSRS) is an accurate validated prediction score for emergency department patients with unexplained syncope.

20 May 2021

Monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab reduces hospitalization and death in moderate-to-severe COVID-19

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found that monoclonal antibodies, a COVID-19 treatment administered early after infection, reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by 60 percent in people at high risk of suffering complications from the condition.

20 May 2021

Epidemiology News and Research

Noble False Widow Spiders have public health implications, shows study

Online survey provides key insight into the spread of COVID-19 infection

Can certain aircraft boarding procedures increase SARS-CoV-2 transmission risks?

Zoonotic and vector-borne emerging tropical diseases pose a constant threat

Postmenopausal women who underwent bilateral oophorectomy have increased risk of carpal tunnel syndrome

Unique combination of AI-based diagnostic processes protects data privacy

Modeling the risk of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks upon lifting non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)

How conservative are the current COVID-19 pandemic global statistics?

Memory B cells with a functional anti-SARS-CoV-2 response persist despite loss of specific IgG

Landmark study confirms that controlled blood pressure is key to prevent stroke, heart disease

Campylobacter infection can also be spread through sexual contact

Total COVID-19 deaths in US counties have been underestimated by 20%, indicates study

North America has 87% of all unique SARS-CoV-2 S protein variants in the NCBI database among six continents

COVID-19 cases in summer 2020 was not as low as previously thought, new genome-based model suggests

About two-fifths of Medicare beneficiaries with COPD have limited access to pulmonary rehabilitation services

Stark racial disparities persist in vaccinations, state-level CDC data shows

Despite pandemic, Newsom declines to boost local public health budgets — again

Two new SARS-like coronaviruses described in Russian horseshoe bats

Study reveals the accuracy of risk stratification scores among patients with unexplained syncope

Monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab reduces hospitalization and death in moderate-to-severe COVID-19

Industry Focus: Infectious Diseases eBook

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

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