Contagion News and Research

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Simplifying the analysis of social contacts using novel computational method

How society organizes affects different phenomena, from the transmission of information to the spread of contagious diseases. The more links we establish with each other via social and transportation networks, the more spread is favored. To study the dynamics of complex systems, such as society, we can infer these networks – in which nodes, representing individuals, connect through lines – from real-world data. However, these networks are usually large, dense, and cumbersome to manipulate.

25 Feb 2023

Vaccination rate remains unchanged but misinformation about flu and Covid-19 stays

Although the public had been alerted that this winter could be a potentially bad flu season, barely half of Americans said in January that they had received a flu shot, a vaccination level unchanged in a representative national panel from the comparable period last year, according to a new Annenberg Science Knowledge (ASK) survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

17 Feb 2023

COVID-19 vaccination increases saliva antibody levels after asymptomatic infection

Researchers correlate SARS-CoV-2 load and neutralizing capacity of all saliva immunoglobulins isotypes in asymptomatic individuals.

8 Feb 2023

First-ever atlas of global airborne microbiome provides a wealth of insights into microbial communities

Bacteria are truly abundant across the Earth's surface, from the soil to the oceans. The microbial population of the air that surrounds us is comparatively unknown, but a research expedition led by PolyU scientists is about to change that.

16 Dec 2022

Overcrowded households, low socioeconomic status influence the impact of pandemic

Residential overcrowding, low educational attainment and low income had a crucial impact on how hard the pandemic hit various groups in the community, a study from the University of Gothenburg shows.

20 Oct 2022

Dogs shown to identify human stress condition odors

Researchers used a controlled olfactory paradigm to assess whether dogs could discriminate between human odors in breath and sweat samples before and after experiencing experimentally induced negative psychological stress.

30 Sep 2022

The most recent evidence about phylogenesis, pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment for monkeypox

A new review sheds light on the origins of this virus and recently acquired knowledge about its disease mechanism and the preventive and therapeutic measures appropriate in this situation.

31 Aug 2022

Resistance to recognizing airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 may be rooted in historical error

In new research, researchers extensively searched for the origins of the resistance to recognizing airborne transmission during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by major public health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC).

25 Aug 2022

Lack of sleep leads to withdrawal of willingness to help other people

Humans help each other - it's one of the foundations of civilized society. But a new study by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, reveals that a lack of sleep blunts this fundamental human attribute, with real-world consequences.

23 Aug 2022

The time has come for DIY mandates on covid

Here we are in the grip of yet another covid-19 surge, yet most people I see out and about are behaving as if the pandemic is over. And I live in Los Angeles County, whose public health department is arguably one of the most vigilant and proactive in the U.S.

2 Aug 2022

Study offers a method to calculate chances of catching Covid-19 on a plane flight

What are the chances you will contract Covid-19 on a plane flight? A study led by MIT scholars offers a calculation of that for the period from June 2020 through February 2021.

28 Jul 2022

Stopping 'budding' viruses in their tracks

Paramyxoviruses have the potential to trigger a devastating pandemic. This family of viruses includes measles, Nipah virus, mumps, Newcastle disease and canine distemper.

20 Jul 2022

Researchers report a non-canonical RNA secondary structure present in monkeypox virus variants

Researchers described the evolutionary profile of the monkeypox virus.

12 Jul 2022

Study analyzes the contagious capacity of a single drop of saliva

A study by the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country has established that the two-meter safety distance may be reasonable for preventing Covid-19 infection.

23 Jun 2022

The implications of monkeypox for healthcare workers

Researchers discuss the implications of the current monkeypox outbreak during the COVID-19 pandemic for healthcare personnel.

14 Jun 2022

In super-vaxxed Vermont, covid strikes — but packs far less punch

Even Eden, a snow-covered paradise in northern Vermont, is poisoned by omicron.

28 Jan 2022

New simulation model shows how likely the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads in different school settings

A year ago, the whole world discussed: is it irresponsible to send children to school during a pandemic, or do measures exist that can prevent corona clusters so efficiently that schools can stay open (or reopen)?

28 Jan 2022

Contagious cancers can jump between marine clam species, study shows

A contagious blood cancer jumped from one species of clam to another and spread among clams living in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, shows a study published today in eLife.

18 Jan 2022

New computer model mirrors the way misinformation spreads in real life

It starts with a super-spreader, and winds its way through a network of interactions, eventually leaving no one untouched. Those who have been exposed previously may only experience mild effects.

11 Jan 2022

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Contagion confusion

The covid-19 pandemic is now entering its third year, and the ever-evolving health advice to combat an ever-evolving virus is leaving Americans more cranky and confused than ever.

6 Jan 2022