Respiratory Disease News and Research

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Experts review new studies on cardiovascular effects of cigarette smoking versus electronic cigarettes

Electronic cigarette (EC) use, or vaping, has both gained incredible popularity and generated tremendous controversy, but although they may be less harmful than tobacco cigarettes (TCs), they have major potential risks that may be underestimated by health authorities, the public, and medical professionals.

13 Apr 2021

New polypeptide could provide universal protection against coronaviruses

Researchers in the United States have developed an inhibitor of the spike protein found on the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that limits its formation in host human cells that would otherwise be the source of newly generated virions.

11 Apr 2021

Cross-border asthma study investigates hygiene hypothesis amid COVID-19 pandemic

A cross-border investigation of children's susceptibility to asthma and other childhood illnesses in the United States and Mexico is the focus of a new study led by researchers in the Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center at the University of Arizona Health Sciences.

8 Apr 2021

Material deprivation is driving Covid-19 disparities among ethnic minority groups

Deprivation among society at large is 'driving' Covid-19 disparities among minority ethnic groups - predominantly South Asian and Black African or Caribbean populations - and could be considered the main cause of disproportionate infection rates, hospitalization and deaths experienced by these populations, according to new analysis from the University of Leicester.

2 Apr 2021

Long-COVID-19 is a significant risk in recovered patients post-hospitalization

A new study, which appeared in the British Medical Journal, reports on a retrospective study to examine the incidence and risk factors for ‘long COVID-19’, the term used to describe the long-term effects of COVID-19 on affected individuals.

2 Apr 2021

COVID-19 patients discharged from hospital have increased rates of multiorgan dysfunction

People discharged from hospital after covid-19 appear to have increased rates of organ damage (“multiorgan dysfunction”) compared with similar individuals in the general population, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

1 Apr 2021

Comorbidities lead to an increased risk of death from Covid-19, research shows

Comorbidities such as heart disease, respiratory disease, renal disease and cancer lead to an increased risk of death from Covid-19 according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH).

1 Apr 2021

New compound may provide a basis for drug development against COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, arrived one year ago and turned our lives upside-down.

24 Mar 2021

Research suggests toothpaste and mouthwash ingredients could help prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection

Now, new research published on the bioRxiv preprint server focuses on the effect of some typical ingredients present in commercially available mouthwashes and toothpaste on the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells.

24 Mar 2021

Diagnostic test helps identify the virulent forms of swine bacterial pathogens

A team led by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has developed a diagnostic test that can identify virulent forms of the swine bacterial pathogen Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus -- often referred to as "Strep zoo" -- which can cause severe illness and death in pigs, other animals and rarely people.

19 Mar 2021

Living with a COVID-19 case brings worse symptoms and stronger antibody response

This study suggests that high virus exposure levels contribute to greater disease severity and stronger antibody responses. The observations from this study are published on the medRxiv preprint server.

17 Mar 2021

Study: Slow walkers have higher risk of contracting severe COVID-19

SLOW walkers are almost four times more likely to die from COVID-19, and have over twice the risk of contracting a severe version of the virus, according to a team of researchers from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre led by Professor Tom Yates at the University of Leicester.

16 Mar 2021

Soluble ACE2 level correlates with COVID-19 outcomes

Researchers at the Aarhus University, Denmark, found that high baseline levels of ACE2 in plasma from COVID-19 patients are tied to a worse outcome in hospitalized patients. The study, which appeared on the pre-print server medRxiv, shows that measuring ACE2 levels in serum can help determine patients at a higher risk of developing severe illness from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

14 Mar 2021

Study finds visual correlation between severity of COVID-19 in the lungs and brain

Since the pandemic hit, researchers have been uncovering ways COVID-19 impacts other parts of the body, besides the lungs.

13 Mar 2021

Researchers develop assay for qualitative assessment of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies

To address the need for a high-quality neutralization assay against SARS-CoV-2, researchers from the NIAID modified and optimized a previously established fluorescence reduction neutralization assay (FRNA) to provide a quantitative assessment of a large number of infected cells through the use of a high-content imaging system.

11 Mar 2021

Study reveals increased hospitalization rates in older adults following tropical cyclones

An increase in overall hospitalizations was reported for older adults in the week following exposure to a tropical cyclone, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University's Earth Institute and colleagues at Colorado State University and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

9 Mar 2021

Preclinical study finds immune benefit in unrefrigerated Soligenix coronavirus vaccines

A new study reports positive outcomes from two new vaccine candidates. The research, led by Axel T. Lehrer from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, studied mice's immune response when administered the CoVaccine HT adjuvant with an insect-cell expressed SARS-CoV-2 spike protein ectodomain.

4 Mar 2021

Genomic surveillance can help identify how SARS-CoV-2 spreads in care homes

Care homes are at high risk of experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Older people and those affected by heart disease, respiratory disease and type 2 diabetes - all of which increase with age - are at greatest risk of severe disease and even death, making the care home population especially vulnerable.

3 Mar 2021

Study demonstrates long-term neuropsychological consequences following SARS-CoV-2 infection

The study, published in the pre-print server medRxiv, demonstrates the presence of long-lasting neuropsychological sequelae after COVID-19, regardless of the respiratory disease's severity.

2 Mar 2021

Study: Eating the right '5-a-day' mix of fruits and vegetables is likely optimal amount for longer life

Studies representing nearly 2 million adults worldwide show that eating about five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, in which 2 are fruits and 3 are vegetables, is likely the optimal amount for longer life, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.

1 Mar 2021