Infectious Diseases News and Research

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Penn Medicine launches convalescent plasma therapy trial for COVID-19 patients

Convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients -- an experimental approach of giving a transfusion of plasma collected from a donor who has recovered from COVID-19 to a patient with an active infection -- is the focus of a new two-part research initiative at Penn Medicine.

20 Apr 2020

Restrictive healthcare policies may delay diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis

The introduction of policies that restrict healthcare access for visitors and migrants not entitled to free NHS care may be associated with delays in diagnosis and treatment for patients with tuberculosis (TB) who were not born in the UK, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health.

20 Apr 2020

Remdesivir prevents COVID-19 progression to severe pneumonia, animal study shows

A team of scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, has tested the efficacy of remdesivir, a nucleotide analog prodrug with a broad antiviral activity, as a COVID-19 treatment.

20 Apr 2020

Research suggests Nelfinavir and Cepharanthine as potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents

A new study published in the journal bioRxiv in April 2020 reports the identification of a promising multidrug treatment against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for causing COVID-19 disease. The team predicts that this combination will prevent the virus from reproducing, hence both halting the transmission and progress of the disease.

19 Apr 2020

Scientists estimate fatality ratio across full spectrum of COVID-19 disease

A team of researchers from Imperial College London has conducted a study aimed at calculating a reasonably accurate case fatality ratio and infection fatality ratio, which is based on Chinese data as well as international reports. The research is published on the pre-print server MedRxiv.

19 Apr 2020

UC San Diego Health launches serological tests to detect past exposure to novel coronavirus

Clinical laboratory physicians and scientists at UC San Diego Health have launched a pair of serological tests that will look for novel coronavirus antibodies -- evidence in persons tested that they have previously been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the viral cause of COVID-19, even if they never experienced tell-tale symptoms.

18 Apr 2020

Kehn-Hall working to rapidly test, deploy new tool to enhance detection of SARS-CoV-2

Kylene Kehn-Hall, Associate Professor/Associate Director, School of Systems Biology, National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases, is working to rapidly test and deploy a universal virus enrichment tool that can be used to enhance the detection of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) for any type of diagnostic assay under development, thereby reducing false negatives and the risk of worldwide pandemic.

18 Apr 2020

Study identifies two new viruses in Brazilian patients with suspected dengue

Two new species of viruses have been identified in blood samples taken from patients in Brazil's northern region who had similar symptoms to those of dengue or Zika, such as high fever, severe headache, rash and red skin spots.

17 Apr 2020

Delayed clearance of SARS-CoV2 may explain why men fare worse than women

Researchers at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine may have solved a mystery surrounding the novel coronavirus pandemic: Why men infected by the virus generally show more severe symptoms and are more likely than women to die from COVID-19.

17 Apr 2020

A promising antiviral drug to fight COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 patients in a clinical trial at Houston Methodist Hospital are responding quickly to the antiviral drug Remdesivir. The trial's criteria allows for the treatment of patients early in their clinical course and, in some cases, at times where they might have otherwise been intubated.

17 Apr 2020

Study detects presence of disease-causing E. coli in recreational waters

Research revealed disease-causing E. coli presence in recreational waters, including beaches rated excellent under EU criteria.

17 Apr 2020

Sewage study finds link between rates of sepsis in UK and presence of E. coli in the community

A study suggests rates of E. coli related sepsis in the UK is linked to community E. coli levels determined by sewage presence.

17 Apr 2020

Study shows it is safe to give antibiotics to mothers after umbilical cord clamping in C-sections, to avoid exposure of newborns

Research shows it is safe to give antibiotics to mothers after umbilical clamping in C section, to avoid exposure of the baby.

17 Apr 2020

UofL creates 3D-printed swab to help fill gap in COVID-19 test kits

Innovation at the University of Louisville involving multiple departments at the university has led to a promising solution for the shortage of swabs in COVID-19 test kits.

17 Apr 2020

URMC launches new coronavirus study to examine immune response

The University of Rochester Medical Center is launching a new study to understand how the body's immune system responds to COVID-19, including if and when a person could be re-infected with the virus and whether some people have pre-existing immunity.

17 Apr 2020

Elderly patients underestimate the danger of pneumonia

Elderly patients who are hospitalised with pneumonia are twice as likely to die as those hospitalised with hip fractures.

17 Apr 2020

Scientists predict how the novel coronavirus spreads in a typical household

A team of scientists recently carried out a study on the transmissibility of the virus in households. Simply put, they’re trying to predict how the virus spreads in a typical family: if one person gets sick, how many others get sick? How sick? How long would it take the family to recover? These are the practical questions this study tries to answer.

17 Apr 2020

Experts explain how to decontaminate N95 masks from SARS-CoV-2

Amid the coronavirus global pandemic, the world is facing a shortage of medical supplies, especially those intended to protect health workers. With the high demand for personal protective equipment (PPE), including surgical masks and N95 masks, many people are left with no choice but to try and decontaminate this equipment for extended use. Now, a new study by experts shows how N95 masks can be adequately decontaminated for further use.

16 Apr 2020

Six novel coronaviruses found in bats

While the world grapples with the pandemic, which has spread to 185 countries and territories, infecting more than 2.15 million people and killing more than 143,000 people, a team of researchers at the Smithsonian's Global Health Program has found six novel coronaviruses in bats in Myanmar.

16 Apr 2020