Infectious Diseases News and Research

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Mayo Clinic highlights the impact of false-negative COVID-19 test results

As COVID-19 testing becomes more widely available, it's vital that health care providers and public health officials understand its limits and the impact false results can have on efforts to curb the pandemic.

9 Apr 2020

University of Utah Health, Intermountain Healthcare launch two clinical trials to treat COVID-19 patients

Researchers from Intermountain Healthcare and University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City have launched two vital clinical trials to test the effectiveness and safety of two drugs -hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and azithromycin - to treat patients with COVID-19 (infection with the novel coronavirus).

9 Apr 2020

Philadelphia Eagles owner contributes $1 million to Penn Medicine to fight COVID-19 pandemic

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie today announced a $1 million contribution to Penn Medicine to establish the COVID-19 Immunology Defense Fund, laying the foundation for the world's foremost experts to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic.

8 Apr 2020

Infectious diseases from animals likely to cause further pandemics

As humans move to cities to settle, there is a sharp decline in biodiversity leading to several disturbances in the balance and relationship between humans and wild animals. A new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis' One Health Institute, shows that this has led to the spread of zoonotic viruses from animals to humans, such as COVID-19, which has caused a global pandemic involving over 184 countries and territories. The study was published in the latest issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

8 Apr 2020

Life in refugee camps causes havoc on the health of many children

Greek and Norwegian researchers have conducted a study on the health conditions in six refugee camps in Greece.

8 Apr 2020

World's largest map of protein connections holds clues to health and disease

Scientists have described the first reference map of interactions between gene-encoded proteins which make up cells.

8 Apr 2020

Huge asymptomatic pool of coronavirus infected worldwide, say researchers

A startling new report from the University of Göttingen debunks the idea that the official statistics regarding the number of confirmed cases of the pandemic COVID-19 are accurate. It is much more likely, say the researchers, that the official figures which are the basis of government action and of much media analysis represent only about 6% of all infections. If so, they say, there are already tens of millions of infected people worldwide.

8 Apr 2020

Study shows how forest loss puts people at greater risk of infectious diseases

Viruses that jump from animals to people, like the one responsible for COVID-19, will likely become more common as people continue to transform natural habitats into agricultural land, according to a new Stanford study.

7 Apr 2020

Common coronaviruses are sharply seasonal and appear to transmit like influenza

Of the seven coronaviruses known to infect people, four cause common respiratory infections that are sharply seasonal and appear to transmit similarly to influenza, according to a new study by University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers.

7 Apr 2020

Research findings could aid in the recognition and management of COVID-19 pneumonia

Researchers have identified the most common clinical characteristics of 109 patients with COVID-19 related pneumonia who died in Wuhan, China in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

7 Apr 2020

How do viruses mutate and jump to humans?

Zoonotic spillover events like the current novel coronavirus pandemic present threats to human health. But what is zoonotic spillover and how do they occur?

7 Apr 2020

Penn-led trial to evaluate the effectiveness of HCQ in combating COVID-19 pandemic

A new trial led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania will evaluate whether the drug hydroxychloroquine can benefit people infected with COVID-19, as well as whether taking the drug preventatively may help people avoid infection altogether.

6 Apr 2020

After COVID-19: Doctors ponder best advice as patients recover from coronavirus

When David Vega fell ill with the novel coronavirus in mid-March, fever, chills and nausea left the 27-year-old Indiana medical student curled up in bed for days.

6 Apr 2020

Should US schools close to thwart spread of COVID-19?

A new study used mathematical modeling to explore the benefits and risks of closing down the schools to prevent new cases and the possibility of absenteeism among health care workers because they need to care for their children at home and the ultimate effect of the step on reducing the risk of deaths due to COVID-19.

6 Apr 2020