Pandemic News and Research

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A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. During a pandemic, transmission can be anticipated in the workplace, not only from patient to workers in health care settings, but also among co-workers in general work settings. A pandemic would cause high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss. Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places become seriously ill at the same time. Impacts could range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation and food delivery.

A data commons to accelerate research in COVID and long-COVID

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* pre-print server, researchers in the United States developed a pandemic response commons (PRC) called the Chicagoland coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) commons (CCC). The CCC served Chicago, the state of Illinois, and surrounding regions in the United States (US).

28 Jun 2022

Cell-based assay highlights differences in antibody neutralizing capacity for SARS-CoV-2 variants

A recent study by scientists at Celentyx Ltd, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Warwick and posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server illustrated a cell-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein attachment assay.

28 Jun 2022

In 1st year of pandemic, COVID vaccines saved 20M lives

In a recent study published in The Lancet journal, researchers at Imperial College London quantified the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination programs in 185 countries and territories between December 8, 2020, and December 8, 2021.

28 Jun 2022

Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 harboring double reporters for COVID-19 surveillance

In a recent article posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers at Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Georgia State University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham developed a bireporter-expressing recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (rSARS-CoV-2) for tracking SARS-CoV-2 infection.

27 Jun 2022

3rd COVID vaccine significantly reduced hospitalizations and deaths during Australia's 1st Omicron wave

Researchers compare vaccine effectiveness in people who received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as compared to those who received two doses.

27 Jun 2022

Structural racism and inequities linked to higher COVID-19 death rates in Louisiana

Disproportionately high COVID-19 mortality rates among Black populations in Louisiana parishes are the result of longstanding health vulnerabilities associated with institutional and societal discrimination, according to research conducted by an interdisciplinary team under the mentorship of University of Maryland (UMD) Clark Distinguished Chair Deb Niemeier and UMD Associate Professor of Kinesiology Jennifer D. Roberts in the School of Public Health.

27 Jun 2022

Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 leads to less severe disease in mouse models

Georgia State University researchers have found that the Alpha, Beta and Delta variants of SARS-CoV-2 were substantially more fatal in mouse models than the original strain of the virus that causes COVID-19.

27 Jun 2022

Google searches may be an effective tool to predict domestic violence

When the COVID pandemic broke out and Italy experienced a strict lockdown, news stories started reporting anecdotal evidence about women forced to live under the same roof with abusive partners.

27 Jun 2022

Cyberbullying experiences associated with suicidality in early adolescence

Young adolescents who are targets of cyberbullying are more likely to report suicidal thoughts and attempts, an association that goes above and beyond the link between suicidality and traditional offline bullying, according to new research from the Lifespan Brain Institute of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania.

27 Jun 2022

Rensselaer scientists secure $3.5 million grant to develop a low-dose, oral COVID antiviral drug

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers Gaetano Montelione and Christopher Cioffi will use a five-year, $3.5 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to develop a low-dose, oral COVID antiviral drug that can be administered at home.

27 Jun 2022

Scientists assess potential of monkeypox transmission at mass gatherings

In a new study, researchers assessed the potential of monkeypox transmission at mass gatherings.

27 Jun 2022

Breakthrough infection with pre-Omicron variant induces cross-neutralizing activity against Omicron

Researchers evaluated the neutralizing ability of sera from COVID-19 patients.

27 Jun 2022

Review and case study illustrates the challenges of monkeypox

A new paper published in Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease reviews the history of this disease in and outside Africa, with special reference to its clinical difficulties.

27 Jun 2022

Researchers determine public attitudes towards monkeypox infections

Researchers assessed the attitudes of the general US population towards monkeypox infections.

27 Jun 2022

Comparison of genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses

Researchers compared the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 and that of different coronaviruses.

27 Jun 2022

Does fecal viral excretion provide insights into on GI symptoms of COVID-19?

Researchers discuss the physiopathological mechanisms associated with digestive symptoms associated with COVID-19.

27 Jun 2022

Bisphosphonates appear to improve COVID-19 exposure outcomes

A new retrospective study examines the effect of bisphosphonates on COVID-19 outcomes.

27 Jun 2022

LUCID: music, medicine, and machine learning

In this interview, News-Medical speaks to Zoë Thomson, Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of LUCID, about how music and machine learning are changing how we approach mental and neuropsychiatric health.

27 Jun 2022

UK announces £25 million to better prepare for future devastating pandemics

The Prime Minister has announced £25 million of UK aid backing for a new fund to ensure the world is better prepared to defeat future pandemics.

26 Jun 2022

Study: Many adolescents reported worsened or new-onset headaches during the COVID-19 pandemic

Over one-third of schoolchildren who received online lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic reported a worsening of headache symptoms or new onset headaches, a study presented today at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2022 has found.

26 Jun 2022