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.

An assay capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in breast milk and other samples

In a recent study by US researchers (currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server), a specific immunoassay based on the spike glycoprotein’s receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is not only well suited for the detection of antibody response after infection and vaccination but may also represent a method of choice when conducting seroepidemiological studies.

19 Jul 2021

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617 mutations L452 and E484Q do not work together to evade antibodies

A short report recently published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases demonstrates how spike mutations L452R and E484Q found in the variant B.1.617.1 of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) each confer modestly diminished sensitivity to Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccine-elicited antibodies – with combined mutations having a similar impact as either one of them alone.

19 Jul 2021

Evaluation of a synthetic DNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine INO-4800 using a nonhuman primate model

A new study published in Vaccine assesses the safety and efficacy of the synthetic DNA vaccine candidate INO-4800, delivered as a single or double dose regime.

18 Jul 2021

Infection fatality rate of COVID-19 in community-based elderly lower than earlier estimates

A new study discusses the results obtained from various seroprevalence studies conducted in 2020.

18 Jul 2021

A drug candidate to prevent adverse reactions due to COVID-19 infection or vaccines

A new study describes the promising results of a new drug candidate in combating the illness caused by the binding of COVID-19-specific antibodies to infected cells.

18 Jul 2021

Pandemic disrupted the utilization of women’s preventive health services

The COVID-19 pandemic knocked many women off schedule for important health appointments, a new study finds, and many didn't get back on schedule even after clinics reopened. The effect may have been greatest in areas where such care is already likely falling behind experts' recommendations.

16 Jul 2021

India's Mission Indradhanush improves vaccination outcomes for children

Researchers at CDDEP recently published 'Improving vaccination coverage and timeliness through periodic intensification of routine immunization: evidence from Mission Indradhanush' where they evaluated the performance of India's Mission Indradhanush (MI) child vaccination campaign -- a periodic intensification of the routine immunization program.

16 Jul 2021

Learning disabilities increase the vulnerability to COVID-19 infection and severity of symptoms

Researchers have found that individuals with learning disabilities are more likely to suffer from severe cases of COVID-19 infection.

16 Jul 2021

New tracker aims to identify, collect data on COVID-19 cases across Europe

According to the World Health Organization, a third wave of COVID infections is now all but inevitable in Europe.

16 Jul 2021

Spending time outdoors has a positive effect on the brain, study shows

If you're regularly out in the fresh air, you're doing something good for both your brain and your well-being.

16 Jul 2021

UN report highlights dramatic worsening of world hunger in the pandemic year

There was a dramatic worsening of world hunger in 2020, the United Nations said today – much of it likely related to the fallout of COVID-19.

15 Jul 2021

Study: Adolescent girls and young women can and will use HIV prevention products with consistency

Adolescent girls and young women can and will use HIV prevention products with consistency, according to interim results of a study of two different methods: daily use of the antiretroviral (ARV) tablet Truvada as oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring, a new HIV prevention product currently under regulatory review in several countries.

15 Jul 2021

Reducing the impacts of stress on working cancer caregivers

It's difficult enough when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, but employed spouses of those who receive the diagnosis also are confronted with an array of practical problems. It's now up to them to untangle issues around medical leave, health insurance, caregiving benefits, and more.

15 Jul 2021

Food insufficiency associated with lack of mental health support during COVID-19 pandemic

A new national study published in Public Health Nutrition on July 15 found that Americans experiencing food insufficiency were three times as likely to lack mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic than those not experiencing food insufficiency.

15 Jul 2021

A rapid, highly accurate test to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in human serum

Scientists have developed a rapid, highly accurate test to detect antibodies against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in human serum, opening a new avenue for understanding the full extent of the pandemic and evaluating the effectiveness of vaccines.

15 Jul 2021

23 million children missed out on basic vaccines in 2020 due to COVID-19, new data shows

23 million children missed out on basic vaccines through routine immunization services in 2020 – 3.7 million more than in 2019 - according to official data published today by WHO and UNICEF.

15 Jul 2021

How ERs fail patients with addiction: One patient’s tragic death

Jameson Rybak tried to quit using opioids nearly a dozen times within five years. Each time, he'd wait out the vomiting, sweating and chills from withdrawal in his bedroom.

15 Jul 2021

Pandemic of antibiotic resistance is shortening the lives of children in Bangladesh

Resistance to antibiotics is common and often deadly among children with pneumonia in Bangladesh, according to a new study coauthored by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) with colleagues at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (abbreviated as icddr,b).

15 Jul 2021

Potential compounds targeting SARS-COV-2 main protease (in vivo)

Now, new research published in the journal Hippokratia focuses on assisting the ongoing COVID-19 therapeutic research by developing a new method to identify active compounds that have the potential to fight against COVID-19 infection.

15 Jul 2021

Should we be concerned about the SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant?

As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), wreaks havoc across the globe, the efficacy of available vaccines is being threatened by emerging variants.

15 Jul 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

An assay capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in breast milk and other samples

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617 mutations L452 and E484Q do not work together to evade antibodies

Evaluation of a synthetic DNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine INO-4800 using a nonhuman primate model

Infection fatality rate of COVID-19 in community-based elderly lower than earlier estimates

A drug candidate to prevent adverse reactions due to COVID-19 infection or vaccines

Pandemic disrupted the utilization of women’s preventive health services

India's Mission Indradhanush improves vaccination outcomes for children

Learning disabilities increase the vulnerability to COVID-19 infection and severity of symptoms

New tracker aims to identify, collect data on COVID-19 cases across Europe

Spending time outdoors has a positive effect on the brain, study shows

UN report highlights dramatic worsening of world hunger in the pandemic year

Study: Adolescent girls and young women can and will use HIV prevention products with consistency

Reducing the impacts of stress on working cancer caregivers

Food insufficiency associated with lack of mental health support during COVID-19 pandemic

A rapid, highly accurate test to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in human serum

23 million children missed out on basic vaccines in 2020 due to COVID-19, new data shows

How ERs fail patients with addiction: One patient’s tragic death

Pandemic of antibiotic resistance is shortening the lives of children in Bangladesh

Potential compounds targeting SARS-COV-2 main protease (in vivo)

Should we be concerned about the SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant?

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

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