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.

Your out-of-pocket health care costs need not be a mystery

If you've ever had a serious illness or cared for someone who has, you know how quickly the medical bills can pile up: from labs, radiology clinics, pharmacies, doctors, different departments within the same hospital — some of them in your insurance network, others not.

15 Nov 2021

How rural communities are losing their pharmacies

Batson's Drug Store seems like a throwback to a simpler time. The independently owned pharmacy in Howard, Kansas, still runs an old-fashioned soda counter and hand-dips ice cream. But the drugstore, the only one in the entire county, teeters on the edge between nostalgia and extinction.

15 Nov 2021

Detection of a coronavirus similar to SARS-CoV-2 in Cambodian bats

Now, a new study published in the journal Nature Communications reports the identification of SARS-CoV-2 related coronaviruses in two horseshoe bats sampled in Cambodia in 2010.

15 Nov 2021

$SARS-CoV-2 RNA is enriched in the solids fraction of wastewater$

SARS-CoV-2 RNA is enriched in the solids fraction of wastewater

New research led by Alexandria Boehm of Stanford University in California shows that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ribonucleic acid (RNA) in wastewater can be detected by measuring solid samples and flowing sewage water samples.

14 Nov 2021

Research on SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections shows the danger posed by Delta

Scientists from Florida, USA, have conducted a study to determine the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission from individuals with delta breakthrough infections. The findings reveal that delta breakthrough cases exhibit a relatively lower viral load compared to unvaccinated cases.

14 Nov 2021

The case for vaccinating children under 12 against COVID-19

Researchers assess the need for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in children who are 12 years of age or younger.

14 Nov 2021

A non-mechanistic approach to real-time forecasting of U.S. COVID-19 pandemic

A new study introduces the non-mechanistic MIT-LCP forecasting model and compares its performance to other models for forecasting COVID-19 dynamics.

14 Nov 2021

Partial resistance to neutralizing antibodies and enhanced transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant

A new study estimates the efficacy of the immune response induced by vaccination and natural COVID-19 infection against the Kappa and Delta lineages.

14 Nov 2021

Asia Pacific region plans to fall back on traditional medicine post-COVID-19

As Asia Pacific emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic the region plans to fall back on traditional and complementary medicine to enhance health care delivery with support from the WHO.

14 Nov 2021

Increased screen time leads to more eye strain and convergence insufficiency in children

When COVID-19 first shut down classrooms and virtual schooling became the new norm, ophthalmologists predicted an increase in digital eye strain in children.

14 Nov 2021

Study assesses whether medicinal mushrooms and Chinese herbs can help treat COVID-19

A novel study is assessing whether medicinal mushrooms and Chinese herbs provide therapeutic benefit in treating acute COVID-19 infection.

12 Nov 2021

CDC's NIOSH to host a special virtual event on the mental health of critical health workforce

CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will host a special virtual event with NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and other national experts from labor and medicine on the mental health of the nation's critical health workforce.

12 Nov 2021

Recipe to decontaminate disposable facemasks

Here's the recipe to decontaminate a disposable facemask: Heat it at 160 degrees Fahrenheit in an oven for five minutes. You can use your own oven.

12 Nov 2021

Study highlights racialized inequities in New York City police enforcement of COVID-19 mandates

New York City ZIP codes with a higher percentage of Black residents had significantly higher rates of COVID-19-specific criminal court summonses and public health and nuisance arrests in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

12 Nov 2021