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.

Risk of COVID-19 transmission from animals to older adults

A new study in the journal GeroScience deals with this aspect of the disease, especially with respect to preventing higher death rates in older adults.

2 Sep 2021

Adaptive policies integrating vaccination effort is key to relaxing restrictions during COVID-19 infection waves

Study suggests that re-opening countries and relaxing preventative measures safely is closely associated with vaccination efforts.

2 Sep 2021

Increased evolutionary rates seen in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

An Australian study conducted at the University of Melbourne describes that the emergence of more deadly variants of concern (VOCs) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with an induction in episodic evolutionary rate. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

2 Sep 2021

New digital solution for people living with severe mental illnesses

The pandemic has made it more difficult for the 430,000+ Australians living with severe mental illnesses who are highly vulnerable to acute illness relapses when their habitual routines and standard health care arrangements are disrupted.

2 Sep 2021

Lack of information or misconceptions affect support for long-term disaster preparedness

As the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29 approached, New Orleans residents were bracing for another disaster, Hurricane Ida. This year, similar to last, the country will be hit by an above-average number of extreme weather events, including major hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires.

2 Sep 2021

International taskforce recommends neurocognitive tests to harmonize assessment of long COVID

An international taskforce created by a UNSW Science psychology researcher has recommended a set of neurocognitive and mental health questionnaires to harmonize the assessment of patients with long COVID.

2 Sep 2021

Communal leisure activities of young people can have positive effects on mental health

Communal leisure activities in youth can have positive and far-reaching effects on mental health, according to a new study by the University of Oulu, Finland.

2 Sep 2021

Food-insecure college students less likely to obtain a bachelor's or advanced degree

A study led by a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that food insecurity among college students is associated with lower college graduation rates and lower chances of obtaining a bachelor's or advanced degree.

1 Sep 2021

Rheumatoid arthritis drug plus standard of care may reduce COVID-19 mortality for hospitalized patients

Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who received the rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib, in combination with the standard of care including corticosteroids, died less often than those receiving only the standard of care, according to a study released this week in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

1 Sep 2021

Dan Lundergan appointed as CEO of University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics

Dan Lundergan, MHA, Chief Operating Officer at University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer. He has served as interim CEO since February and steps into the official role beginning immediately.

1 Sep 2021

COVID-19 associated with increased risk of kidney damage, end-stage kidney diseases

A study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System shows that people who have had COVID-19, including those with mild cases, are at an increased risk of developing kidney damage as well as chronic and end-stage kidney diseases.

1 Sep 2021

Growing use of mechanical circulatory support causes moral distress among clinicians

The growing use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) may contribute to high levels of moral distress for clinicians who regularly care for critically ill patients receiving the aggressive but life-sustaining therapy, according to a study in American Journal of Critical Care.

1 Sep 2021

Tutoring revolution takes place as pupils return to school

Schools will have greater flexibility to offer high-quality, 15-hour tutoring courses that meet the needs of their pupils, in a major expansion of the National Tutoring Programme backed by £1 billion.

1 Sep 2021

Cultured cartilage cells from the nasal septum could help relieve osteoarthritis in the knee

Cartilage cells from the nasal septum can not only help repair cartilage injuries in the knee – according to researchers from the University of Basel and the University Hospital of Basel, they can also withstand the chronic inflammatory tissue environment in osteoarthritis and even counteract the inflammation.

1 Sep 2021

Early implementation of COVID-19 shutdowns saved thousands of lives in St. Louis area

In March 2020, not long after the first cases of COVID-19 were reported locally, health officials in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County issued emergency public health orders intended to reduce interactions between people and slow the transmission of the novel respiratory virus.

1 Sep 2021

Saliva test screenings contribute to low transmission of COVID-19 in schools for children with IDD

Studies have determined that in-school transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19 is rare when masking, social distancing and other safety protocols are followed.

1 Sep 2021

Nanoparticle-based disinfectant could be a powerful weapon against pathogenic viruses

University of Central Florida researchers have developed a nanoparticle-based disinfectant that can continuously kill viruses on a surface for up to seven days – a discovery that could be a powerful weapon against COVID-19 and other emerging pathogenic viruses.

1 Sep 2021

PAHO to launch new platform to boost regional COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing efforts

Pan American Health Organization Director Carissa F. Etienne said the severe shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in Latin America and the Caribbean is a "wake-up call" for increased regional production of vaccines and announced the start of a new platform to reach that goal.

1 Sep 2021

Do kidney transplant recipients need a third booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine?

A team of researchers in France have observed that the “standard” 2 dose regimen for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines could provide adequate protection to only a few KTRs. It has also been shown in multiple studies that a considerable population of vaccinated KTRs were easily infected with SARS-CoV-2.

1 Sep 2021

Can barrier gestures be relaxed without causing a COVID-19 resurgence in France?

A new study focused on determining the magnitudes of a barrier gesture relaxation in France. Read more here.

1 Sep 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Risk of COVID-19 transmission from animals to older adults

Adaptive policies integrating vaccination effort is key to relaxing restrictions during COVID-19 infection waves

Increased evolutionary rates seen in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

New digital solution for people living with severe mental illnesses

Lack of information or misconceptions affect support for long-term disaster preparedness

International taskforce recommends neurocognitive tests to harmonize assessment of long COVID

Communal leisure activities of young people can have positive effects on mental health

Food-insecure college students less likely to obtain a bachelor's or advanced degree

Rheumatoid arthritis drug plus standard of care may reduce COVID-19 mortality for hospitalized patients

Dan Lundergan appointed as CEO of University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics

COVID-19 associated with increased risk of kidney damage, end-stage kidney diseases

Growing use of mechanical circulatory support causes moral distress among clinicians

Tutoring revolution takes place as pupils return to school

Cultured cartilage cells from the nasal septum could help relieve osteoarthritis in the knee

Early implementation of COVID-19 shutdowns saved thousands of lives in St. Louis area

Saliva test screenings contribute to low transmission of COVID-19 in schools for children with IDD

Nanoparticle-based disinfectant could be a powerful weapon against pathogenic viruses

PAHO to launch new platform to boost regional COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing efforts

Do kidney transplant recipients need a third booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine?

Can barrier gestures be relaxed without causing a COVID-19 resurgence in France?

Best practices - optimize qPCR processes for pathogen detection eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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