Pandemic News and Research

RSS

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.

Patient laments on not getting the COVID-19 vaccine

Saul Torres considers himself lucky to be alive after contracting COVID-19 and suffering from a rare neurological condition.

10 Aug 2021

Comparative scoring system suggests possibility of global COVID-19 eradication

The global eradication of COVID-19 is probably feasible, and more so than it is for polio, although considerably less so than it was for smallpox, suggests a comparative score of technical, sociopolitical, and economic factors for all three infections, published in the online journal BMJ Global Health.

10 Aug 2021

New platform can quickly identify common mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a platform which can quickly identify common mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 virus that allow it to escape antibodies and infect cells.

10 Aug 2021

Researchers look into the effects of particle contaminants on mucosal system

Major disruptions to our health and quality of life are front of mind in an era when wildfires, floods, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic impact Earth's population daily.

10 Aug 2021

Study reveals link between COVID-19 infection in pregnancy and preterm birth

Individuals who contract COVID-19 while pregnant face a higher risk of having a very preterm birth, as well as any preterm birth, according to a large study led by researchers at UC San Francisco.

10 Aug 2021

Study uncovers startling evidence from coroners' inquests into suicides of older people in the 1700s

Previous studies of suicide in the 1700s have focussed on societal attitudes rather than the experiences of people who took their own lives. These suicides have largely been described as 'medicalised' acts driven by lunacy.

10 Aug 2021

Systematic anatomical study specifies guidelines for performing nasopharyngeal swabs

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of nasopharyngeal swabs have been taken in Austria - millions worldwide.

10 Aug 2021

A quarter of US hospitals, and counting, demand workers get vaccinated. But not here.

Hospitals coast to coast are demanding their employees get vaccinated against covid as the highly contagious delta variant tears through populations with low vaccination rates.

10 Aug 2021

Study explores ‘brain fog’ following COVID-19

A recent survey conducted in the United Kingdom revealed that approximately one in every five experiences prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms five weeks post-infection. Also, one in seven people reported persistent symptoms even after twelve weeks.

10 Aug 2021

Cardioprotective role of HIF1α in COVID-19 patients

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019, has quickly become the most urgent issue facing scientists worldwide. It has been reported that the respiratory infection causes cardiac dysfunction in 25-55% patients, including hospitalized patients and non-critical patients.

10 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Iota variant increases mortality risk among older adults

The findings reveal that the variant has considerably higher transmissibility and immune escape potential than previously circulating variants and that it can increase the infection fatality rate by 62% - 82% among older adults. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

10 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variants and their ability to infect mice

A new study published on the bioRxiv* preprint server has conducted in silico studies along with in vitro, in vivo, and in situ observations and indicated the mouse adaptation of SARS-CoV-2.

10 Aug 2021

Evaluation of COVID-19 risk among international travelers in the UK for safety purposes

A high risk of transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, is associated with international travel.

9 Aug 2021

New protocol for the study of SARS-CoV-2's medium and long-term outcomes

The clinical symptoms of the severe COVID-19 have been well described. In addition, scientists have defined the post-acute COVID-19 as the development of sequelae or persistence of symptoms several weeks after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. In some cases, the symptoms persist for around 3-4 weeks, and in other cases of chronic COVID-19, symptoms may persist beyond 12 weeks from the onset of symptoms.

9 Aug 2021

Psychological toll of COVID-19 pandemic linked with anti-systemic attitudes and political violence

The COVID-19 pandemic is the most severe global health crisis of the 21st century. While media reports and policy directives tend to focus on the health and economic aspects of the pandemic, new research suggests that the pandemic is also destabilizing the fundamental relationship between citizens and the state.

9 Aug 2021

Global prevalence of mental health crisis among children and adolescents due to COVID-19 pandemic

An alarming percentage of children and adolescents are experiencing a global-wide mental crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic according to a new University of Calgary study published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics.

9 Aug 2021

Controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 at a large public university

Researchers from the U.S. recently reported a multimodal "SHIELD: Target, Test, and Tell" program that helped mitigate the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at a large public university. The program also prevented community transmission and helped the continuation of in-person classes during the pandemic. This study is available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

9 Aug 2021