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.

Study sheds light on the impact of COVID-19 on ethnocultural communities

A new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal sheds light on the impact of COVID-19 on ethnocultural community members living in vulnerable circumstances.

9 Aug 2021

‘The Vaccination Queen’: Nurse practitioner takes covid shots house to house in Puerto Rico

Abigail Matos-Pagán entered a bright-blue house in Mayagüez earlier this summer and was met by Beatriz Gastón, who quietly led the way to her mother's small room. Matos-Pagán had come to provide a covid-19 vaccine for Wildelma Gastón, 88, whose arthritis and other health concerns confine her to bed.

9 Aug 2021

Injuries mount as sales reps for device makers cozy up to surgeons, even in operating rooms

Cristina Martinez's spinal operation in Houston was expected to be routine. But after destabilizing her spine, the surgeon discovered the implant he was ready to put in her back was larger than he wanted to use — and the device company’s sales rep didn’t have a smaller size on hand, according to a report he filed about the operation.

9 Aug 2021

A California bill would limit protests at vaccination sites. Does it violate the first amendment?

A proposal sailing through the California legislature that aims to stop people from getting harassed outside of vaccination sites is raising alarms among some First Amendment experts.

9 Aug 2021

Study of antibody responses to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in convalescent individuals

In addition to clinical trials conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of the mRNA vaccines, additional studies began describing the serological response to the vaccines under "real-world" conditions, especially with the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 variants and case reports of vaccine escape.

9 Aug 2021

Research shows how SARS-CoV-2 variants are evolving towards increased furin cleavage efficiency

The spike protein comprises of two subunits: S1 subunit having the receptor-binding domain (RBD) that helps it to bind to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is present on the cell surface of the host, and the S2 subunit that helps in the fusion of the cellular membrane and the viral membrane.

9 Aug 2021

New compound inspired by tapeworm drugs shows two-pronged effectiveness against COVID-19

A group of medications long prescribed to treat tapeworm has inspired a compound that shows two-pronged effectiveness against COVID-19 in laboratory studies, according to a new publication appearing online in the journal ACS Infectious Disease.

9 Aug 2021

Scientists identify calpeptin as potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2

A team of US-based scientists has recently conducted a robust high-throughput screening to identify potential entry inhibitors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The screening identifies calpeptin as a potent and highly specific inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

9 Aug 2021

Computational study identifies key areas of the SARS-CoV-2 genome prone to mutation

By retrieving 329,942 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) records from the GISAID database, researchers from a software company in Cambridge described genetic variability of SARS-CoV-2 in order to inform further studies. Their findings are currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server while it undergoes peer review.

9 Aug 2021

New insight into impact of SARS-CoV-2 mutations on receptor binding

A recent study by Canadian researchers, currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, contributes to the growing body of literature on emerging variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by appraising the impact of single mutations on their overall antigenicity and binding affinity for the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor.

9 Aug 2021

New phylogenomic platform identifies increased recombination rates in SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in the United States, Australia and the UK have developed a novel method that enables the evolutionary ancestry (phylogeny) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to be comprehensively searched for recombinant lineages.

8 Aug 2021

First data-driven deep learning model can predict COVID-19 outbreak two weeks in advance

People's social behavior, reflected in their mobility data, is providing scientists with a way to forecast the spread of COVID-19 nationwide at the county level.

8 Aug 2021

Substantial number of U.S. adults experienced financial stress and anxiety even prior to the pandemic

A substantial number of adults in the United States between the ages of 21 and 62 felt anxiety and stress about their personal finances well before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report published today.

8 Aug 2021

New CDC-funded community initiative in Georgia leverages local artists as trusted vaccine messengers

To help build confidence in and increase demand for COVID-19 vaccination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is partnering with the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and several other organizations on an innovative community initiative leveraging local artists as trusted vaccine messengers.

6 Aug 2021

Education and employment experiences in early adulthood play a role in later life cardiovascular health

New research published today in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health has found that education and employment experiences in early adulthood contribute to cardiovascular health inequalities in later life, independent of occupation and family income in mid-adulthood.

6 Aug 2021

New CRISPR-based diagnostic test detects COVID-19 variants from saliva samples

With the Delta variant wreaking havoc on unvaccinated populations and COVID-19 cases spiking around the world, the pandemic is far from over.

6 Aug 2021

Learn & Lounge helps AYA patients, survivors to connect with peers and get support

Young cancer patients face unique challenges. That's why the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center started an Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology Program in 2020.

6 Aug 2021

Low-cost face masks and AC filters are effective against airborne toxins from algal blooms

Intense blooms of toxic algae are becoming common occurrences along the coast of Florida and elsewhere.

6 Aug 2021

Science academies offer recommendations to improve pandemic preparedness in the future

In the run-up to the summit of the G20 states on October 30 and 31, 2021, in Rome/Italy, the science academies of these countries (Science20 Dialogue), including the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, have published the joint statement "Pandemic preparedness and the role of science".

6 Aug 2021

Study: IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 remain stable, or even increase, seven months after infection

The levels of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein remain stable, or even increase, seven months after infection, according to a follow-up study in a cohort of healthcare workers coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, an institution supported by "la Caixa" Foundation, in collaboration with the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona.

6 Aug 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Study sheds light on the impact of COVID-19 on ethnocultural communities

‘The Vaccination Queen’: Nurse practitioner takes covid shots house to house in Puerto Rico

Injuries mount as sales reps for device makers cozy up to surgeons, even in operating rooms

A California bill would limit protests at vaccination sites. Does it violate the first amendment?

Study of antibody responses to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in convalescent individuals

Research shows how SARS-CoV-2 variants are evolving towards increased furin cleavage efficiency

New compound inspired by tapeworm drugs shows two-pronged effectiveness against COVID-19

Scientists identify calpeptin as potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2

Computational study identifies key areas of the SARS-CoV-2 genome prone to mutation

New insight into impact of SARS-CoV-2 mutations on receptor binding

New phylogenomic platform identifies increased recombination rates in SARS-CoV-2

First data-driven deep learning model can predict COVID-19 outbreak two weeks in advance

Substantial number of U.S. adults experienced financial stress and anxiety even prior to the pandemic

New CDC-funded community initiative in Georgia leverages local artists as trusted vaccine messengers

Education and employment experiences in early adulthood play a role in later life cardiovascular health

New CRISPR-based diagnostic test detects COVID-19 variants from saliva samples

Learn & Lounge helps AYA patients, survivors to connect with peers and get support

Low-cost face masks and AC filters are effective against airborne toxins from algal blooms

Science academies offer recommendations to improve pandemic preparedness in the future

Study: IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 remain stable, or even increase, seven months after infection

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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