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.

Researchers assess SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk during air travel

A team of scientists from the United States has recently conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection during air travel. The findings reveal that even with SARS-CoV-2-infected persons onboard, the risk of viral transmission is low inside an aircraft.

15 Apr 2021

Can biomaterials offer novel therapeutic strategies against COVID-19?

A team of scientists reviews the current and potential impact of the biomaterial sciences on the COVID-19 pandemic.

15 Apr 2021

Heart Research UK funds new project investigating the effects of COVID-19 on blood vessels and blood pressure

A project at the University of Glasgow that is aiming to better understand the effects that COVID-19 infection has on blood vessels and blood pressure has received a grant of £250,000 from national charity Heart Research UK.

15 Apr 2021

Future attempts to reduce Covid-19 spread should focus on tackling airborne transmission

Any future attempts to reduce the spread of covid-19 should be focused on tackling close airborne transmission of the virus which is considered to be the primary route for its circulation, according to experts in an editorial published in The BMJ.

15 Apr 2021

Rehabilitation science expert welcomes exercise recommendations for people with chronic pain

The announcement by medicines watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) that exercise should be recommended to people suffering from chronic pain, rather than prescribed painkillers, has been welcomed by rehabilitation science expert at Kingston University and St George’s, University of London Professor Mike Hurley.

15 Apr 2021

High antibody and inflammatory mediator levels may predict severe COVID-19

A new study reports on biomarkers could help predict the progression of the viral illness to dangerous levels early enough to enable timely intervention.

15 Apr 2021

Allometric model shows human travel is closely related to spread of COVID-19

A new study indicates that the spread of COVID-19 is governed by power-law dynamics, suggesting that alternative modeling approaches need to be used to understand and predict its propagation.

15 Apr 2021

Airports step up mental health assistance as passenger anxiety soars

Robin Hancock gently worked her steel tongue drum with a pair of mallets, producing a set of soothing, mystical tones. They blended with the soft sound of chirping birds and bubbling creeks pouring from a Bluetooth speaker. Her warm voice invited the two visitors in the dimly lit room to slip into a nature setting of their choosing.

15 Apr 2021

Improving urban design to prioritize and promote public health

Most people by now have memorized the public health guidelines meant to help minimize transmission of COVID-19: wash your hands, wear a mask, keep six feet apart from others. That part is easy.

15 Apr 2021

Adults with periodontitis transmit bacteria that can later cause the disease in their children

Adults with periodontitis transmit bacteria that can cause the disease in future to their children, and the bacteria remain in the oral cavity even when the children undergo treatment of various kinds, reinforcing the need for preventive care in the first year of a baby's life.

15 Apr 2021

Study shows why social media users are more hesitant about getting vaccinated

New research has found that the most reliable indicators of willingness to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are rejection of conspiracy suspicions about COVID-19 and a positive attitude towards vaccines in general.

15 Apr 2021

People who trust TV and Facebook for accurate news about COVID-19 are less knowledgeable

People who trust television and Facebook to provide them with accurate news about the coronavirus pandemic are less knowledgeable about COVID-19, according to a new study, which assessed people's knowledge of the virus in the earliest stages of the pandemic.

15 Apr 2021

More than half of COVID-19 patients report persistent symptoms 12-months after infection

In a new study, appearing on the pre-print server medRxiv*, researchers at the University of Trieste and Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS in Italy report that more than half of patients with previous mild-to-moderate symptomatic COVID-19 complained of the persistence of at least one symptom 12-months after the onset of the illness.

15 Apr 2021