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.

Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 P.1 variant shows resistance to antibody neutralization

Researchers in the United States say the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant – P.1 – that has recently emerged in Brazil shows a worrying level of resistance to neutralization by antibodies.

4 Mar 2021

Inflammatory heart disease is rare among professional athletes with mild COVID-19, study finds

Inflammatory heart disease is a rare finding among professional athletes with mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 infection, a large-scale study has found.

4 Mar 2021

Kaiser Permanente, big player in California vaccine effort, has had trouble vaccinating own members

As managed-care giant Kaiser Permanente assumes a prominent role in California's new covid-19 vaccination strategy, it is drawing mixed reviews from members across the country for the way it has run its own vaccine program over the past two months.

4 Mar 2021

Administering zinc supplements to Covid-19 patients may help reduce mortality and recovery time

Administering zinc supplements to Covid-19 patients with low levels of this element may be a strategy to reduce mortality and recovery time.

4 Mar 2021

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Good and not-so-good news on Covid

There's good news and bad news on Covid-19 this week. On the one hand, several million doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine authorized by the FDA for emergency use are already going into the arms of people around the nation.

4 Mar 2021

Digital health solution helps reduce key symptoms of chronic pain

For the first time, an app has been shown to reduce key symptoms of chronic pain. A UHN-led study evaluated the impact of Manage My Pain (MMP), a digital health solution developed by ManagingLife, on patients seen at the Iroquois Falls Family Health Team, and the Toronto Western and Toronto General Hospitals.

4 Mar 2021

Study reveals a small molecule inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection in cells

Researchers found a small molecule that inhibits different virus proteins and significantly reduces infection in cells. Combined with the antiviral remdesivir, its potency increases significantly, suggesting it may be a potential antiviral candidate for the treatment of COVID-19.

4 Mar 2021

Delayed detection of oral fluid anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies increases the time to viral clearance

A prospective observational study has revealed that the late appearance of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in oral fluid, absence of fever as an early symptom, and elevated BMI are associated with delayed clearance of viral RNA in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients.

4 Mar 2021

Multiple COVID-19 variants of concern have reached Houston, Texas

New research by a team at Houston Methodist Hospital in the United States has modeled the aggressive genomic sequencing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) observed in the United Kingdom to document viral community spread in Houston, Texas.

4 Mar 2021

Metastudy of pregnant women reveals risk factors for COVID-19

Researchers examine the influence of pregnancy on SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes on a wide scale, potentially informing future public messaging and COVID-19 prevention strategies.

4 Mar 2021

Cell surface marker CD47 may allow early diagnosis of severe COVID-19

A new study reports the potential of the cell surface marker, CD47, as a biomarker for hyperinflammation, a characteristic feature of severe COVID-19.

4 Mar 2021

Novel host-viral-microbiome interactions during COVID-19 may determine outcome

A new preprint on the medRxiv* server discusses how the underlying disease mechanisms are regulated such that the local or mucosal immune response is distinct from the systemic response.

4 Mar 2021

Researchers detect vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in breast milk

A new paper released on the medRxiv* preprint server describes, for the first time, the detection of antibodies to the virus in human breast milk following the vaccination of lactating mothers. This could guide patients, their healthcare providers, and public health policymakers alike as to the deployment of the vaccines in pregnant and lactating mothers.

4 Mar 2021

The Role of D-Amino Acids in Humans

In this interview, Dr. Daniel Armstrong from the University of Texas at Arlington talks to News-Medical Life Sciences about his upcoming Pittcon presentation.

From Pittcon 4 Mar 2021

Reopening of long-term care facilities is ‘an absolute necessity for our well-being’

For nearly a year, nursing homes and assisted living centers have been mostly closed to visitors. Now, it's time for them to open back up and relieve residents of crushing isolation, according to a growing chorus of long-term care experts, caregivers, consumer groups and physicians.

4 Mar 2021

Coronavirus deranges the immune system in complex and deadly ways

There's a reason soldiers go through basic training before heading into combat: Without careful instruction, green recruits armed with powerful weapons could be as dangerous to one another as to the enemy.

4 Mar 2021

To help farmworkers get Covid tests and vaccine, build trust and a safety net

With more than 20 million acres of corn and soybeans, Illinois is among the top U.S. producers of those crops. To make it all happen, the state relies on thousands of farmworkers — some of whom travel to the state for seasonal work and others, like 35-year-old Saraí, who call Illinois home.

4 Mar 2021

Accidentally trashed, thawed or expired: reports of Covid vaccine spoilage

As the speed of covid vaccinations picks up, so do the reports of doses going to waste. And it’s more than just a handful at the end of the day because of a few appointment cancellations. Health officials are trying to rein in waste without slowing down vaccinations.

4 Mar 2021

Global online medical education specialist, Continulus secures £0.5m of equity funding from investor consortium

Continulus, the online video-learning platform for health professionals, has secured £0.5m of equity investment from a consortium of UK investors.

From Continulus 4 Mar 2021

Research looks at COVID vaccine hesitancy and refusal among the U.S. public

Vaccination against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rolled out in many countries, including the United States. As the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases continues to rise, vaccinating many people in the population is crucial. Despite campaigns to inform residents of the benefits of vaccines, many are still reluctant to get vaccinated.

4 Mar 2021