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Research supports cautious re-opening of schools

The gradual reopening of schools, starting with primary schools, is unlikely to lead to a second wave of infection, according to new mathematical modelling of the COVID-19 outbreak from University of Warwick researchers, but we should be prepared to reintroduce lockdown measures should there be a significant rise in the number of new cases.

4 Jun 2020

At-home finger prick COVID-19 antibody testing

The best way to estimate the actual prevalence of COVID-19 in the population is by antibody testing. A new study by scientists at Enable Biosciences and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 reports the development of fast and sensitive antibody testing kits designed for at-home use. This could significantly boost the measurement of population prevalence of this infection and help understand whether it confers immunity to reinfection.

2 Jun 2020

Delay in implementing social distancing measures adds to the length of COVID-19 outbreak

A new analysis of COVID-19 outbreaks in 58 cities has found that places that took longer to begin implementing social distancing measures spent more time with the virus rapidly spreading than others that acted more quickly.

1 Jun 2020

New genetic engineering technique sets the stage for advances in medicine and beyond

From bacteria-made insulin that obviates the use of animal pancreases to a better understanding of infectious diseases and improved treatments, genetic engineering of bacteria has redefined modern medicine. Yet, serious limitations remain that hamper| progress in numerous other areas.

30 May 2020

Predicting How Contact Tracing Can Control the Spread of COVID-19

News-Medical spoke to Lewis Spurgin about a new study that looked at 'real world' movement data and social contact to understand the spread of COVID-19.

29 May 2020

Targeted drugs shrink breast cancer tumors in mice without toxic side effects

A team of researchers led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute Provost Wole Soboyejo has identified targeted drugs that reduced the sizes of hard-to-treat breast cancer tumors in mice without inducing the toxic side effects that are typically associated with conventional chemotherapy.

28 May 2020

Scientists discover two anti-inflammatory drugs that inhibit COVID-19 infection

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its rapid spread, the scientific community has been working on developing an effective treatment for the virus responsible for the disease.

27 May 2020

COVID-19 in cats and dogs is likely acquired directly from infected humans

A recent study from Japan available reveals how almost all cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among domestic animals can be linked to their owners infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

26 May 2020

High-strain physical activity associated with greater risk of very early pregnancy loss

In women with a history of miscarriage, higher levels of physical activity were associated with a greater risk of subclinical, or very early, pregnancy loss, according to new research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Among women with confirmed pregnancy, physical activity and miscarriage risk were unrelated.

26 May 2020

Study: Gene mutation disrupts sexual behavior in zebrafish

When University of Ottawa biologists Kim Mitchell and Vance Trudeau began studying the effects of gene mutations in zebrafish, they uncovered new functions that regulate how males and females interact while mating.

26 May 2020

Americans with limited birth control access more likely to turn to the internet for abortion information

Residents of states with limited access to contraceptives and high rates of unplanned pregnancies are more likely to turn to the internet for information about abortion. These are the findings of a new study of Google search data across all 50 states by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

22 May 2020

Improving IVF Treatments by Imaging Sperm Cells

News-Medical spoke to Professor Natan Shaked about his new sperm cell imaging technique that could be used to help improve the outcomes of IVF treatments.

22 May 2020

Study hints a mechanistic link between sex and stress response in microbes

Why is sex so popular? The question of why so many organisms reproduce sexually has mystified evolutionary biologists since before Darwin, who wrote that "The whole subject is as yet hidden in darkness."

21 May 2020

Scientists use new model to develop cancer stem cells

Liver cancer is one of the deadliest cancers. It is insidious and does not present symptoms until it has progressed considerably, at which point, treatment options are limited and chances of survival are low. The most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

21 May 2020

Inadequate vaccine and epidemic control in the US

A new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 shows that vaccination must be combined with nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) to achieve rapid and effective control of the ongoing pandemic.

17 May 2020

Pandemic situation in India: Too early to predict outcomes

A new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 suggests that India could be facing the end of a relatively mild outbreak of COVID-19 compared with many other countries.

14 May 2020

New insights into SARS-CoV-2 viral diversity

The first comprehensive, large-scale analysis available on the preprint server bioRxiv attempted to identify specific genomic signatures of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains within and across individual hosts – revealing recombination events, specific geographic profiles, as well as multi-strain and/or superinfections characteristic for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

14 May 2020

Potential targets discovered for COVID-19 therapy

A team of biochemists and virologists at Goethe University and the Frankfurt University Hospital were able to observe how human cells change upon infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19 in people.

14 May 2020

Relaxation of social and physical distancing measures may result in profound mortality

Even as the world struggles to live and make a living, faced with the dual threat of a rapidly spreading viral illness and economic slowdown, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 says that relaxing non-pharmacological interventions will allow the SARS-CoV-2 virus to become endemic.

13 May 2020