Respiratory News and Research

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Researchers develop survey to understand factors that influence vaping

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, information about the dangers of vaping was emerging. To investigate the potentially serious health and respiratory implications of vaping, Mayo Clinic researchers wanted to better understand the factors influencing vaping in the community.

23 Nov 2020

Study suggests neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies offer protection against reinfection

A new study published in November 2020 on the preprint server medRxiv* indicates that the chances of symptomatic infection are indeed much lower among the population with antibodies to the virus.

22 Nov 2020

Change in attitude towards wildlife consumption in China: Survey

Researchers wanted to explore the current attitudes towards consuming exotic animals several months after the outbreak.

22 Nov 2020

Pomegranate peel extract shows potential as inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers led by first author Relja Suručić from the Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, have studied the use of pomegranate peel extracts in preventing infections with SARS-CoV-2.

22 Nov 2020

Ranking the effectiveness of worldwide COVID-19 government interventions

A recent article, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, analyses quantitatively the NPIs implemented in different geographies and their impact on the effective reproduction number, Rt, of COVID-19.

22 Nov 2020

Analysis shows social distancing helped reduce nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission in London

Recently, a team of researchers from the King's College London, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, and St Thomas' Hospital, London analyzed comprehensive epidemiological and viral nanopore sequence data from 574 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by a PCR test in March 2020.

22 Nov 2020

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune globulin produced from convalescent plasma pool has 3-fold antibody neutralizing activity

In a recent study published in the preprint server bioRxiv, researchers from the Grifols Bioscience Research Group reported on the collection of convalescent plasma and production of anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune globulin for use in clinical research.

22 Nov 2020

Study characterizes early chains and patterns of COVID-19 transmission in France

By using data from epidemiological investigations and contact-tracing efforts during the initial phase of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic in France, researchers were able to appraise secondary clinical attack rates and factors associated with the risk of a contact becoming a case. Their findings are currently available in a medRxiv preprint paper.

22 Nov 2020

COVID-19 potentially has negative impacts on male fertility

A review recently published in the Journal of Medical Virology has discussed some of the effects that infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – may have on male fertility.

22 Nov 2020

Sage and perilla herbal teas could help to prevent or treat COVID-19

Researchers in Germany have conducted a study demonstrating the potential antiviral effects of commonly consumed herbal teas on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the pathogen that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

22 Nov 2020

Inflammatory factors that aggravate COVID-19 may come from adipose tissue

There is growing evidence that adipose tissue plays a key role in the aggravation of COVID-19. One of the theories under investigation is that fat cells (adipocytes) act as a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 and increase viral load in obese or overweight individuals.

20 Nov 2020

Assessment tool accurately predicts outcomes for COVID-19 patients

A study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine this month reports on an assessment tool developed by Kaiser Permanente researchers and physicians that helps ensure patients get the right care, when they need it, by accurately predicting the probability that patients with COVID-19 symptoms will experience severe disease or even death.

20 Nov 2020

Scientists investigate how cell membrane and COVID-19 virus impact each other

The cell membrane is the cell's outermost line of defense against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 disease.

20 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 suppresses ACE2 activity in COVID-19 patients

A recent study conducted by a team of international scientists has revealed that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), suppresses the expression and function of human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and induces the expression of interferon-stimulated genes at the initial phase of infection. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

20 Nov 2020

Food products are potential SARS-CoV-2 carriers, study finds

A team of scientists at the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and the Food Safety Research Center in Iran has emphasized the risk of various staple food products, including meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and ready-to-eat foods, as potential carriers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

20 Nov 2020

Furin inhibition may mitigate severe COVID-19, study finds

Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, a researcher at the Institute for Functional Medicine in the United States, has explained the role of furin protease in developing severe COVID-19 illness.

20 Nov 2020

Scientists explain potential reasons for SARS-CoV-2 re-infection

A study, which was published in the journal New Microbes and New Infections, focused on the possible reasons for SARS-CoV-2 reinfection.

20 Nov 2020

How effective have COVID-19 mitigation strategies been in Australia's second wave?

Researchers have modeled the effect of the different types of social distancing implemented in Australia's greater Melbourne area in response to the county's second wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. They found implementing stricter lockdowns in the beginning before the rapid rise in cases works best. The team's findings have been made available on the preprint server, medRxiv*.

20 Nov 2020

Universal screening for SARS-CoV-2 may be an ineffective mitigation strategy, says study

A team of researchers in the Netherlands have reported that regular, universal and random screening and isolation of infectious individuals may not be a viable strategy for reopening society after bringing a wave of SARS-CoV-2 under control.

20 Nov 2020

Systematic review of epicardial adipose tissue in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

In a new publication from Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications, Bin Liu, Yingrui Li, Janlin Du, Qiang She and Songbai Deng from The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China consider epicardial adipose tissue in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

20 Nov 2020