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A systematic review and meta-analysis of stroke in COVID-19 patients

Fourteen out of every 1,000 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital experience a stroke, a rate that is even higher in older patients and those with severe infection and pre-existing vascular conditions, according to a report published this week.

28 Oct 2020

Access to air quality data and education should be a priority for improving health outcomes

In 2010, the European Respiratory Society appealed to physicians to “recognize that air pollution is the largest environmental challenge for European citizens, one that currently limits the fundamental right of all individuals to breathe clean air. This challenge is associated with large health effects – effects that will continue to menace public health in the future”.

28 Oct 2020

Study confirms link between childhood smoking and higher risk for premature death

Current smokers faced nearly three times the risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease compared with people who never smoked, with the risk being higher among those who began smoking during childhood, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access journal of the American Heart Association.

28 Oct 2020

Study shows COVID-19 can be detected through non-invasive breath test

Initial findings from a new study led by Loughborough University - published by The Lancet - has shown how Covid-19 can be detected via a non-invasive breath test, providing almost instant results.

28 Oct 2020

Scientists compare ACE2 interaction with SARS-CoV-2 across species

Like other pathogenic coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 crossed the species barrier to cause human disease. This fact motivated the current study, published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020, which explores the way coronaviruses engage their host cell receptors in a range of animals.

28 Oct 2020

Structure and mechanisms of ribosomal frameshifting during SARS-CoV-2 translation

The structure of a 3’ stimulatory pseudoknot in the viral genome or by itself has been proposed recently. Researchers report the structure and mechanisms of mammalian ribosomes during translation of the -1 frameshifting of the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome in a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv.

28 Oct 2020

Study shows potential impacts of robots in medical diagnosis and delivery

Emergency intubation in the field is a challenge for everyone involved, most especially the patient. Paramedics and EMTs have to contend with less than ideal circumstances while they attempt to insert a stiff laryngoscope down the throat and into the lungs of a nonresponsive patient.

28 Oct 2020

Mathematical model for COVID-19 allows for dynamic social distancing and relaxation

Recently, researchers from York University, Toronto, Canada, presented a mathematical model for COVID-19 comprising groups of people with various levels of exposure to the disease based on data from Ontario, Canada. Their work is published on the preprint server medRxiv.

27 Oct 2020

Furin cleavage site and D614G on SARS-CoV-2 spike evolved to balance infectivity, stability, cytopathicity

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 disease, currently raging across the world. The virus has now infected more than 43.89 million individuals and claimed over 1.16 million lives. The study titled, "Spike glycoprotein and host cell determinants of SARS-CoV-2 entry and cytopathic effects," is released on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020.

27 Oct 2020

Gut's immune response to SARS-CoV-2 very different from the lung

Megan L. Stanifer et al. study the immune response in the human gut upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study published as a bioRxiv* preprint reveals a robust proinflammatory response: a cell type-specific or a tissue-specific regulation of interferon-mediated signaling during SARS-CoV-2 infection.

27 Oct 2020

COVID vaccine misinformation lowering people's intent to get vaccinated

A new study by researchers at the Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine aimed to determine how online misinformation impacts COVID-19 vaccine uptake intent. Further, the team wanted to identify socioeconomic groups at a higher risk of not getting vaccinated and those who are most susceptible to online misinformation.

27 Oct 2020

Bigger households associated with greater odds of SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Household transmission plays a pivotal role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The study recommends that it is essential for people to get tested immediately or as soon as symptoms appear. This way, they will take precautions to protect the other members of the family.

27 Oct 2020

DNase coated melanin-like nanospheres for sepsis treatment in severe COVID

As the treatment of severe COVID-19 is very difficult, the researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Biosciences and Biotechnology (KRIBB) suggested that DNase-1 can be utilized to dissolve the neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), hence halting the further progression of COVID-19.

27 Oct 2020

Rapid CD169 assay for COVID-19 screening

Researchers in France have conducted a study demonstrating the sensitivity of a rapid flow cytometry assay that could be used to screen for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

27 Oct 2020

Research examines COVID-19 transmission patterns in Georgia, U.S.

Researchers from Emory University and the Georgia Department of Public Health have shown that the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the state of Georgia earlier this year changed over time and varied by age.

27 Oct 2020

Important structures of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro protease

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is changing the world like never before. This crisis is unlikely contained in the absence of effective therapeutics or vaccine.

27 Oct 2020

Research on autophagy and coronavirus, implicates ULK1

Researchers from the University of British Columbia have discovered that the betacoronavirus-encoded papain-like protease disrupts autophagy, partly by targeting ULK1. Their work is reported on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020.

27 Oct 2020

U.S. essential hospitals urge public to practice simple yet effective safety measures

Valleywise Health of Phoenix, America's Essential Hospitals, and a dozen essential hospitals - those with a safety-net mission - joined together in an urgent call for all Americans to remain vigilant and continue preventive actions to combat the spread of COVID-19.

27 Oct 2020

Researchers study the dynamics of airborne transmission

The continued increase in COVID-19 infection around the world has led scientists from many different fields, including biomedicine, epidemiology, virology, fluid dynamics, aerosol physics, and public policy, to study the dynamics of airborne transmission.

27 Oct 2020

Study reveals human protein that helps the immune system fight viral infections

University of North Carolina School of Medicine scientists has made a curious discovery about a well-known human protein that helps the immune system fight viral infections.

27 Oct 2020