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.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: On Capitol Hill, actions have consequences

The reverberations from the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump continue.

14 Jan 2021

Phylogenetic analyses shows SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 originated in the UK

It was also classified as a "Variant of Concern" (VOC B.1.1.7) in December 2020. First discovered in Kent, United Kingdom, in September 2020, this new variant has since been found in more than 29 countries across the globe, including the USA.

14 Jan 2021

Excess COVID-19 deaths in overwhelmed Israeli hospitals

Researchers in Israel have conducted a study showing that increased hospital load due to rising coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases resulted in higher COVID-19-related mortality, despite hospitals not exceeding their defined threshold for meeting patients' treatment needs.

14 Jan 2021

COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts eating behaviors

Researchers in Germany and Belgium have conducted a survey demonstrating some of the adverse effects the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had on people’s eating habits.

14 Jan 2021

What are the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission inside an aircraft cabin?

A team of US scientists has recently evaluated the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among passengers present inside an aircraft cabin. The findings suggest that the risk of airborne viral transmission is minimal during long-duration flights.

14 Jan 2021

New tests may help reveal the transcriptome of SARS-CoV-2 and predict disease course

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to infect people in their hundreds of thousands around the world, a new study describes a panel of novel tests for genomic (g) and subgenomic (sg) mRNAs generated by SARS-CoV-2. Most assays in use at present are either qualitative or semi-quantitative, and cannot evaluate the transcription molecules in detail.

14 Jan 2021

A snake venom enzyme shows anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vitro

A new study reports the virucidal and fusion-inhibiting attributes of snake venom against the COVID-19 agent SARS-CoV-2.

14 Jan 2021

MVA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate shows strong immunogenicity in preclinical trials

A new study reports the preclinical testing of a recombinant MVA (rMVA) candidate vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the agent that is causing the current COVID-19 pandemic.

14 Jan 2021

COVID-19 survivors can show persistent symptoms six months after recovery, study finds

A team of researchers conduct a large study exploring the persistence of COVID-19 symptoms in recovered patients.

13 Jan 2021

Moderna to develop three new mRNA-based vaccines against HIV, influenza, and the Nipah virus

Morderna has announced plans to develop a range of new mRNA-based vaccines against other viruses, including the influenza virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the Nipah virus.

13 Jan 2021

Researchers map genetic changes that may have facilitated SARS-CoV-2’s jump from bats to humans

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Pirbright Institute in the UK have identified key genetic changes in SARS-CoV-2 that may be responsible for the virus’s jump from bats to humans. The team also determined which animals contain cellular receptors that allow the virus to enter cells more effectively, zoning in on potential animals that acted as an intermediary host in facilitating SARS-CoV-2’s zoonosis.

13 Jan 2021

New N501 SARS-CoV-2 mutation may have been circulating in Italy since August 2020

A recent study shows that mutated SARS-CoV-2 strains with a substitution at position 501 might have circulated unnoticed even before the end of September 2020, when the rapid emergence of B.1.1.7 lineage (carrying the N501Y mutation) was initially reported.

13 Jan 2021

Hospitals’ rocky rollout of covid vaccine sparks questions of fairness

Last week, after finishing inoculations of some front-line hospital staff, Jupiter Medical Center was left with 40 doses of precious covid vaccine. So, officials offered shots to the South Florida hospital’s board of directors and their spouses over age 65.

13 Jan 2021

Researchers produce lightweight grab-poles with anti-microbial property for public transport

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic many people have been, or may feel, hesitant about taking public transport, due to the perceived risk of picking up germs from areas such as the grab-poles on trains, buses and trams, which are the principal point of contact.

13 Jan 2021

Study shows distancing and mandatory masks can prevent 87% of campus COVID-19 infections

The combined effectiveness of three COVID-prevention strategies on college campuses--mask-wearing, social distancing, and routine testing--are as effective in preventing coronavirus infections as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a new study co-authored by a Case Western Reserve University researcher.

13 Jan 2021

College campuses at risk of becoming COVID-19 superspreaders, study shows

College campuses are at risk of becoming COVID-19 superspreaders for their entire county, according to a new vast study which shows the striking danger of the first two weeks of school in particular.

13 Jan 2021

Could fenofibrate be an effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2?

The resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2, has led to renewed efforts to find effective antivirals, both newly developed or repurposed drugs. A study reports the efficacy of the cholesterol-reducing drug fenofibrate in reducing infection rates of SARS-CoV-2 in cultured cells.

13 Jan 2021

Study summarizes effectiveness of cloth masks in protecting clinicians from COVID-19

A rapid, evidence-based review summarizes the effectiveness of cloth masks in protecting health care clinicians from respiratory viral infections, such as COVID-19. Nine studies were included in the review, and all but one were conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

13 Jan 2021

Social media can be a useful tools for diagnosing dermatological conditions, indicates study

At the start of the pandemic, many doctors on the front lines turned to Twitter and other social media platforms to find guidance and solace directly from their peers. In early 2020, information on COVID-19 had yet to be studied and published in peer-reviewed journals or printed in medical textbooks.

13 Jan 2021

New technology could protect against different coronavirus variants

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that is causing the COVID-19 pandemic is just one of many different viruses in the coronavirus family.

13 Jan 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: On Capitol Hill, actions have consequences

Phylogenetic analyses shows SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 originated in the UK

Excess COVID-19 deaths in overwhelmed Israeli hospitals

COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts eating behaviors

What are the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission inside an aircraft cabin?

New tests may help reveal the transcriptome of SARS-CoV-2 and predict disease course

A snake venom enzyme shows anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vitro

MVA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate shows strong immunogenicity in preclinical trials

COVID-19 survivors can show persistent symptoms six months after recovery, study finds

Moderna to develop three new mRNA-based vaccines against HIV, influenza, and the Nipah virus

Researchers map genetic changes that may have facilitated SARS-CoV-2’s jump from bats to humans

New N501 SARS-CoV-2 mutation may have been circulating in Italy since August 2020

Hospitals’ rocky rollout of covid vaccine sparks questions of fairness

Researchers produce lightweight grab-poles with anti-microbial property for public transport

Study shows distancing and mandatory masks can prevent 87% of campus COVID-19 infections

College campuses at risk of becoming COVID-19 superspreaders, study shows

Could fenofibrate be an effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2?

Study summarizes effectiveness of cloth masks in protecting clinicians from COVID-19

Social media can be a useful tools for diagnosing dermatological conditions, indicates study

New technology could protect against different coronavirus variants

Best practices - optimize qPCR processes for pathogen detection eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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