Pandemic News and Research

RSS

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.

SARS-CoV-2 may join the ranks of mild cold-causing coronaviruses

What is the endgame for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that is causing worldwide devastation? If it becomes endemic -- circulating in the general population -- and most people are exposed in childhood, SARS-CoV-2 may join the ranks of mild cold-causing coronaviruses that currently circulate in humans, according to a model developed by Emory and Penn State scientists.

13 Jan 2021

Medical institutions should support health care workers with COVID-19 infection, say experts

By mid-November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported that 218,439 health care workers in the U.S. had been infected with COVID-19 -- a likely underestimate due to incomplete data from states.

13 Jan 2021

FAU researchers develop simplified, rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection protocol

To properly monitor and help curb the spread of COVID-19, several millions of diagnostic tests are required daily in just the United States alone.

13 Jan 2021

New publication describes DiosCURE’s multivalent single-chain antibodies to inactivate SARS-CoV-2

DiosCURE SE announced a publication in Science describing its core technology of multivalent single-chain antibodies with a unique molecular mode-of-action to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 virions. An international team led by scientists at the University of Bonn developed and characterized the lead candidates, which are exclusively licensed by DiosCURE.

13 Jan 2021

Biologists reveal unusual structure of coronavirus protein linked to immune evasion

A team of HIV researchers, cellular biologists, and biophysicists who banded together to support COVID-19 science determined the atomic structure of a coronavirus protein thought to help the pathogen evade and dampen response from human immune cells.

13 Jan 2021

Cardiovascular deaths unrelated to COVID-19 increased during the pandemic, study finds

As the number of COVID-19 infections continues to rise nationwide, more than 360,000 Americans have already died from the potentially deadly viral infection.

13 Jan 2021

Study: Testing policies should vary based on demand to catch the most COVID-19 cases

With months to go in the mass rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, testing is still critical to control the surging pandemic.

13 Jan 2021

Antibody-Fc-mediated innate immunity shapes COVID-19 severity

A short paper that appeared recently on the preprint bioRxiv server pointed to a link between specific characteristics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies associated with the severity of COVID-19.

12 Jan 2021

Structure of SARS-CoV-2 cytoplasmic tail uncovered

The virus's cytosolic tail also interacts with the host cell to promote its entry into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). A new study appearing on the bioRxiv preprint server elucidates the conformation of this region of the virus, which will help understand how its form is related to its function in viral entry.

12 Jan 2021

Effect of mutations in the South African SARS-CoV-2 variant on transmission and neutralization

One such strain is the South African 501.V2 and UK B1.1.7 strains, which have been isolated from many countries and seem to spread faster than the ancestral strain. A preprint that recently appeared on the bioRxiv server reports the computational structure of this strain and the possible effect of the mutations on infectivity and neutralization.

12 Jan 2021

Bleeding disorder linked to poor clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients

The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the pathogen responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Approximately 20-55% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are reported to have deranged hemostatic laboratory parameters, which suggests coagulopathy.

12 Jan 2021

Study reveals rising risk of mental health problems among COVID-19 health care professionals

The daily toll of COVID-19, as measured by new cases and the growing number of deaths, overlooks a shadowy set of casualties: the rising risk of mental health problems among health care professionals working on the frontlines of the pandemic.

12 Jan 2021

K-State medical director contributes to research on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and quarantine periods

Kyle Goerl, the medical director of Kansas State University's Lafene Health Center, is part of a collaborative team that is providing research-based guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

12 Jan 2021

Leading pediatric hospital reveals top AI models in COVID-19 Grand Challenge

The top 10 results have been unveiled in the first-of-its-kind COVID-19 Lung CT Lesion Segmentation Grand Challenge, a groundbreaking research competition focused on developing artificial intelligence (AI) models to help in the visualization and measurement of COVID specific lesions in the lungs of infected patients, potentially facilitating to more timely and patient-specific medical interventions.

12 Jan 2021

Poor gut health may adversely affect COVID-19 prognosis

People infected with COVID-19 experience a wide range of symptoms and severities, the most commonly reported including high fevers and respiratory problems.

12 Jan 2021

Highly sensitive wearable sensor shows promise for cardiorespiratory monitoring

A highly sensitive wearable sensor for cardiorespiratory monitoring could potentially be worn continuously by cardiac patients or others who require constant monitoring.

12 Jan 2021

Researchers study the effectiveness of FEND product to improve airway hygiene

In a paper published in Molecular Frontiers Journal, researchers from Cambridge, Massachusetts and Bangalore, India study the effectiveness of FEND product to significantly improve airway hygiene by reducing and suppressing respiratory droplets potentially containing airborne pathogens and other contaminants.

12 Jan 2021

Clinicians at leading cardiac center report burnout and high levels of distress

More than half the clinicians surveyed at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre reported burnout and high levels of distress according to a series of studies published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal Open.

12 Jan 2021

UW investigators and Talkspace collaborate to study patient experiences with telepsychotherapy

As Americans come to grip with a mental health crisis worsened by the pandemic, smartphone and other digital-health applications are getting more scrutiny.

12 Jan 2021

Atmospheric particulate matter may influence the transmission and evolution of SARS-CoV-2

A recent study conducted at the University of Malta Medical School, Malta, has revealed that a drop in the level of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), which are airborne pollutant particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometer, in the atmosphere due to lockdown is associated with the arrival of a newer variant of SARS-CoV-2, which has eventually displaced the original virus after lockdown.

12 Jan 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

SARS-CoV-2 may join the ranks of mild cold-causing coronaviruses

Medical institutions should support health care workers with COVID-19 infection, say experts

FAU researchers develop simplified, rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection protocol

New publication describes DiosCURE’s multivalent single-chain antibodies to inactivate SARS-CoV-2

Biologists reveal unusual structure of coronavirus protein linked to immune evasion

Cardiovascular deaths unrelated to COVID-19 increased during the pandemic, study finds

Study: Testing policies should vary based on demand to catch the most COVID-19 cases

Antibody-Fc-mediated innate immunity shapes COVID-19 severity

Structure of SARS-CoV-2 cytoplasmic tail uncovered

Effect of mutations in the South African SARS-CoV-2 variant on transmission and neutralization

Bleeding disorder linked to poor clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients

Study reveals rising risk of mental health problems among COVID-19 health care professionals

K-State medical director contributes to research on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and quarantine periods

Leading pediatric hospital reveals top AI models in COVID-19 Grand Challenge

Poor gut health may adversely affect COVID-19 prognosis

Highly sensitive wearable sensor shows promise for cardiorespiratory monitoring

Researchers study the effectiveness of FEND product to improve airway hygiene

Clinicians at leading cardiac center report burnout and high levels of distress

UW investigators and Talkspace collaborate to study patient experiences with telepsychotherapy

Atmospheric particulate matter may influence the transmission and evolution of SARS-CoV-2

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

Latest News