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.

Study suggests vast majority of Seattle population remains susceptible to COVID-19

Researchers in the United States have conducted a study suggesting that a small proportion of people living in Seattle were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – by around late March/early April 2020.

9 Dec 2020

The impact of COVID-19 on emergency medical services: a case study

A team of researchers based in Turkey has now studied the pandemic's effect on emergency medical services (EMS). Their study, titled "Effects of COVID‐19 pandemic on emergency medical services," was published in the latest issue of The International Journal of Clinical Practice.

9 Dec 2020

Obesity increases the risk of severe COVID-19, study finds

Researchers reveal that being overweight and obese are common risk factors for developing severe COVID-19. However, they suggested further assessment of metabolic parameters, including body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio, and insulin levels, to estimate the risk.

9 Dec 2020

Researchers develop analytical model to gauge SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in schools

Research highlight the risk of virus spread in schools in the Netherlands. Since most schools across countries have resumed in-person or face-to-face classes, knowing the virus's risk and transmission dynamics in this context is crucial.

9 Dec 2020

The effects of cigarette smoke and COPD on SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers have revealed some of the effects of cigarette smoke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on SARS-CoV-2 infection.

9 Dec 2020

UofL receives DoD funding to develop a nasal spray for preventing COVID-19

The University of Louisville has received funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to develop a nasal spray to prevent serious viral respiratory infections such as COVID-19 using Q-Griffithsin, a drug compound developed and co-owned by UofL.

9 Dec 2020

What safety measures have food suppliers implemented in response to COVID-19?

Researchers surveyed small to large food companies in 16 countries on food safety attributes and emergency plans. They found that less than half the food companies had documented putting emergency plans in place for pandemics and public health crises.

9 Dec 2020

Neutrophils may play a key role in COVID-19-related thrombosis

A team of researchers in Italy have published a study suggesting that rather than platelets, neutrophils could be playing the lead role in thrombotic complications associated with COVID-19.

9 Dec 2020

WHO highlights leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide from 2000 to 2019

Noncommunicable diseases now make up 7 of the world's top 10 causes of death, according to WHO's 2019 Global Health Estimates, published today.

9 Dec 2020

Considerable COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in UK may affect herd immunity, study finds

Scientists from the Imperial College London and the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, UK, have conducted a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey to evaluate the public’s willingness to receive coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and their attitude toward prioritization.

9 Dec 2020

As more red states legalize marijuana, some officials try to nip it in the bud

With his state reeling amid one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the nation, the last thing South Dakota Speaker of the House Steven Haugaard wants to be dealing with during the upcoming legislative session is marijuana. But the state's voters haven't left the Republican much choice.

9 Dec 2020

It’s time to scare people about COVID

I still remember exactly where I was sitting decades ago, during the short film shown in class: For a few painful minutes, we watched a woman talking mechanically, raspily through a hole in her throat, pausing occasionally to gasp for air.

9 Dec 2020

Developing antimicrobial products with resistance to coronavirus

In this interview, News-Medical spoke to Charles Churchman, Co-founder of Veraco, about their antimicrobial products that have been designed to have resistance to coronavirus.

9 Dec 2020

Interim results show Oxford COVID-19 vaccine protects against symptomatic disease

First full results from interim analysis confirm that the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine (AZD1222) has an acceptable safety profile and is efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19 disease, with no hospitalizations or severe disease reported in the COVID-19 vaccine group so far.

9 Dec 2020

COVID-19 lockdown measures negatively impact children's mental health

The first lockdown led to a significant increase in symptoms of depression among children, highlighting the unintended consequences of school closures, according to a new study from the University of Cambridge.

9 Dec 2020

Scientists determine key molecular processes used by coronavirus to infect human cells

When a coronavirus--including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19--infects someone, it hijacks the person's cells, co-opting their molecular machinery for its own survival and spread.

9 Dec 2020

Researchers share key solutions related to challenges faced by businesses during COVID-19

Researchers share important information and solutions related to the challenges facing human resources and system managers in a special issue of Human Systems Management

8 Dec 2020

New report underscores the need to implement home care in all pandemic planning

Tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents depend on home care to support their health as they age or cope with physical challenges. That care often requires close personal contact, increasing the risk of contracting COVID-19 among both home-care clients and the aides who provide their care.

8 Dec 2020

Researchers explore the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the environment

COVID-19 has changed the way we live and work, as various health and safety restrictions keep more of us at home more often.

8 Dec 2020

Amilorides reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral replication in vitro

A new U.S. study published on the bioRxiv preprint server reports the use of an amiloride-based scaffold that targets a viral RNA structure known to be essential in viral replication in the 5’-untranslated region (UTR) of the virus. The researchers say this heralds the application of these molecules as chemical probes to explore viral biology and produce specific antivirals targeting RNA regions of the coronavirus genome.

8 Dec 2020