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.

Spanish-originated SARS-CoV-2 variant A222V shows rapid spread in Lazio, Italy

A startling new study reports the rapid rise to dominance of a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain in Italy. This strain, termed the GV clade, is characterized by a single point mutation.

2 Dec 2020

A new potential COVID-19 vaccine candidate: YF-S0

A recent study published in the journal Nature describes the safety and efficacy of a live-attenuated yellow fever 17D (YF17D) vector-based vaccine candidate expressing a non-cleavable form of the spike protein of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2).

2 Dec 2020

New and sudden headaches may be a symptom of COVID-19

Researchers report a case of a young male patient who came in with a headache to an emergency room. He had increased intracranial pressure and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, suggesting new headaches during the pandemic should not be ignored.

2 Dec 2020

Scientists detect a sarbecovirus phylogenetically related to SARS-CoV-2 from bats in Japan

A team of researchers at the University of Tokyo in Japan have detected a sarbecovirus, called Rc-o319, which is phylogenetically positioned in the same clade as SARS-CoV-2 in Rhinolophus cornutus bats in Japan.

2 Dec 2020

Particulate matter levels can play a significant role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission

A new study has found that particulate matter (PM) plays a role in providing surfaces for SARS-CoV-2 transmission and interaction, enabling fomite transmission through deposition.

2 Dec 2020

Two-thirds of parents are worried about the effects of pandemic on children's mental health

Seasons of change can be difficult to navigate emotionally, not only for adults, but also for children. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly impacted children's mental health, and as families start planning for the holidays that may look very different this year, it's important to build resilience in kids to prepare them for what's ahead during these winter months.

2 Dec 2020

SARS-CoV-2 deletion mutations may have attenuated infectivity in some strains

A team of researchers at the University of Hong Kong has identified a panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants, called Del-mut, which contains a deletion in the S1/S2 junction. Upon investigating one of the deleted variants in animal models, they found that Del-mut-1 is attenuated in its ability to cause disease or pathological changes.

2 Dec 2020

As hospitals fill with COVID patients, medical reinforcements are hard to find

Hospitals in much of the country are trying to cope with unprecedented numbers of COVID-19 patients. As of Monday, 96,039 were hospitalized, an alarming record that far exceeds the two previous peaks in April and July of just under 60,000 inpatients.

2 Dec 2020

Study: Integrating palliative care earlier in care trajectory benefits COVID-19 patients

Critical care nurses are ideally positioned to drive full integration of palliative care into the care of all patients who are seriously ill, including patients with COVID-19, according to an article published in the December issue of Critical Care Nurse (CCN).

2 Dec 2020

Elsevier launches a new book on COVID-19

Elsevier, a global research publishing and information analytics provider, recently launched the English version of COVID-19: The Essentials of Prevention and Treatment. A digital version of the book is freely available to download on Elsevier's Novel Coronavirus Information Center here.

2 Dec 2020

Researchers develop telomerase gene therapy for treating different pathologies

After several years of research and many joint scientific publications, molecular biologists Maria Blasco (National Cancer Research Centre, CNIO) and Fàtima Bosch (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, UAB) have developed a telomerase gene therapy for the treatment of different pathologies related to shortening telomeres and, therefore, ageing.

2 Dec 2020

Researchers evaluate the most appropriate test for COVID-19

Until a vaccine is available, curbing the coronavirus pandemic relies heavily on how quickly a potentially exposed individual can be tested and quarantined.

2 Dec 2020

CARES Act helped reduce social interaction of viral spread

As case rates of COVID-19 reach new heights across the nation, many states and cities are tightening stay-at-home restrictions to stop the spread.

1 Dec 2020

PTC299 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and suppresses production of inflammatory cytokines

In an article published in the journal Virus Research, a team of researchers from various US institutions discussed their study that evaluated the antiviral activity of PTC299 against a group of RNA viruses in vitro.

1 Dec 2020

Cleaning surfaces with hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants may pollute indoor air

Cleaning surfaces with hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants has the potential to pollute the air and pose a health risk, according to research led by University of Saskatchewan.

1 Dec 2020

Three leading organizations join hands to address global challenges in dementia

To address the growing public health crisis of dementia, three leading organizations announced funding for 23 small-scale pilot projects as part of this year's Pilot Awards for Global Brain Health Leaders.

1 Dec 2020

Alcohol-free hand sanitizer works just as well as alcohol-based products to control COVID-19

A new study from researchers at Brigham Young University finds that alcohol-free hand sanitizer is just as effective at disinfecting surfaces from the COVID-19 virus as alcohol-based products.

1 Dec 2020

COVID-19 may exacerbate mental health symptoms among pregnant and postpartum women

Though childbirth is often anticipated with optimism and enthusiasm, approximately 10 to 20 percent of pregnant individuals also experience mental health challenges during the weeks immediately before and after birth.

1 Dec 2020

Nanomedicine's giant step into the fight against the COVID-19

A recent editorial in Nature Nanotechnology discusses the enormous feat of scientific innovation, with messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines developed to deliver the gene sequence of specific SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins into host cells using nanotechnology platforms.

1 Dec 2020

Older adults may be coping with COVID-19's mental health effects better than other age groups

Older adults are especially vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic--with higher risks of severe complications and death, and potentially greater difficulties accessing care and adapting to technologies such as telemedicine.

1 Dec 2020

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Spanish-originated SARS-CoV-2 variant A222V shows rapid spread in Lazio, Italy

A new potential COVID-19 vaccine candidate: YF-S0

New and sudden headaches may be a symptom of COVID-19

Scientists detect a sarbecovirus phylogenetically related to SARS-CoV-2 from bats in Japan

Particulate matter levels can play a significant role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Two-thirds of parents are worried about the effects of pandemic on children's mental health

SARS-CoV-2 deletion mutations may have attenuated infectivity in some strains

As hospitals fill with COVID patients, medical reinforcements are hard to find

Study: Integrating palliative care earlier in care trajectory benefits COVID-19 patients

Elsevier launches a new book on COVID-19

Researchers develop telomerase gene therapy for treating different pathologies

Researchers evaluate the most appropriate test for COVID-19

CARES Act helped reduce social interaction of viral spread

PTC299 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and suppresses production of inflammatory cytokines

Cleaning surfaces with hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectants may pollute indoor air

Three leading organizations join hands to address global challenges in dementia

Alcohol-free hand sanitizer works just as well as alcohol-based products to control COVID-19

COVID-19 may exacerbate mental health symptoms among pregnant and postpartum women

Nanomedicine's giant step into the fight against the COVID-19

Older adults may be coping with COVID-19's mental health effects better than other age groups

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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