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.

Research suggests plant flavonols could serve as effective antivirals for SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in Algeria have reviewed some of the evidence suggesting that flavonols commonly found in many plants and vegetables could be used as a therapeutic approach to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

1 Dec 2020

Older people in wealthy countries consume more alcohol, finds study

A new global study finds older people in wealthy countries consume more alcohol than their counterparts in middle-income countries, on average, although a higher cost of alcohol is associated with less frequent drinking.

1 Dec 2020

Which dietary supplements can help prevent COVID-19?

Researchers explore dietary supplement usage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1 Dec 2020

FAU receives $675,000 grant to improve social engagement in older population

Vibrant social relationships are a critical component of healthy aging. Strong relationships provide emotional support and well-being, promote brain health, and can even slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.

1 Dec 2020

Potential SARS-CoV-2 antiviral: Ionophore X-206 found to inhibit viral replication in cell cultures

In a study published in the journal Antiviral Research, researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark, report on their tests on different polyether ionophores to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.

1 Dec 2020

Amid COVID and racial unrest, Black churches put faith in mental health care

Wilma Mayfield used to visit a senior center in Durham, North Carolina, four days a week and attend Lincoln Memorial Baptist Church on Sundays, a ritual she's maintained for nearly half a century. But over the past 10 months, she's seen only the inside of her home, the grocery store and the pharmacy.

1 Dec 2020

How COVID-19 highlights the uncertainty of medical testing

Dr. Jacqueline Chu considered the man with a negative coronavirus test on the other end of the phone, and knew, her heart dropping, that the test result was not enough to clear him for work.

1 Dec 2020

Where COVID is on the menu: Failed contact tracing leaves diners in the dark

COVID-19 outbreaks have affected restaurants throughout Los Angeles County, from a Panda Express in Sun Valley to the University of California's Bruin Cafe. If you live in Los Angeles, you can access health department reports about these outbreaks online.

1 Dec 2020

Direct oral anticoagulant does not appear to offer protection against severe COVID-19

DOAC (direct oral anticoagulant) pills are used in the treatment of atrial fibrillation by preventing blood clots. Even though blood clots are thought to contribute to complications from the new coronavirus infection, users of this class of drug do not seem to be protected against severe COVID-19, reports a large Swedish registry study from Karolinska Institutet published in The Journal of Internal Medicine.

1 Dec 2020

SARS-CoV-2's microRNAs may have promoted its jump to humans

A new study uses machine learning to explore the small microRNAs (or miRNAs) of SARS-CoV-2 that may determine the virus's ability to successfully infect humans by altering the course of transcriptional events.

1 Dec 2020

Chinese woman still sheds SARS-CoV-2 over four months post-infection

A new study by Chinese scientists explore an unusual case of extended viral shedding in a 68-year-old woman up to four months post-infection.

1 Dec 2020

COVID-19 restrictions have led to 86 percent drop in norovirus infections in US, finds study

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the imposition of several non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) across the world. While citizens in the USA have been chafing over the advice to wear masks in public, restricted social interactions, and limited attendance at schools, colleges and workplaces, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in November 2020 reports that these NPIs were linked to a steep reduction in the incidence of the non-respiratory pathogen, noroviruses.

1 Dec 2020

Smell training could help overcome odor distortions after COVID-19, shows study

If you've been experiencing odor distortions after Covid-19, then 'smell training' could help you start smelling normally again - according to new research involving the University of East Anglia.

1 Dec 2020

SEAR implemented measures for successful continuation of essential HIV services during COVID 19

The COVID-19 pandemic was predicted to and has had a major impact on the essential HIV health services in the South East Asia Region (SEAR), putting at risk the benefits accrued over the last two decades. Apart from the risks posed by the virus to the individual health of people living with HIV (PLHIV), COVID-19 has disrupted essential services causing considerable delays in the delivery of medicines and other health commodities.

1 Dec 2020

Study shows critically ill patients are not seeking care for fear of COVID-19 infection

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in New England, emergency department visits for medical emergencies - including psychiatric problems, trauma and heart attacks - declined by nearly a third, raising concerns among clinicians that critically ill patients were not seeking the care they needed for fear of coronavirus infection.

1 Dec 2020

Analysis of social media messages reveals struggles of care home staff during COVID-19 first wave

Analysis of social media messages between care home staff on the coronavirus front line reveal their growing concerns over how to manage in the face of the virus. Thousands of Whatsapp messages between 250 care home workers during the first coronavirus wave show workers were often asking questions which went unanswered due to a lack of proper guidance.

1 Dec 2020

Review: Using age alone as deciding factor for COVID-19 intensive care treatment is not fair

Italy was one the countries first hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a new review presented at this weekend's Euroanaesthesia (the annual meeting of the European Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care) an Italian doctor on the front line of the pandemic concludes that it is not fair to use age alone as the deciding factor on whether or not someone receives intensive care treatment.

1 Dec 2020

Study addresses gaps in healthcare accessibility in sub-Saharan Africa

Achieving universal access to healthcare is a key development priority and a major target of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 3. The COVID-19 pandemic has only reinforced this urge. Rapid development and expansion of public, affordable healthcare infrastructure are particularly crucial in sub-Saharan Africa.

1 Dec 2020

Experts urge governments to rethink COVID-19 infection control policies for schools

An urgent rethink of infection control policies to keep COVID-19 infection at bay in schools is needed if primary schools are to be kept open this winter, and the knock-on effects on their families avoided, argue children's infectious disease specialists in a viewpoint, published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

1 Dec 2020

New study could make chemical syntheses more sustainable for future generations

Pharmaceuticals, plastics, and many other chemical products have transformed human life. To prepare these products, chemists often use a catalyst--frequently based on rare metals--at various points in their syntheses.

1 Dec 2020

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Research suggests plant flavonols could serve as effective antivirals for SARS-CoV-2

Older people in wealthy countries consume more alcohol, finds study

Which dietary supplements can help prevent COVID-19?

FAU receives $675,000 grant to improve social engagement in older population

Potential SARS-CoV-2 antiviral: Ionophore X-206 found to inhibit viral replication in cell cultures

Amid COVID and racial unrest, Black churches put faith in mental health care

How COVID-19 highlights the uncertainty of medical testing

Where COVID is on the menu: Failed contact tracing leaves diners in the dark

Direct oral anticoagulant does not appear to offer protection against severe COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2's microRNAs may have promoted its jump to humans

Chinese woman still sheds SARS-CoV-2 over four months post-infection

COVID-19 restrictions have led to 86 percent drop in norovirus infections in US, finds study

Smell training could help overcome odor distortions after COVID-19, shows study

SEAR implemented measures for successful continuation of essential HIV services during COVID 19

Study shows critically ill patients are not seeking care for fear of COVID-19 infection

Analysis of social media messages reveals struggles of care home staff during COVID-19 first wave

Review: Using age alone as deciding factor for COVID-19 intensive care treatment is not fair

Study addresses gaps in healthcare accessibility in sub-Saharan Africa

Experts urge governments to rethink COVID-19 infection control policies for schools

New study could make chemical syntheses more sustainable for future generations

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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