Respiratory News and Research

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Humans promote diseases from the animal kingdom

The coronavirus pandemic, which has now infected nearly 19 million and killed more than 712,000 people, most likely originated from bats. Just like other coronavirus outbreaks in the past, a spill-over event or zoonosis caused the viruses to jump from animals to humans.

6 Aug 2020

Study shows recombination among SARS-CoV-2 strains is already occurring, but remains rare

A recent study by U.S. researchers, currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server, indicates that the recombination events among the viral strains of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are already occurring – however, considering current levels of viral genetic diversity, they are neither widespread nor readily detectable.

6 Aug 2020

Heat suggested as a therapeutic intervention in COVID-19

Viruses that are contained within a lipid membrane or “enveloped viruses” such as coronaviruses and rhinoviruses can remain active for long periods in cool, dry conditions, which can lead to increased rates of respiratory infections.

6 Aug 2020

COVID-19 in pregnancy - premature birth common

A new study conducted by researchers at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea, suggests that while having coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancy has little effect on fetal or neonatal mortality, it can be associated with premature birth and sometimes severe outcomes for mother and baby, including death.

6 Aug 2020

Health care workers of color nearly twice as likely as whites to get COVID-19

Health care workers of color were more likely to care for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, more likely to report using inadequate or reused protective gear, and nearly twice as likely as white colleagues to test positive for the coronavirus, a new study from Harvard Medical School researchers found.

6 Aug 2020

Study: Inhaled sedatives can reduce lung inflammation, improve survival

A team from Lawson Health Research Institute are being funded by the Government of Ontario's COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund to study whether inhaled sedatives can replace those that are delivered intravenously in COVID-19 patients requiring ventilation.

6 Aug 2020

Synthetic peptide can make multidrug-resistant bacteria sensitive to antibiotics

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a synthetic peptide that can make multidrug-resistant bacteria sensitive to antibiotics again when used together with traditional antibiotics, offering hope for the prospect of a combination treatment strategy to tackle certain antibiotic-tolerant infections.

6 Aug 2020

Human encroachment into forest land caused bat CoV spillover and COVID-19 emergence

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in August 2020 discusses the root causes underlying the emergence of such infectious diseases following their crossover of the line separating animal viruses from human. This initial event is of enormous significance.

6 Aug 2020

Face masks protect from COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses

Now a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in August 2020, therefore, presents the results of a meta-analysis that takes account of the lack of compliance with mask-wearing in RCTs, as well as the lag between the event and the measurable effects.

6 Aug 2020

Climate change and disruption of ecosystem affect allergies, respiratory disorders

Climate change and disruption of the ecosystem have the potential to profoundly impact the human body. Xue Ming, professor of neurology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, who recently published a paper in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health on the effects of climate change on allergies, autoimmunity and the microbiome - the beneficial microorganisms that live on and inside the human body - discusses how the delicate balance of the environment affects conditions such as allergies, autism, and immune disorders.

6 Aug 2020

Cats susceptible to and potential reservoirs for novel coronavirus

The study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in August 2020 shows that this is indeed taking place, with pet cats being infected and passing on the infection to contacts. It also offers the chance to see how the disease progresses in a susceptible host.

6 Aug 2020

Recovered COVID-19 patients report hair loss months after infection

Several members of Survivor Corps, the Facebook support group of people who have had COVID-19, recently tackled about experiencing hair loss months after recovering from the wrath of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).

6 Aug 2020

Viable SARS-CoV-2 aerosols detected in a hospital room with COVID-19 patients

Now, a new study by researchers at the University of Florida highlights the role played by SARS-CoV-2 aerosols in disease transmission.

5 Aug 2020

COVID-19 should be treated as an acute inflammatory disease, Massey scientist says

The COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental effects on global infrastructure sectors, including economic, political, health care, education and research systems, and there is still no definitive treatment strategy for the disease.

5 Aug 2020

CDC warns acute flaccid myelitis is poised for a comeback in kids this fall

As if the novel coronavirus pandemic was not enough! Now the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns parents and pediatricians to be on the watch for a rare condition called Acute Flaccid Myelitis or AFM for short, which could affect young children and cause unexplained muscle paralysis similar to poliomyelitis. Their report is published today in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

5 Aug 2020

High altitude may act as a protective factor against COVID-19

The analysis by researchers from Spain and Peru reveals that high altitude confers significant protection from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection and death – independent of the distance from the pandemic epicenter, population density, or poverty levels. The study is currently available on the medRxiv preprint server.

5 Aug 2020

Study reveals changes in transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 due to D614G spike mutation

A recent research endeavor from the UK, currently available on the medRxiv preprint server, indicates that spike 614G variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) increases in frequency relative to 614D variant in a selective advantage manner – but without higher coronavirus disease (COVID-19) mortality rates.

5 Aug 2020