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.

Furin inhibition may mitigate severe COVID-19, study finds

Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, a researcher at the Institute for Functional Medicine in the United States, has explained the role of furin protease in developing severe COVID-19 illness.

20 Nov 2020

Scientists explain potential reasons for SARS-CoV-2 re-infection

A study, which was published in the journal New Microbes and New Infections, focused on the possible reasons for SARS-CoV-2 reinfection.

20 Nov 2020

How effective have COVID-19 mitigation strategies been in Australia's second wave?

Researchers have modeled the effect of the different types of social distancing implemented in Australia's greater Melbourne area in response to the county's second wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. They found implementing stricter lockdowns in the beginning before the rapid rise in cases works best. The team's findings have been made available on the preprint server, medRxiv*.

20 Nov 2020

Universal screening for SARS-CoV-2 may be an ineffective mitigation strategy, says study

A team of researchers in the Netherlands have reported that regular, universal and random screening and isolation of infectious individuals may not be a viable strategy for reopening society after bringing a wave of SARS-CoV-2 under control.

20 Nov 2020

Trump’s lame-duck status leaves governors to wing it on COVID

Not long after the world learned that President Donald Trump had lost his reelection bid, states began issuing a new round of crackdowns and emergency declarations against the surging coronavirus.

20 Nov 2020

These front-line workers could have retired. They risked their lives instead.

Sonia Brown’s husband died on June 10. Two weeks later, the 65-year-old registered nurse was back at work. Her husband's medical bills and a car payment loomed over her head.

20 Nov 2020

Florida’s new hospital industry head ran Medicaid in state and fought expansion

With its choice of a new leader, the Florida Hospital Association has signaled that seeking legislative approval to expand Medicaid to nearly 850,000 uninsured adults won't be among its top priorities.

20 Nov 2020

Fear of flying is a COVID-era conundrum

The holidays are approaching just as COVID-19 case rates nationwide are increasing at a record-breaking pace, leading to dire warnings from public health experts.

20 Nov 2020

MMR vaccine could protect against COVID-19

The number of reported global infections of SARS-CoV-2 stands at 56.88 million as of 19 November 2020, and this number continues to rise.

20 Nov 2020

National health groups offer support for COPD patients and caregivers amid pandemic

An estimated 16.4 million Americans are living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – a chronic lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe – which places them at an increased risk for more severe illness from COVID-19.

20 Nov 2020

NSR launches online treatment study for people experiencing poor sleep during COVID-19 pandemic

Those experiencing poor sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic are being invited to take part in an online treatment study run by sleep experts at Northumbria University.

20 Nov 2020

COVID lockdown delays autism diagnosis in more than 128,000 at-risk children

More than 128,000 children and their families risk being ‘forgotten’ by the system, as COVID lockdowns delay autism diagnosis.

20 Nov 2020

Researchers receive coveted award for outstanding research on COVID-19

The 2020 ACM Gordon Bell Special Prize for High Performance Computing-Based COVID-19 Research was presented to a 12-member team for their project "AI-Driven Multiscale Simulations Illuminate Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Dynamics."

20 Nov 2020

Study addresses gap in the discovery of new antibiotics

University of Oklahoma researchers published an opinion article in the journal Nature Chemical Biology that addresses the gap in the discovery of new antibiotics.

20 Nov 2020

Study: More investment is needed to produce, distribute approved COVID-19 vaccines

The success of a COVID-19 vaccine will depend not only on its efficacy but will hinge at least as much on how fast and widely it can be delivered, the severity of the pandemic, and the public's willingness to be immunized, according to a study published in Health Affairs.

20 Nov 2020

Researchers examine nutritional benefits of meal kits

During the pandemic, handy meal kit delivery services are helping to develop home cooking habits incorporating healthy ingredients such as vegetables, and a balance of less harmful fats and salt.

20 Nov 2020

Pork consumption is not likely to cause COVID-19 infection

According to the current state of knowledge, there are no cases that have shown evidence of humans being infected with the novel coronavirus via the consumption of contaminated food.

20 Nov 2020

New COVID-19 app can make contact tracing more private and secure

Engineers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Virginia Tech are collaborating on a smartphone app that can help conduct contact tracing needed to contain the spread of COVID-19 without risking users' privacy or personal security. Their work is funded by a one-year, $120,000 RAPID grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

20 Nov 2020

Researchers solve the mystery of silent hypoxia caused by COVID-19

More than six months since COVID-19 began spreading in the United States, scientists are still solving the many puzzling aspects of how the novel coronavirus attacks the lungs and other parts of the body.

19 Nov 2020

Study investigates link between myocarditis and COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, so too does research into its effects on heart health. One particular area of interest for physicians involves whether COVID-19 leads to inflammation of the heart muscle, a condition known as myocarditis.

19 Nov 2020