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.

Young adults hardest hit in Europe’s second wave of COVID-19, study finds

As Western countries gear up for a second wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, a new study shows that this time around, the worst-hit in terms of case numbers is the young adult age group, between 18 and 29 years. This finding could be crucial in framing dynamic public health measures, which will contain and help limit rising cases.

17 Nov 2020

New rapid algorithm could help trace hospital-derived SARS-CoV-2 infections

A new study reports a rapid method that uses two different routes to swiftly trace the onset of infection to a putative hospital source. This could be immensely helpful for preventing and controlling infection, once validated.

17 Nov 2020

Males may have higher but more transient SARS-CoV-2 immunity than females post-infection

Adding another piece to the puzzle that is coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) serology, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in November 2020 suggests that males have stronger but more transient anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) protective immunity than females.

17 Nov 2020

Universal mask-wearing can reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility by almost two-thirds, study finds

A new study presents more empirical evidence that universal masking can reduce transmissibility by almost two-thirds, even with inadequate social distancing. The study was published on the preprint server medRxiv* in November 2020.

17 Nov 2020

Compliance in UK with pandemic control measures has decreased, study finds

Scientists at University College London (UCL) surveyed 21,000 adults living in the United Kingdom to gauge the national population’s compliance level. They found that compliance in the UK with pandemic control measures had decreased as the stringency of lockdown measures eased over the course of this year (2020).

17 Nov 2020

Allowing movement and not closing borders may be effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19

New data reveals the moving out of densely populated cities is a more impactful strategy than closing borders at decreasing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

17 Nov 2020

Extensive dataset helps track public health government responses to COVID-19

Are our political institutions up for the task of managing the COVID-19 pandemic and any possible future similar threats?.

17 Nov 2020

New method helps detect remission points of pandemics

Lecturers from the University of Valencia, Jose M. Pavía and Ernesto Veres-Ferrer, have developed a method that makes it possible to identify, in real time, when an epidemic issue such as Covid-19 is in remission. The method, explained in a research paper, has been published in the journal Statistics in Medicine.

17 Nov 2020

BMA reveals how record numbers of mental health patients are being sent miles from home for care

Thousands of mental health patients still being cared for miles from home, despite Government pledge to end ‘harmful’ practice

17 Nov 2020

Return to school improves mental health of children

The latest report from the Co-SPACE study highlights that for participating primary school aged children

17 Nov 2020

ESC event examines the hottest topics in digital medicine

Digital health is transforming the way patients and healthcare professionals interact. Join us for ESC Digital Health Week from 30 November to 3 December and examine the hottest topics in digital medicine.

17 Nov 2020

Study: Younger parents less likely to vaccinate their kids and themselves against COVID-19

Younger parents were much less likely than older parents to say they planned to vaccinate their children and themselves against COVID-19, according to a research letter published online in medRxiv by authors at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

17 Nov 2020

Short bursts of intense exercise could help people get fit in time for summer

Short bursts of intense exercise – known as HIIT – could help you get back into shape by summer and stay that way, a UNSW Sydney exercise physiology researcher says.

17 Nov 2020

Stress and anxiety during lockdown increase orofacial and jaw pain in Israel's general population

The stress and anxiety experienced by the general population during Israel's first lockdown brought about a significant rise in orofacial and jaw pain, as well as jaw-clenching in the daytime and teeth-grinding at night, according to a new study from Tel Aviv University (TAU).

17 Nov 2020

Masks can cause more problems in people with skin allergies

Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, those able to wear a face mask have been encouraged to do so to prevent transmission of the virus. For some people with skin allergies, wearing a mask can cause further problems.

17 Nov 2020

COVID-19 pandemic drives asthma patients to use telemedicine

COVID-19 has, among other things, pushed patients of all ages into greater use of telemedicine to carry out regular doctor visits.

16 Nov 2020

Clinical trials show SGLT2 inhibitor may benefit patients with type 2 diabetes

Less than a decade ago, the Food and Drug Administration approved drugs for treating type 2 diabetes in an entirely new way.

16 Nov 2020

Researchers look at barriers related to use of contact tracing apps

As a tool for controlling the spread of COVID-19, mobile applications for contact tracing are most effective when they are widely adopted and left on indefinitely.

16 Nov 2020

Study shows limited influence of BMI on shaping SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses

A new study by researchers at the Harvard Medical School and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard showed that obesity is not tied to the increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the team demonstrated that obesity is associated with increased manifestations of symptoms in mild COVID-19 infections, suggesting that obesity impacts the pathophysiology of COVID-19.

16 Nov 2020

Significant SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy in the U.S.

A new study has found that an alarming amount of parents in the United States say they are unlikely to vaccinate their children or themselves against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2).

16 Nov 2020