Flu News and Research

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Blue Shield spent years cultivating a relationship with Newsom. It got the state vaccine contract.

Gavin Newsom was just making a name for himself as mayor of San Francisco in 2005 when Blue Shield of California wrote him its first major check.

19 Mar 2021

The case for donating US Covid vaccines overseas

A Senate committee grilled federal officials about the shortage of vaccines to protect Americans against a pandemic virus. Two months later, the U.S. public had lost interest in the virus, and millions of vaccines were sitting in warehouses — although poor countries still needed them.

19 Mar 2021

Rare pulmonary disease discovered in rural Alberta

A rare pulmonary disease that is linked to bats has made Alberta home, according to new research led by provincial lab scientists.

19 Mar 2021

Social distancing can be highly effective at preventing outbreaks, says public health expert

Eric Shattuck, assistant professor of research in the UTSA Institute for Health Disparities Research (IHDR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio, is studying the phenomenon of social distancing in response to infectious disease and its effects on pathogen transmission and the health of individuals and communities.

18 Mar 2021

The role of S-acylation in the enhancement of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity

A new study published on the bioRxiv server focuses on the role of S-acylation in the SARS-CoV-2 infection cycle. It has also characterized Spike acylation and has also identified other acylated viral proteins and host enzymes involved in the process of infection. Further, it has also revealed the importance of acylation in viral biogenesis and infection.

18 Mar 2021

Could visible light be a safe and effective SARS-CoV-2 disinfectant?

A new study reports that blue light with a wavelength of 400–420 nm can inactivate enveloped viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. This could allow continuous disinfection of spaces even when people are present.

17 Mar 2021

COVID-19 is more difficult to diagnose in children and adolescents, finds study

The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread to over 192 countries and territories, causing an enormous loss of lives and economic devastation.

17 Mar 2021

Researchers develop innovative profiling methods for SARS-CoV-2 infection

A team of researchers from various institutions in the USA used RNA-sequencing data and other methods to profile unique genes and other characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 in New York City (NYC).

17 Mar 2021

Covid cases plummet 83% among nursing home staffers despite vaccine hesitancy

Joan Phillips, a certified nursing assistant in a Florida nursing home, loved her job but dreaded the danger of going to work in the pandemic. When vaccines became available in December, she jumped at the chance to get one.

15 Mar 2021

New vaccination method aims at comprehensive protection against all known influenza mutations

One shot, protected forever: This would be a dream come true regarding influenza vaccinations. So far, vaccination against influenza did not provide a lasting protection.

13 Mar 2021

To extract more doses per vial, vaccinators put squeeze on FDA to relax vaccine handling advice

President Joe Biden has promised enough covid vaccine to immunize every willing adult by June 1. But right now, the gap between supply and demand is so dramatic that vaccinators are discovering ways to suck the final drops out of each vaccine vial — if federal regulators will let them.

12 Mar 2021

Tailored approach is required to fight antibiotic resistance

The global battle against antibiotic resistance can only succeed if local contexts are taken into account. "A tailored approach is needed in each country," says Heiman Wertheim of Radboud university medical center. "There is no "one-size-fits-all' solution."

12 Mar 2021

Texas Biomed receives DoD subcontracts to assess SARS-CoV-2 decontamination technologies

Texas Biomedical Research Institute received two Department of Defense's (DoD) Defense Health Agency subcontracts to assess the efficacy of surface coating and aerosolized decontamination technologies to combat SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens on surfaces and in the air.

11 Mar 2021