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.

Exposure to environmental immunotoxicants may worsen outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection

A team of researchers recently carried out a study in Denmark in which they determined the plasma PFAS concentrations in individuals with a confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

2 Nov 2020

Ethacridine blocks SARS-CoV-2 with a distinct mode of action

Now, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, and Stanford University, California, USA, reported a safe and potent antiseptic for use in humans named ethacridine, which effectively inhibits SARS-CoV-2 even at very low concentrations of EC50 ~ 0.08 µM. Their work has is published on the preprint server bioRxiv*.

1 Nov 2020

5-amino levulinic acid inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro

Researchers tested 5-amino levulinic acid in vitro in human-derived cells and found it prevents severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Because it is safe and ubiquitous in plants and animals, it could be a potential drug against SARS-CoV-2.

1 Nov 2020

Terror groups exploit the mayhem during COVID-19 for spinning a plethora of sinister schemes

The uncertainty and confusion caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is being "widely exploited by terror groups for spinning a plethora of sinister schemes", which could lead to a new tide of violence against people and governments.

30 Oct 2020

Washing hands and Halloween candy can reduce COVID-19 exposure risk

New research shows that COVID-19 exposure risk from contaminated candy could be successfully mitigated both by washing hands and washing candy using a simple at-home method. A team of researchers published this work today in mSystems, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

30 Oct 2020

IHR Emergency Committee on COVID-19 urges focus on evidence-based response efforts

The Emergency Committee on COVID-19 met on 29 October to review the situation and progress made on the temporary recommendations. They advised that the pandemic still constituted a public health emergency of international concern, and urged a focus on response efforts based on lessons learned and strong science.

30 Oct 2020

A $200 debit card won’t do much for seniors’ drug costs

If they've been listening to President Donald Trump, seniors may be expecting a $200 debit card in the mail any day now to help them pay for prescription drugs.

30 Oct 2020

Democrats link GOP challengers to Trump’s COVID record, efforts to undo Obamacare

In a tweet to his 78,000 followers Sunday, U.S. Rep. Harley Rouda, a Democrat from Orange County, California, described his Republican opponent Michelle Steel's attendance at an indoor fundraiser without a mask as "sickening."

30 Oct 2020

Why state mask stockpiling orders are hurting nursing homes, small providers

Nursing homes, small physician offices and rural clinics are being left behind in the rush for N95 masks and other protective gear, exposing some of the country's most vulnerable populations and their caregivers to COVID-19 while larger, wealthier health care facilities build equipment stockpiles.

30 Oct 2020

New project to develop surgical technologies for COVID-19 receives €2.4 million funding

Irish medical tech firm Palliare leads EU H2020 research project with UCD using innovative optical technology for new safer surgery solution.

30 Oct 2020

Hospital floors create route of transfer of potentially dangerous organisms to patients

The floors of hospital rooms are quickly and frequently contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria within hours of patient admission, creating a route of transfer of potentially dangerous organisms to patients, according to a study published today as part of the proceedings from Decennial 2020: The Sixth International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections.

30 Oct 2020

Experts call for transformative change to reduce future pandemics

Future pandemics will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, do more damage to the world economy and kill more people than COVID-19 unless there is a transformative change in the global approach to dealing with infectious diseases, warns a major new report on biodiversity and pandemics by 22 leading experts from around the world.

30 Oct 2020

APS technique shows how SARS-CoV-2 virus camouflages itself inside the human body

Scientists using the Advanced Photon Source have discovered new insights into the ways the SARS-CoV-2 virus camouflages itself inside the human body.

30 Oct 2020

Psychologists launch web-based contact tracing tool to slow spread of COVID-19

Psychologists have developed a do-it-yourself tool that uses "the science of memory" to improve the ability to remember more contacts during the contact tracing process.

30 Oct 2020

Novel approach can help measure antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

A new study lead by Helmholtz Zentrum München indicates a six-fold higher SARS-CoV-2 exposure rate among children in Bavaria, Germany, than reported cases.

30 Oct 2020

Research shows some COVID-19 patients experience long-lasting skin symptoms

Some COVID-19 patients experience long-lasting skin symptoms that vary according to type of COVID-19 skin rash, a late-breaking abstract will reveal today at the 29th EADV Congress, EADV Virtual.

30 Oct 2020

Number of uninsured Americans has increased in Trump's first 3 years, shows study

A new analysis of federal surveys on health insurance coverage concludes that the number of uninsured Americans increased by about 2.3 million between 2016 and 2019.

30 Oct 2020

Penn State and Stanford University collaborate to develop two-hour sepsis test

One in three people who die in U.S. hospitals have sepsis, the body's extreme response to infection that can lead to multiple organ failure. Diagnosis can take up to five days, but death may take only hours from the initial onset of sepsis.

30 Oct 2020

RNI researchers to study the impact of excessive speeds on the human brain, body

Before the first Virgin Hyperloop ride takes off, the brains behind pioneering neuroscience research at West Virginia University will help ensure the health and well-being of its passengers and operators.

30 Oct 2020

Scientists receive prestigious award for research on rural America

A research team of 39 investigators from 28 colleges and universities from across the United States has been recognized by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the United States Department of Agriculture with its National Excellence in Multistate Research Award.

30 Oct 2020

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Exposure to environmental immunotoxicants may worsen outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Ethacridine blocks SARS-CoV-2 with a distinct mode of action

5-amino levulinic acid inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro

Terror groups exploit the mayhem during COVID-19 for spinning a plethora of sinister schemes

Washing hands and Halloween candy can reduce COVID-19 exposure risk

IHR Emergency Committee on COVID-19 urges focus on evidence-based response efforts

A $200 debit card won’t do much for seniors’ drug costs

Democrats link GOP challengers to Trump’s COVID record, efforts to undo Obamacare

Why state mask stockpiling orders are hurting nursing homes, small providers

New project to develop surgical technologies for COVID-19 receives €2.4 million funding

Hospital floors create route of transfer of potentially dangerous organisms to patients

Experts call for transformative change to reduce future pandemics

APS technique shows how SARS-CoV-2 virus camouflages itself inside the human body

Psychologists launch web-based contact tracing tool to slow spread of COVID-19

Novel approach can help measure antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

Research shows some COVID-19 patients experience long-lasting skin symptoms

Number of uninsured Americans has increased in Trump's first 3 years, shows study

Penn State and Stanford University collaborate to develop two-hour sepsis test

RNI researchers to study the impact of excessive speeds on the human brain, body

Scientists receive prestigious award for research on rural America

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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