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.

Research on autophagy and coronavirus, implicates ULK1

Researchers from the University of British Columbia have discovered that the betacoronavirus-encoded papain-like protease disrupts autophagy, partly by targeting ULK1. Their work is reported on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020.

27 Oct 2020

Telemedicine or in-person visit? Pros and cons

As COVID-19 took hold in March, U.S. doctors limited in-person appointments — and many patients avoided them — for fear of infection. The result was a huge increase in the volume of remote medical and behavioral health visits.

27 Oct 2020

For people with visual impairments, truly secret ballots are elusive

Norma Crosby remembers when she relied on blind faith to cast her vote.

27 Oct 2020

Delaying urgent health issues can be more harmful than the potential risk of COVID-19

More than half a year into the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, healthcare providers have adapted by offering virtual visits and observing strict safety measures in clinics.

27 Oct 2020

Scientists identify new therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2

To identify new potential therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2, a team of scientists at the New York Genome Center, New York University, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, performed a genome-scale, loss-of-function CRISPR screen to systematically knockout all genes in the human genome.

27 Oct 2020

Impact of natural and vaccine-induced immunity could shape the future trajectory of COVID-19

New research suggests that the impact of natural and vaccine-induced immunity will be key factors in shaping the future trajectory of the global coronavirus pandemic, known as COVID-19.

27 Oct 2020

Powerful drug used in chemotherapy could alleviate hallucinations in Parkinson's patients

A world-first double-blind clinical trial, will investigate if a powerful drug used to treat nausea in chemotherapy patients, could alleviate hallucinations in people with Parkinson's.

27 Oct 2020

Lung biomarkers may predict severe COVID-19

Two University of New Mexico researchers postulate certain specific biomarkers' relevance in predicting the potential for progression to severe COVID-19 in a paper published on the preprint server bioRxiv*

27 Oct 2020

Frequent testing and isolation/quarantine essential to contain COVID-19

A recent study by researchers at Virginia Tech and Central China Normal University published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 discusses the various interventions required and the level of control required, whether to flatten the curve or reduce the case number.

27 Oct 2020

Real-time tracking system shows rise in suspected opioid overdose deaths after COVID-19's arrival

COVID-19 may dominate the headlines. But another epidemic that was already raging before it arrived has flared up in recent months, too, according to new University of Michigan data.

27 Oct 2020

Fear and isolation drives PTSD among health/social workers in COVID-19

A new study, published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020, identifies the factors that predict distress in HSCW and emphasizes the importance of adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE).

27 Oct 2020

About 15% of COVID-19-related deaths linked to long-term exposure to air pollution

Long-term exposure to air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of dying from COVID-19 and, for the first time, a study has estimated the proportion of deaths from the coronavirus that could be attributed to the exacerbating effects of air pollution for every country in the world.

27 Oct 2020

Scientists to minimize COVID-19 cases and transmission among food industry workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the nation's food supply, in part due to food industry workers falling ill, which reduces the workforce and can lead to temporary facility shut-downs.

27 Oct 2020

Genome-wide screens reveal new helpful and harmful COVID-19 related genes

Researchers at Yale University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard screened hundreds of millions of cells exposed to the COVID-19 and MERS viruses and identified dozens of genes that both enable the viruses to replicate in cells and also those that seem to slam the door on the virus.

27 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 is mainly spread in households and household-like settings

Ten months into the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, health experts have a good understanding of how the virus spreads. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads through respiratory droplets and aerosols and enters the body through the mouth, nose, and eyes.

27 Oct 2020

COVID-19 antibiotic risk factors

Now, a team of researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center aimed to determine antibiotic prescribing rates and risk factors for antibiotic prescribing in hospitalized patients. They found that almost one-third of patients received more than one course of antibiotics.

27 Oct 2020

10-24-year-olds are as susceptible to COVID-19 as older adults

In an attempt to replicate the results of previous studies, a team of researchers performed statistical analyses on COVID-19 prevalence data from the U.S. to compare the number of cases in adolescents and youth to that in older adults. Their work is published on the preprint server medRxiv.

27 Oct 2020

New research on small non-coding RNAs and SARS-CoV-2

A recently published mini-review in the Frontiers in Microbiology on the altered expression of small non-coding RNAs during coronavirus-mediated infections.

26 Oct 2020

Phase 1 trial results of gorilla adenovirus vaccine for COVID-19

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020 reports the development of a novel vaccine based on a simian adenoviral vector obtained from a group C gorilla isolate called GRAd32. This could help speed up vaccine development.

26 Oct 2020

New peptide derivatives that target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

In a new study published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, researchers report peptide derivatives, or peptidomimetics, based on the circle residues involved in the interaction of the spike protein and ACE2.

26 Oct 2020