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Anosmia and ageusia may be useful as COVID-19 surveillance case definitions

A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 reports the utility of alterations in taste and smell to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 among contacts and in a community that lacks unlimited testing resources.

7 Oct 2020

Transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in two Indian states

Indian and American researchers collaborated to study the trends of transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in two Indian states – Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Their study titled, “Epidemiology and transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in two Indian states,” was published in the latest issue of the journal Science last week.

7 Oct 2020

New report estimates the global burden of stillbirths

Almost 2 million babies are stillborn every year – or 1 every 16 seconds – according to the first ever joint stillbirth estimates released by UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank Group and the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

7 Oct 2020

Global social media challenge kicks off to get the world moving on mental health

A global social media challenge to get the world moving on mental health is launched today with a call for a massive scale-up in investment in mental health.

7 Oct 2020

Rapid, low-cost test for potential universal COVID-19 monitoring

An international team of researchers has presented a convenient, low-cost serology test to detect antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that could potentially be made available universally.

7 Oct 2020

Mask mandates associated with significant reduction in COVID-19 cases

A new study by Simon Fraser University researchers has found clear evidence that wearing a mask can have a significant impact on the spread of COVID-19.

7 Oct 2020

Researcher receives NIA grant to study traumatic stress-related accelerated cellular aging in the brain

Erika Wolf, PhD, clinical research psychologist for the National Center for PTSD at the VA Boston Healthcare System and associate professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, is the recipient of a four-year, $1.7 million R01 award from the National Institute on Aging to study traumatic stress related accelerated cellular aging in the brain.

7 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infection analysis could help fight against COVID-19

Researchers in the United States has provided a detailed catalog of the interactions that occur between host cell proteins and RNA and the RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the course of infection.

7 Oct 2020

Does the federal health information privacy law protect President Trump?

Within one day, President Donald Trump announced his COVID diagnosis and was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment.

7 Oct 2020

Lifetime experiences help older adults build resilience to pandemic trauma

Older adults are especially vulnerable physically during the coronavirus pandemic. But they're also notably resilient psychologically, calling upon a lifetime of experience and perspective to help them through difficult times.

7 Oct 2020

Binge drinking is increasing, especially in women during COVID-19

Researchers last week released their work studying the pattern of alcohol use and its consequences on Americans during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

6 Oct 2020

Study: Brazil's community health workers could play a key role in combating COVID-19

Brazil has more than 286,000 community health workers integrated into the national primary healthcare program. These professionals form a broad network serving 75% of the population, especially low-income families who lack medical insurance and are the most adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

6 Oct 2020

Self-isolation on arrival at airports dramatically improves detection of disease importation

Researchers from Public Health England have conducted a study showing that screening and quarantining travelers on arrival at airports significantly reduces the risk of disease importation during international outbreaks, compared with screening alone.

6 Oct 2020

Liquid gel in COVID patients' lungs could be the key to new effective therapies

In some patients who died with severe COVID-19 and respiratory failure, a jelly was formed in the lungs. Researchers have now established what the active agent in the jelly is and thanks to that, this new discovery can now be the key to new effective therapies.

6 Oct 2020

Tuned lighting helps improve sleep in nursing home residents, study finds

Nursing home residents tend to fall asleep at all hours of the day, and during the night, their sleep may be interrupted by periods of wakefulness.

6 Oct 2020

Sperm mitochondrial DNA biomarkers may predict male reproductive health and pregnancy success

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have identified a single-measure biomarker in sperm mitochondrial DNA that may predict male reproductive health and pregnancy success.

6 Oct 2020

Analysis: ‘Don’t be afraid of COVID’? Not buying it, unless businesses do job right

As stores, restaurants, airlines and offices try to lure clients back, this is what they need to do to earn my business: Make me feel safe — no, make me be as safe as possible. As I've begun to explore old haunts, some are doing a fabulous job. Others are not.

6 Oct 2020

Easier-to-use coronavirus saliva tests start to catch on

As the coronavirus pandemic broke out across the country, health care providers and scientists relied on the standard method for detecting respiratory viruses: sticking a long swab deep into the nose to get a sample. The obstacles to implementing such testing on a mass scale quickly became clear.

6 Oct 2020

Campus dorm resident assistants adjust to a new role: COVID cop

Breaking up parties, confiscating booze and answering noise complaints — being a resident adviser has always required a willingness to be the "bad guy" and uphold university policy despite the protests of friends and peers.

6 Oct 2020

Supercharged "clones" trigger the re-emergence of scarlet fever

A University of Queensland-led team of international researchers says supercharged "clones" of the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes are to blame for the resurgence of the disease, which has caused high death rates for centuries.

6 Oct 2020