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.

Avacta to launch Affimer-based ELISA test for SARS-CoV-2 virus detection

Avacta Group plc, the developer of Affimer biotherapeutics and reagents, is pleased to announce that it will launch an ELISA laboratory test for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to support global research efforts into the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

From Avacta Life Sciences Ltd. 8 Sep 2020

Limited gut inflammation in COVID-19

A new study by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that gut infection with this virus produces primarily mucosal immunity but also a limited inflammatory response.

8 Sep 2020

Renowned Harley Street hospital performs pioneering dual breast surgery

King Edward VII’s Hospital – located within the Harley Street Medical Area – have announced an achievement in breast reconstruction surgery, having performed their first DIEP flap reconstruction with Lymphatic Microsurgical Healing Approach for prevention of secondary breast cancer related lymphedema.

8 Sep 2020

Scientists describe various dynamic structures of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Early in the pandemic, scientists uncovered the role of the ACE2 receptor in SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors act as a lock and key for cell infection.

7 Sep 2020

PI3K/mTOR and topoisomerase inhibitors suggested as candidates to reduce expression of ACE2

A recent study published in the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that the already approved drug families called P13K/mTOR and topoisomerase inhibitors may be useful in reducing individual susceptibility to the virus.

7 Sep 2020

Viruses play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive

As the world scrambles to control the growing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, new research in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology shows viruses also play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive.

7 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 containment and elimination strategy will require long-term population-wide prevention measures

By introducing a model that reveals long SARS-CoV-2 transmission chains and inadequate passive surveillance systems, a new medRxiv* preprint paper shows that bringing the infection completely under control will have to rely on presumptive, stringent, longer and more burdensome population-wide prevention measures already employed against community transmission.

7 Sep 2020

Important research on SARS-CoV-2 proteins using proximity labeling

A team of Canadian scientists has recently discovered a wide-range interaction between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and host proteins using proximity-dependent biotinylation approaches.

7 Sep 2020

COVID-19 caused substantial disruptions to essential health services in most countries

The COVID-19 pandemic caused substantial disruptions in essential health services in 9 out of 10 countries surveyed by WHO.

7 Sep 2020

Pooled saliva testing increases COVID-19 testing capacity

Now, a new study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine and published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that pooled saliva samples can save resources and increase testing capacity, making a significant difference in the management of the pandemic.

7 Sep 2020

D-dimer - A sensitive novel biomarker of COVID-19 mortality

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* reports the use of D-dimer in predicting the risk of mortality in COVID-19.

7 Sep 2020

Rehabilitation speeds coronavirus recovery

Now, a team of researchers at the University Clinic in Innsbruck in Austria has found that the long-term lung and heart damage in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients who recovered tend to improve over time.

7 Sep 2020

Using proteins to track SARS-CoV-2 infections through wastewater

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in September 2020 describes the measurement of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) proteins in wastewater as a reliable way to track the virus in the community.

6 Sep 2020

Novel RNA vaccine from Arcturus Therapeutics protects mice against SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 reports a novel RNA vaccine platform that shows robust protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in mice and performs much better than a conventional mRNA vaccine. This could allow single-dose immunization, allowing progress towards global vaccination.

6 Sep 2020

Seasonal influenza and COVID-19 risk

In a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv, researchers from Laval University and McGill University in Canada reviewed evidence from 18 relevant studies on a possible interaction between influenza vaccines on non-influenza respiratory disease (NIRD).

6 Sep 2020

Antibody responses against seasonal common cold coronaviruses may protect against SARS-CoV-2

With the use of an accurate high throughput assay, researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science and Magen David Adom Blood Services in Israel showed substantial inter-individual variability and antibody cross-reactivity against seasonal coronaviruses upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, with important implications for immune surveys and vaccines. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

6 Sep 2020

Transparent Government builds trust and successful COVID-19 containment

The combined impact of the pandemic and these non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) has taken a heavy toll on society, and this has led to much discussion as to the relative merits of these measures. A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 shows that public trust is vital for the success of any such intervention.

6 Sep 2020

Twitter-propagated COVID-19 misinformation from credible sources has a huge impact

In March, in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, a tweet from the French Health Minister, Olivier Verán, advised patients with COVID-19 not to take ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory drug with analgesic and antipyretic properties.

5 Sep 2020

Early identification, treatment is vital to avoid COVID-19-related health anxieties in children

Early identification and treatment is vital to avoid long-term mental health consequences from COVID-19 among children and young people, say researchers.

5 Sep 2020

Patient priorities for optimal transplant and living donor advocacy during COVID-19 and beyond

In a newly published paper, the authors first paint the vision of what optimal patient advocacy can do to overcome the challenges described by kidney transplant patients and donors and then describe how to make that vision a reality, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

5 Sep 2020

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Avacta to launch Affimer-based ELISA test for SARS-CoV-2 virus detection

Limited gut inflammation in COVID-19

Renowned Harley Street hospital performs pioneering dual breast surgery

Scientists describe various dynamic structures of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

PI3K/mTOR and topoisomerase inhibitors suggested as candidates to reduce expression of ACE2

Viruses play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive

SARS-CoV-2 containment and elimination strategy will require long-term population-wide prevention measures

Important research on SARS-CoV-2 proteins using proximity labeling

COVID-19 caused substantial disruptions to essential health services in most countries

Pooled saliva testing increases COVID-19 testing capacity

D-dimer - A sensitive novel biomarker of COVID-19 mortality

Rehabilitation speeds coronavirus recovery

Using proteins to track SARS-CoV-2 infections through wastewater

Novel RNA vaccine from Arcturus Therapeutics protects mice against SARS-CoV-2

Seasonal influenza and COVID-19 risk

Antibody responses against seasonal common cold coronaviruses may protect against SARS-CoV-2

Transparent Government builds trust and successful COVID-19 containment

Twitter-propagated COVID-19 misinformation from credible sources has a huge impact

Early identification, treatment is vital to avoid COVID-19-related health anxieties in children

Patient priorities for optimal transplant and living donor advocacy during COVID-19 and beyond

Best practices - optimize qPCR processes for pathogen detection eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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