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.

Early-phase Russian trials reveal safety and immunogenicity of two formulations of a two-part vaccine

Results from two early-phase Russian non-randomised vaccine trials (Sputnik V) in a total of 76 people are published today in The Lancet, finding that two formulations of a two-part vaccine have a good safety profile with no serious adverse events detected over 42 days, and induce antibody responses in all participants within 21 days.

5 Sep 2020

New project to increase provision for trauma and emergency care in Zambia during COVID-19 pandemic

More than £170,000 will be used to boost trauma and emergency nursing in Zambia to help the country cope with the strain on services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

5 Sep 2020

Historical case studies: Pandemics in past societies

Whether it's the plague, cholera or currently COVID-19: epidemics are part of human history. Long before there were vaccinations or microscopes for the investigation of pathogens, societies had to develop coping strategies.

5 Sep 2020

Extra priority should be given to worst-off countries in COVID-19 vaccine allocation, says expert

In contrast to WHO´s and other expert´s advice, the worst-off countries should be extra prioritised when it comes to COVID-19 vaccine allocation, according to Professor Ole Frithjof Norheim at the University of Bergen.

4 Sep 2020

Study: Small neutralizing antibody can block SARS-CoV-2 from entering human cells

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified a small neutralizing antibody, a so-called nanobody, that has the capacity to block SARS-CoV-2 from entering human cells.

4 Sep 2020

Will Labor Day weekend bring another holiday COVID surge? Jury’s out.

Hopefully, summer won’t end the way it began. Memorial Day celebrations helped set off a wave of coronavirus infections across much of the South and West. Gatherings around the Fourth of July seemed to keep those hot spots aflame.

4 Sep 2020

In legislative shuffle, California prioritizes safety gear and sick leave during crisis

California lawmakers convened this year with big plans to tackle soaring health care costs, expand health insurance coverage and improve treatment for mental health and addiction.

4 Sep 2020

HHS plan to improve rural health focuses on better broadband, telehealth services

Knowing it may be met with some skepticism, the Trump administration Thursday announced a sweeping plan that officials say will transform health care in rural America.

4 Sep 2020

Spike-based priming leads to high neutralizing activity in animal models

A new report by researchers at the University of Melbourne and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 reports on the use of a two-protein two-dose vaccine regimen and its immunogenicity in two animal models.

4 Sep 2020

D614G spike mutation increases infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and neutralization susceptibility

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, it is crucial to track the viral changes in order to link the clinical and epidemiological features of the disease with these mutations. A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports on a common severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutation, D614G, and its effects on the virus.

4 Sep 2020

Physician-owned practices adopt more QI strategies than hospital-owned practices

Little is known about what determines strategy implementation around quality improvement (QI) in small and medium-sized primary care practices.

4 Sep 2020

Illinois professor looks at daily survival strategies of Beirut's LGBTQ residents

Daily life in Beirut is subject to violence and an ever-changing series of disruptions - a reality that residents refer to as "al-wad" or "the situation."

4 Sep 2020

Heightened COVID-19 risk among pregnant women

Since the emergence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, little is known about the risks of COVID-19 to pregnant women. Now, a new study reveals that pregnant women with COVID-19 are less likely to experience symptoms of fever and myalgia than non-pregnant women of reproductive age, but maybe at a heightened risk of being admitted to intensive care.

3 Sep 2020

Depression rate in the United States triples during COVID pandemic, research shows

In a study published in the journal JAMA Network, nearly a quarter of people in the United States are experiencing symptoms of depression, which is about three times the number before the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has begun.

3 Sep 2020

Research compares T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 and influenza

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow, scientists are focusing on understanding how the host immune system responds to the virus in order to better shape public health responses and develop effective vaccines. A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020 reports the T cell memory response to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, recombinant nucleocapsid protein, and other pooled peptides derived from convalescent patients.

3 Sep 2020

Individual biocontainment unit protects health care workers against aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 virus

Especially in settings where personal protective equipment, or PPE, is in short supply, intubation -- inserting a breathing tube down a patient's throat -- poses a major risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure for doctors and nurses as viral particles are released into the air.

3 Sep 2020

Simulation platform teaches students the fundamentals of responses to pandemics

In 2015, a team of specialists in modeling disease outbreaks got together with educators to create Operation Outbreak, an educational platform and simulation intended to teach high school and college students the fundamentals of responses to pandemics.

3 Sep 2020

Novel fabric mask for enhanced protection and comfort

Imagine a reusable face mask that protects wearers and those around them from SARS-CoV-2, is comfortable enough to wear all day, and stays in place without frequent adjustment.

3 Sep 2020

Study shows fatty liver disease is a significant risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalization

A recent observational study by US researchers reveals that individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis have increased odds of hospitalization due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19); conversely, metabolic surgery was found to be protective against the admission of infected individuals. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

3 Sep 2020

Examining the role of endocrine system and hormones in COVID-19 infection

The evidence for hormone involvement in COVID-19 infection and treatment will be evaluated and discussed by endocrine experts in a dedicated COVID-19 session at e-ECE 2020.

3 Sep 2020

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Early-phase Russian trials reveal safety and immunogenicity of two formulations of a two-part vaccine

New project to increase provision for trauma and emergency care in Zambia during COVID-19 pandemic

Historical case studies: Pandemics in past societies

Extra priority should be given to worst-off countries in COVID-19 vaccine allocation, says expert

Study: Small neutralizing antibody can block SARS-CoV-2 from entering human cells

Will Labor Day weekend bring another holiday COVID surge? Jury’s out.

In legislative shuffle, California prioritizes safety gear and sick leave during crisis

HHS plan to improve rural health focuses on better broadband, telehealth services

Spike-based priming leads to high neutralizing activity in animal models

D614G spike mutation increases infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and neutralization susceptibility

Physician-owned practices adopt more QI strategies than hospital-owned practices

Illinois professor looks at daily survival strategies of Beirut's LGBTQ residents

Heightened COVID-19 risk among pregnant women

Depression rate in the United States triples during COVID pandemic, research shows

Research compares T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 and influenza

Individual biocontainment unit protects health care workers against aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 virus

Simulation platform teaches students the fundamentals of responses to pandemics

Novel fabric mask for enhanced protection and comfort

Study shows fatty liver disease is a significant risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalization

Examining the role of endocrine system and hormones in COVID-19 infection

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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