Pandemic News and Research

RSS

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.

New method accelerates drug discovery from years to months

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital have found a new method to increase both speed and success rates in drug discovery.

30 Aug 2024

Semaglutide cuts death rates from cardiovascular disease and COVID-19

Patients taking semaglutide injections are less likely to die of any cause, including from cardiovascular disease and infections like COVID-19, an international study led by researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, finds.

30 Aug 2024

Biodegradable diagnostic tests offer sustainable solution to plastic pollution

The global plastic pollution crisis and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic – where billions of single-use diagnostic tests were discarded – is prompting businesses and researchers to develop new and more sustainable rapid diagnostic tests.

30 Aug 2024

Hope proves more effective than mindfulness for managing work stress

A recent study finds that hope appears to be more beneficial than mindfulness at helping people manage stress and stay professionally engaged during periods of prolonged stress at work.

30 Aug 2024

Semaglutide lowers COVID-19-related deaths in cardiovascular patients with obesity

Semaglutide, the popular anti-obesity drug, reduced the rates of COVID-19-related adverse events, including death, in those who had overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease without diabetes, according to a new study published in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

30 Aug 2024

State mandates boost COVID-19 vaccination rates among health care workers

At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, governments and health care centers across the country faced a difficult but important question: Should health care workers be required to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine?

30 Aug 2024

Research highlights media misrepresentation of COVID-19 drug efficacy

A new study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine is shedding light on how scientific evidence and the uncertainty surrounding three unproven therapeutics were portrayed by the U.S. news media during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

30 Aug 2024

Benchmark Genetics Iceland remains unaffected by the ongoing volcanic eruption

Our facilities are situated outside the designated risk zone for the current seismic and volcanic activities near Grindavík, Iceland.

From Benchmark Genetics 30 Aug 2024

Obesity increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection by 34%

Obesity is linked to a 34% higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection upon exposure, highlighting the importance of weight management in COVID-19 prevention.

30 Aug 2024

Massachusetts monthly gamblers report rising problems and negative attitudes

In the latest of three online gambling surveys conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, monthly gamblers in Massachusetts reported an increase in gambling intensity and gambling harms. In addition, their attitudes toward gambling have grown more negative.

29 Aug 2024

Study reveals the role of blood clotting in COVID-19

In a study that reshapes what we know about COVID-19 and its most perplexing symptoms, scientists have discovered that the blood coagulation protein fibrin causes the unusual clotting and inflammation that have become hallmarks of the disease, while also suppressing the body's ability to clear the virus.

29 Aug 2024

COVID-19 linked to increased risk of hearing loss in young adults, study finds

Researchers in South Korea found that young adults who recovered from COVID-19 are at significantly higher risk of experiencing hearing loss and sudden sensorineural hearing loss compared to those who never had the virus.

28 Aug 2024

Paris 2024 Olympics: COVID-conscious nations dominated gold medals

Study found that nations with lower excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those in the Western Pacific, excelled in winning gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This success is linked to their stringent public health measures and 'COVID-cautious' approach.

28 Aug 2024

Psychedelics: A new hope for substance abuse treatment

Study explores the history and current state of psychedelic research for treating substance abuse disorders, highlighting challenges like restrictive policies, lack of funding, and the need for recognition of traditional and modern therapeutic practices.

28 Aug 2024

In-person contact decreases levels of loneliness in older people

In-person contact helps lead to lower levels of loneliness in older people, but other ways of staying in touch, such as phoning, emailing or texting, are not as effective in lowering loneliness, a team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Michigan have found.

28 Aug 2024

Analysis reveals viral shift behind COVID-19 pandemic end

New analysis suggests that a dramatic drop in deaths from COVID-19 between 2022 and 2023 could be attributed to an abrupt phase transition in the molecular structure of the virus' spike protein.

28 Aug 2024

Simple intervention offers relief for burned-out nurses in Missouri

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, high rates of burnout and staffing shortages plagued the nursing industry, primarily because of the stressful demands of the job.

27 Aug 2024

Healthcare workers unprepared for mpox outbreak due to knowledge gaps and vaccine inequity

Research highlights significant gaps in healthcare workers' knowledge of mpox during the 2022-2023 outbreaks, emphasizing the need for better global preparedness and equitable vaccine access.

27 Aug 2024

ChatGPT delivers the most accurate vasectomy information, outperforming Copilot and Gemini

Research shows ChatGPT outperforms Google Bard and Bing Chat in accurately answering vasectomy-related questions, highlighting its potential in healthcare education.

27 Aug 2024

SARS-CoV-2 evolves differently in the brain, revealing critical insights into viral tropism

Study investigates the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 within the central nervous system (CNS) compared to the lungs in mice, revealing higher viral divergence in the CNS and highlighting the critical role of the furin cleavage site (FCS) in viral tropism and compartmentalization.

27 Aug 2024