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.

Membrane nanoparticles acts as a bait to trap SARS-CoV-2

In an exciting new bioRxiv preprint research paper, Chinese researchers describe the development of membrane nanoparticles from ACE2-rich cells with a potent capacity to block the adherence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

13 Aug 2020

Researchers identify a protein that facilitates spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus through cells

Eric Ross and Sean Cascarina, biochemistry and molecular biology researchers at Colorado State University, have released a research paper identifying a protein encoded by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, that may be associated with the quick spread of the virus through cells in the human body.

13 Aug 2020

Synthetic nanobodies prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection

A team of researchers from the University of California San Francisco has created a powerful nasal spray or inhaler that can provide high-grade protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The report is presently available on the bioRvix* preprint server.

13 Aug 2020

New research finds mHealth technologies as a viable option to monitor COVID-19 patients

An international task force, including two University of Massachusetts Amherst computer scientists, concludes in new research that mobile health (mHealth) technologies are a viable option to monitor COVID-19 patients at home and predict which ones will need medical intervention.

13 Aug 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Kamala Harris on health

California Sen. Kamala Harris, the newly named running mate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, doesn't have a lot of background in health policy.

13 Aug 2020

Contact tracers in Massachusetts might order milk or help with rent. Here’s why.

It’s a familiar moment. The kids want their cereal and the coffee’s brewing, but you’re out of milk. No problem, you think — the corner store is just a couple of minutes away. But if you have COVID-19 or have been exposed to the coronavirus, you’re supposed to stay put.

13 Aug 2020

New test allows rapid COVID-19 diagnosis

Researchers have developed a new test that can diagnose COVID-19 in just 20 minutes. The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, show the rapid molecular test called N1-STOP-LAMP, is 100% accurate in diagnosing samples containing SARS-CoV-2 at high loads.

13 Aug 2020

Back to the future: Trump’s history of promising a health plan that never comes

Ever since he was a presidential candidate, President Donald Trump has been promising the American people a "terrific," "phenomenal" and "fantastic" new health care plan to replace the Affordable Care Act.

13 Aug 2020

Turning anger into action: Minority students analyze COVID data on racial disparities

As the coronavirus swept into Detroit this spring, Wayne State University junior Skye Taylor noticed something striking. On social media, many of her fellow Black classmates who live or grew up in the city were "posting about death, like, 'Oh, I lost this family member to COVID-19,'" said Taylor.

13 Aug 2020

Dying young: The health care workers in their 20s killed by COVID-19

Jasmine Obra believed that if it wasn't for her brother Joshua, she wouldn't exist. When 7-year-old Josh realized that his parents weren't going to live forever, he asked for a sibling so he would never be alone.

13 Aug 2020

Online platform for STI testing receives more than 5000 home kit order requests

As the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in changes to the provision of NHS services, an online platform offering home tests was introduced throughout Wales - enabling service users to access STI testing at home.

13 Aug 2020

NHS 111 online sees record usage due to Covid-19 pandemic

NHS 111 online has seen record usage over the past four months, as more people used digital channels to access medical help or health advice during times of lockdown and social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

13 Aug 2020

Promega introduces new serological antibody test for COVID-19

Promega Corporation today announced the launch of its new serological antibody test for COVID-19 to detect the presence of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

From Promega Corporation 13 Aug 2020

Diversions in malaria prevention efforts during the pandemic may cost thousands of lives

As COVID-19 threatens to derail more than a decade’s worth of hard-won gains in the fight against malaria, Dr Benjamin Pretorius, managing director at ERADA Technology Alliance, warns that diversions of malaria resources and interruptions to prevention programmes may cost thousands of lives.

13 Aug 2020

Care home residents with Covid-19 are either asymptomatic or have 'atypical' symptoms

Many care home residents who have Covid-19 infection are either asymptomatic or experience ‘atypical’ symptoms – according to a new study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and North Norfolk Primary Care, supported by UEA Health and Social Care Partners.

13 Aug 2020

Study shows stay-at-home orders can considerably reduce the transmission of COVID-19

Across the globe, COVID-19 has infected more than 18 million people to date and has killed hundreds of thousands -- and the United States has been hit especially hard. Although the U.S. comprises just 4.2% of the global population, it accounted for approximately 33% of all reported infections by the end of April.

13 Aug 2020

Pharmacy teams still not receiving adequate COVID-19 risk assessments, survey finds

A new survey carried out by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the UK Black Pharmacists Association has found that pharmacy teams are still not receiving adequate individual COVID-19 risk assessments.

13 Aug 2020

Pasteurization inactivates SARS‐CoV ‐2 in human milk, study finds

A new study has confirmed what researchers already suspected to be the case: heat inactivates SARS-CoV-2 in human milk.

13 Aug 2020

Chaotic and incoherent: Damning study of over 500 U.S. campus COVID-19 reopening plans

Now, a new study by researchers at California Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 shows that poorly planned and inadequate testing approaches to mitigate viral spread among the returning university students are likely to result in epidemics that will plague the country for a long time.

13 Aug 2020

'Quality of life' policing undermines physical safety and mental health of homeless persons

Two weeks ago, Colorado State Patrol troopers began clearing out nearly 200 residents from homeless encampments that surround the Colorado Capitol. The enforcement of city ordinances like camping bans, park curfews and obstructions of public passageways is lawful.

13 Aug 2020

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Membrane nanoparticles acts as a bait to trap SARS-CoV-2

Researchers identify a protein that facilitates spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus through cells

Synthetic nanobodies prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection

New research finds mHealth technologies as a viable option to monitor COVID-19 patients

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Kamala Harris on health

Contact tracers in Massachusetts might order milk or help with rent. Here’s why.

New test allows rapid COVID-19 diagnosis

Back to the future: Trump’s history of promising a health plan that never comes

Turning anger into action: Minority students analyze COVID data on racial disparities

Dying young: The health care workers in their 20s killed by COVID-19

Online platform for STI testing receives more than 5000 home kit order requests

NHS 111 online sees record usage due to Covid-19 pandemic

Promega introduces new serological antibody test for COVID-19

Diversions in malaria prevention efforts during the pandemic may cost thousands of lives

Care home residents with Covid-19 are either asymptomatic or have 'atypical' symptoms

Study shows stay-at-home orders can considerably reduce the transmission of COVID-19

Pharmacy teams still not receiving adequate COVID-19 risk assessments, survey finds

Pasteurization inactivates SARS‐CoV ‐2 in human milk, study finds

Chaotic and incoherent: Damning study of over 500 U.S. campus COVID-19 reopening plans

'Quality of life' policing undermines physical safety and mental health of homeless persons

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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