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Study could help inform strategies for coming out of COVID-19 lockdown

Relaxing stay-at-home orders and allowing some types of non-essential businesses such as shops to reopen are the lowest risk measures to get the UK and other European countries out of lockdown – according to research from the University of East Anglia.

11 May 2020

No evidence COVID-19 is spread by fecal-oral transmission

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 shows that in patients who test positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in pharyngeal and fecal samples, the virus persists longer in the fecal samples than in the pharyngeal samples. However, fecal-oral transmission does not appear to occur.

10 May 2020

Reproduction number of COVID-19 and how it relates to public health measures

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports the use of a dynamic SEIR model to identify variations in the reproductive number of SARS-CoV-2 over time, using machine learning techniques. This could help to model and predict the outcomes of various public health solutions.

10 May 2020

Internet search patterns important in tracing and predicting COVID-19 spread

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 has identified a link between Internet search patterns and local disease progression for COVID-19. It recommends the use of search data to track and predict COVID-19 spread as a complementary method to established public health surveillance methods.

10 May 2020

Reproduction number and herd immunity in COVID-19

A new modeling study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 hypothesizes that the asymptomatic cases in the ongoing pandemic in Japan may far outnumber the symptomatic infections by several orders of magnitude. This has implications for future predictions and public health policies.

10 May 2020

Study shows COVID-19 vulnerability is highly dependent on host genetic architecture

A new US study available on the preprint server medRxiv reveals certain genetic variations that are associated with infection susceptibility and diverse clinical presentation of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – including asymptomatic cases and severe forms of the disease in younger patients.

10 May 2020

The grange holds potential to increase the reach of public health efforts

In the ongoing struggle to address health care disparities in rural communities across the U.S., a recent Oregon State University study found that the perfect partner may be hiding in plain sight.

9 May 2020

New discovery could end chronic rejection of transplanted organs

Chronic rejection of transplanted organs is the leading cause of transplant failure, and one that the field of organ transplantation has not overcome in almost six decades since the advent of immunosuppressive drugs enabled the field to flourish.

9 May 2020

Exposure to racial residential segregation associated with worse cognitive performance in mid-life

A study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that black subjects who were exposed to highly segregated neighborhoods in young adulthood exhibited worse performance in cognitive skills in mid-life.

9 May 2020

Understanding the ability of COVID-19 virus to infect pets and livestock

A new paper identifies the critical need for research on the ability of the COVID-19 virus to infect certain animal species, the transmissibility of infection between humans and those animals, and the impact infection could have on food security and the economy.

9 May 2020

AGS honors expert and emerging professionals in geriatric care

The American Geriatrics Society annually honors researchers, clinicians, educators, and emerging health professionals who have made outstanding contributions to high-quality, person-centered care for older people.

8 May 2020

The nutritional key to control autoimmunity and cancer

Scientists at the Department of Infection and Immunity of the Luxembourg Institute of Health revealed a novel mechanism through which the immune system can control autoimmunity and cancer.

8 May 2020

Temperature and latitude not associated with COVID-19 spread, study finds

Temperature and latitude do not appear to be associated with the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to a study of many countries published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.200920, but school closures and other public health measures are having a positive effect.

8 May 2020

Genomics Medicine Ireland supports scientists participating in global COVID-19 research efforts

Genomics Medicine Ireland announced this week that it is supporting scientists in Ireland who are participating in global research efforts into COVID-19 coronavirus which has so far killed over 200,000 people across the world.

8 May 2020

Reopening in the COVID era: How to adapt to a new normal

As many states begin to reopen — most without meeting the thresholds recommended by the White House — a new level of COVID-19 risk analysis begins for Americans.

8 May 2020

Trying out LA’s new coronavirus testing regime

Last week, after Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that Los Angeles was offering COVID-19 tests to all city and county residents, I decided to get one myself — and test Garcetti's bold new promise in the bargain.

8 May 2020

Study: Middle age may be more stressful than it was in the 1990s

If life feels more stressful now than it did a few decades ago, you're not alone. Even before the novel coronavirus started sweeping the globe, a new study found that life may be more stressful now than it was in the 1990s.

8 May 2020

Eerie emptiness of ERs worries doctors as heart attack and stroke patients delay care

The patient described it as the worst headache of her life. She didn’t go to the hospital, though. Instead, the Washington state resident waited almost a week.

8 May 2020

Most COVID-19 patients lose sense of smell by the third day, shows study

A University of Cincinnati researcher says a study of COVID-19 patients shows loss of the sense of smell is most likely to occur by the third day of infection with the novel virus. Most of these patients are also experiencing a loss of the sense of taste.

8 May 2020