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.

Researchers develop method to estimate time-dependent reproduction number

In times of Corona, everybody looks at the reproduction number. However, this important number is subject to uncertainties.

19 Jun 2020

Characterizing "re-positives" in recovered COVID-19 patients

The novel coronavirus pandemic has been spreading silently or explosively in almost every country of the world, causing almost half a million deaths and nearly 8.5 million reported cases in just six months. While much is known about the virus and the illness by now, far more remains unclear. One such is the prevalence and persistence of antiviral immunity following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

19 Jun 2020

Researchers find prothrombotic antibodies in patients with COVID-19

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the world, researchers are still trying to understand the many ways in which it can manifest and its pathogenesis. A new report published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 shows that one possible mechanism of disease in COVID-19 is the production of antiphospholipid antibodies.

19 Jun 2020

Human trials to commence using SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from cow's blood

The coronavirus pandemic has sparked a sense of urgency as it actively spreads across the globe. The number of reported cases has now surpassed 8.46 million people, with a death toll of more than 453,000. Scientists and pharmaceutical companies are racing to develop an effective treatment and vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

19 Jun 2020

Nanosponges attract coronavirus away from lung cells, study shows

Imagine if scientists could stop the coronavirus infection in its tracks simply by diverting its attention away from living lung cells? A new therapeutic countermeasure, announced in a Nano Letters study by researchers from Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories and the University of California San Diego, appears to do just that in experiments that were carried out at the NEIDL in Boston.

18 Jun 2020

Blood types and COVID-19 risk confirmed

Blood type may play a pivotal role in driving disease severity among coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients. Genetic analysis of COVID-19 patients has shown that people with blood type O seemed to be protected against severe disease. In contrast, those with blood type A may experience complications tied to the viral infection.

18 Jun 2020

Conjunctivitis and keratoconjunctivitis can be possible primary symptoms of COVID-19

A case of pink eye is now reason to be tested for COVID-19, according to University of Alberta researchers.

18 Jun 2020

Widespread testing could help stop the spread of COVID-19

The world is now in the grips of a historic pandemic. The death toll from the novel coronavirus has climbed to more than 117,000 in the United States and 448,000 around the world.

18 Jun 2020

Regenstrief dashboard evolves to show COVID-19 trends and early warning indicators

Trends are a vital component of tracking and understanding the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19 dashboard on the Regenstrief Institute website now shows data trends from across Indiana in an easy-to-understand, interactive display.

18 Jun 2020

Study examines the impact of urban density on spread of COVID-19

A new study suggests that denser places, assumed by many to be more conducive to the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, are not linked to higher infection rates.

18 Jun 2020

Convalescent plasma found to be safe for diverse patients with COVID-19

Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have found investigational convalescent plasma to be safe following transfusion in a diverse group of 20,000 patients. The findings -- from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Expanded Access Program for COVID-19 -- are reported in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

18 Jun 2020

Mutational targets of SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain for vaccine-antiviral development

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread throughout the whole world within six months, causing millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Yet there is no effective vaccine or antiviral to deal with it.

18 Jun 2020

Study reveals how COVID-19 pandemic has impacted cancer patients' quality of life

Patients with cancer face a serious dilemma during the COVID-19 pandemic, as staying at home could increase their risk of cancer progression, while visiting the hospital for treatment could increase their risk of becoming infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.

18 Jun 2020

Novel SARS-CoV-2 antibody cocktail impeccably mimics human antibody response

By using both humanized mice and convalescent patients, the researchers from the US and Singapore successfully generated non-competing and highly potent monoclonal antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein that could potentially be combined to form antibody cocktails. Their groundbreaking paper is published in the leading research journal Science.

18 Jun 2020

Global experts develop open-source N95 face mask

In one of the latest COVID-19 response projects at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Advanced Digital Design and Fabrication laboratory is collaborating with a global network of design, engineering and manufacturing experts to help develop an open-source N95 face mask.

18 Jun 2020

Throat gargling may be beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers from Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan, have suggested that throat gargling may have beneficial effects during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

18 Jun 2020

COVID-19 collaborative program reduces mortality in long-term care facilities

A collaborative program developed at UVA Health to work with local long-term care facilities control COVID-19 is saving lives and offers a model for communities across the country, a new scientific paper reports.

18 Jun 2020

First genome-wide CRISPR screen reveals genes that control SARS-CoV-2 infection

By performing a genome-wide CRISPR screen on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), U.S. researchers identified novel proviral genes and pathways, and highlighted host genes that may regulate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pathogenesis, as well as revealing potential targets for novel treatment approaches. Their findings are currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

18 Jun 2020

COVID-19 pandemic affects sexual and reproductive health of young people

Social distancing and limited access to contraceptive and abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young adults according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Rutgers University.

18 Jun 2020

COVID-19 pandemic may have negative consequences for mental health

The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected the physical lives of most people. But now there are also indications that the pandemic has negative consequences for the mental health of the people being infected, the healthcare professionals and the population as a whole.

18 Jun 2020