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.

Low potassium levels in COVID-19 disease

Now a new study by an Italian team of researchers published in June 2020 on the preprint server medRxiv reports that potassium levels are often low in COVID-19 disease, mostly due to the urinary loss of potassium.

17 Jun 2020

NJIT researchers develop new efficient method for targeted protein analysis

Researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology in collaboration with Ohio University and Merck & Co. Inc. recently developed a new efficient method for targeted protein analysis -- one they say could speed up processes for disease testing, drug discovery and vaccine development.

17 Jun 2020

Integrin-binding peptide ATN-161: Potential COVID-19 treatment

Now, a new study by researchers at Tulane University and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 reports the potential role of an integrin inhibitor ATN-161 to prevent ACE2-S protein binding.

17 Jun 2020

Penn’s CEET receives $8 million grant for environmental health research

The Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology at the University of Pennsylvania received an $8 million grant, to be distributed over the next five years, from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a renewal of its P30 Environmental Health Sciences Core Center grant.

17 Jun 2020

Highly conserved RNA structures are essential for SARS-CoV-2 replication and pathogenesis

A recent study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill revealed how selective pressure helps in preserving secondary RNA structures in coronavirus genomes, unveiling a pivotal role of these elements in viral replication and pathogenesis. The paper is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

17 Jun 2020

Trump’s take on COVID testing misses public health realities

President Donald Trump sought to downplay the numbers associated with COVID-19 in the United States — which have passed 2 million confirmed cases and are nearing 120,000 lives lost — by arguing that the soaring national count was simply the result of superior testing.

17 Jun 2020

“Catch and kill” ventilation device destroys SARS-CoV-2, potential for airplanes - cruise ships

Researchers in Texas have developed an air conditioning system that can “catch and kill” severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) in an effort to help both essential works and the public combat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

17 Jun 2020

Scientists examine SARS-CoV-2 cell entry in different species

Researchers in China have demonstrated the ability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to interact with the host cell receptors of multiple species of animals.

17 Jun 2020

Oral antibiotic therapy can effectively treat infections in people who inject illicit drugs

People who inject illicit drugs can develop potentially deadly infections of the heart, blood, joints and soft tissues.

17 Jun 2020

UVA doctors and students launch 12-part COVID-19 podcast series

UVA School of Medicine physicians and students have launched a COVID-19 podcast series that includes advice to protect your health along with a behind-the-scenes look at UVA Health's patient care and research.

17 Jun 2020

Citing COVID, Sutter pushes to revisit landmark antitrust settlement

Six months after agreeing to a $575 million settlement in a closely watched antitrust case filed by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Sutter Health has yet to pay a single dollar, and no operational changes have gone into effect.

17 Jun 2020

NTU researchers develop a sustainable way to extract high-quality antimicrobial compounds

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have developed a sustainable and green way to extract high-quality antimicrobial compounds from seeds.

17 Jun 2020

Nanosponges could attack and neutralize SARS-COV-2 virus

Nanoparticles cloaked in human lung cell membranes and human immune cell membranes can attract and neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus in cell culture, causing the virus to lose its ability to hijack host cells and reproduce.

17 Jun 2020

Pandemic upends the lives of people with disabilities — and of their caregivers

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Stacy Ellingen, 34, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, lost two of the three caregivers she depends on to dress, shower, eat and use the bathroom. The caregivers — both University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh students — returned to their parents’ homes when the university canceled in-person classes.

17 Jun 2020

Danish pipetting robot automates COVID-19 testing processes in hospitals

A Danish pipetting robot is automating Covid testing processes in hospitals around Europe. The robot, called flowbot ONE, significantly reduces the time it takes for laboratories to produce results for patients to tell them whether they are infected with Covid-19.

17 Jun 2020

Cobra and AstraZeneca sign supply agreement for manufacture of COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Cobra Biologics, part of the Cognate BioServices family, an international CDMO for biologics and pharmaceuticals, today announced it has signed a supply agreement with AstraZeneca UK Ltd. to provide GMP manufacture of the adenovirus vector-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate AZD1222, previously known as ChAdOx1 n-CoV-19.

From AstraZeneca 17 Jun 2020

Celltrion announces plans to launch COVID-19 point-of-care antigen testing kit

Celltrion Group today announced plans to expand its diagnostic portfolio for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, in its efforts to improve access to COVID-19 testing and help prevent the further spread of coronavirus infection worldwide.

17 Jun 2020

Free webinar series aims to improve care of pregnant women during COVID-19 pandemic

Health professionals around the globe can join a series of online expert workshops aimed at improving the care of pregnant women during the current COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in low- and middle-countries.

17 Jun 2020

Medwise.ai wins Innovate UK funding to develop AI-powered platform that answers COVID-19 questions

Accelerate Cambridge and DigitalHealth.London launchpad company Medwise.ai announces it was selected from over 8600 applications to receive funding by the UK Government to develop an AI-powered platform that answers COVID-19 questions for healthcare professionals.

17 Jun 2020

Researchers take actions to reduce hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19

Infectious disease experts from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and UW Medicine are advocating for earlier actions to reduce hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.

17 Jun 2020