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.

Study reports reduced intake of fruit and vegetables among children since lockdown

In a study conducted by Northumbria University's Healthy Living Lab around half of the children who received free school meal vouchers are reporting a significant drop in their intake of fruit and vegetables since schools closed in March.

8 Jun 2020

Genetic studies analyze genome-wide set of genetic variants in different individuals

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) analyze a genome-wide set of genetic variants in different individuals to see if any are associated with a trait or disease.

8 Jun 2020

Inhibition of coronavirus spike protein binding to ACE2

A novel coronavirus, CoV-19, and a later phenotype CoV-2 were identified as the primary cause for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS CoV-2). The spike (S) protein of CoV-2 is one target for the development of a vaccine to prevent the viral entry into human cells. The inhibition of the direct interaction between ACE2 and the S-protein could provides a suitable strategy to prevent the membrane fusion of CoV-2 and the viral entry into human cells. Using MD simulations, we investigate the assembly process of a Coronavirus Spike protein fragment, the hexapeptide YKYRYL on the ACE2 receptor and its inhibitzory effect on the aggregation and activation of the CoV-2 spike receptor protein at the same receptor protein.

8 Jun 2020

SARS-CoV-2 genome variants in India

A new study published online on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 surveys the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 strains in India.

7 Jun 2020

SARS-CoV-2 invasion of central nervous system through olfactory tract

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to claim lives throughout the world, the evidence is mounting that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) affects the respiratory tract as well as the central nervous system. Now, a new study by German researchers published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 describes various neurological manifestations of COVID-19, as well as the underlying pathophysiology.

7 Jun 2020

Tocilizumab in COVID-19 patients on mechanical ventilation

Now, a new study by researchers from the University of Michigan and published on the online preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 shows that the cytokine inhibitor tocilizumab could have a favorable effect on survival in the most severely infected patients who require mechanical ventilation. This needs to be confirmed by clinical trials.

7 Jun 2020

New strategy may facilitate development of multi-epitope peptide vaccine against SARS-CoV-2

By combining T and B lymphocyte analysis with manufacturability heuristic, researchers from the US and Germany proposed a set of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine peptides to use in subsequent animal studies and clinical trials. Their paper is currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

7 Jun 2020

Zinc-finger antiviral protein makes SARS-CoV-2 highly susceptible to interferons

By looking into zinc-finger antiviral proteins (ZAP), a new study from Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) and available on the preprint server bioRxiv suggests that zoonotic transmission of a coronavirus with a specific genetic make-up facilitated the pandemic spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but also its sensitivity to interferons.

7 Jun 2020

Lockdown adversities could affect sleep and mental health

Researchers at University College London warn that the adversities people are facing in the UK as a result of lockdown during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may be causing sleep problems that could affect mental health.

7 Jun 2020

People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis with increased disease activity have high thrombosis risk

People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis with increased disease activity are more often affected by thrombosis.

5 Jun 2020

High mortality rates among coronavirus-positive dialysis patients

Spain is one of the European countries besides the UK and Italy that was particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic in March.

5 Jun 2020

Bystander CPR benefits outweigh the risks of COVID-19 infection

Analysis of Seattle emergency medical services and hospital data from January 1 to April 15, 2020, indicates bystander CPR is a lifesaving endeavor whose benefits outweigh the risks of COVID-19 infection, according to a new article published yesterday in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.

5 Jun 2020

Kidney impairment significantly higher among hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Germany was not hit as hard by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic as many other European countries. The reason for this is that the wave of infection reached Germany later, that the authorities were warned by the situation in Italy and Spain and at an early stage ordered a lockdown and conducted extensive testing.

5 Jun 2020

New analytical tool uses air travel data to predict COVID-19 spread

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters a new phase, punctuated by emerging hot spots and continuing global spread, a new analytical tool developed by RAND Corporation researchers allows policymakers to predict regional risks of importing cases of COVID-19.

5 Jun 2020

Tear-gassing protesters during an infectious outbreak ‘a recipe for disaster’

In nationwide demonstrations sparked by the killing of George Floyd in police custody, protesters have been frequently pepper-sprayed or enveloped in clouds of tear gas.

5 Jun 2020

New guidance for healthcare providers caring for hospitalized COVID-19 patients with diabetes

The COVID-19 pandemic presents new challenges for clinicians caring for infected patients with diabetes, according to new guidance published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

5 Jun 2020

Sleep fragmentation associated with inflammation and atherosclerosis

Disrupted nightly sleep and clogged arteries tend to sneak up on us as we age. And while both disorders may seem unrelated, a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, helps explain why they are, in fact, pathologically intertwined.

5 Jun 2020

European database investigates COVID-19 outcomes in patients with kidney failure

Experience throughout the world, including in Europe, shows that advanced age is the most important risk factor for death in COVID-19: people aged over 70 years are over 10 times more likely to die compared to those aged below 50.

5 Jun 2020

New recommendations for reducing the spread of COVID-19 among healthcare staff

Seeking to address estimates that more than a third of COVID-19 deaths nationally have occurred in nursing homes and long-term care facilities--more than 38,000 - the American Medical Directors Association published recommendations for reducing the spread of the pandemic virus among residents and staff.

5 Jun 2020

Long-term care facilities are a major driver of total COVID-19 deaths

Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are a major driver of total COVID-19 deaths. Reported today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) geriatricians Rossana Lau-Ng, Lisa Caruso and Thomas Perls studied the past month's case and death data reported by the Massachusetts Department of Health's COVID-19 daily Dashboard along with data provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation and other countries.

5 Jun 2020