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.

Efforts to curb congenital syphilis falter in COVID’s shadow

U.S. public health officials are closer to identifying a road map for curbing the rising rates of syphilis infections in newborn babies, but with so many resources diverted to stopping the spread of COVID-19, many fear the rate of deadly infections will only get worse.

4 Jun 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Protests and the pandemic

Following the death of George Floyd while in custody in Minneapolis, protests have mushroomed around the U.S. to decry police violence, raising concerns among public health officials about the potential for further spread of the coronavirus.

4 Jun 2020

Oxidative stress and growth factors associated with development of high myopia

According to the first world report on vision published by the WHO in 2019, a third of the planet's population suffers from myopia, and around 400 million people suffer the most harmful version of the disease: high myopia.

4 Jun 2020

Psychological distress has increased among US adults during COVID-19, shows survey

A new survey conducted during the pandemic by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University found a more-than-threefold increase in the percentage of U.S. adults who reported symptoms of psychological distress--from 3.9 percent in 2018 to 13.6 percent in April 2020.

4 Jun 2020

Slow response to coronavirus led to unnecessary deaths in UK prisons, says expert

The government's slow response to recognize the impact of coronavirus on UK prisons has led to unnecessary deaths amongst its population, according to Loughborough University academic Dr Christopher Kay.

4 Jun 2020

Effects of chronic stress associated with increased inflammatory signaling within brain circuits

Anxiety and depression are significantly heightened during times of great stress such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

4 Jun 2020

Judges try to balance legal rights and courtroom health

It's tough getting people to report for jury duty in normal times. It's even harder during a pandemic.

4 Jun 2020

In hard-hit areas, COVID’s ripple effects strain mental health care systems

In late March, Marcell's girlfriend took him to the emergency room at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, about 11 miles south of Detroit.

4 Jun 2020

COVID-19 pandemic may cause long-term effects and increase healthcare costs, says GlobalData

As many COVID-19 patients may experience long-term complications from the illness such as intensive care unit delirium, post-traumatic stress disorder, lung damage, heart damage and possible neurological issues, GlobalData expects the market for these treatments to increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic as recovered patients may need long-term care for these issues after being released from the intensive care unit and the hospital.

4 Jun 2020

Exploring data transparency and quality measurements in Austrian healthcare system

A crisis like the corona pandemic demonstrates how important reliable information and transparent communication are, particularly when dealing with such a sensitive area as health.

4 Jun 2020

New TILDA study highlights the internet habits and behaviors of older adults

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly and dramatically changed how people interact, moving work and social communication online. Use of the internet to stay connected, socialise, shop and conduct business has expanded since the implementation of measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

4 Jun 2020

27 protein biomarkers predict COVID-19 severity in patients

Some patients infected with the novel coronavirus may experience only mild symptoms, while others may need medical care due to severe illness. People who are at a high risk of developing severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) include older adults and those with underlying health conditions. However, severe disease has also been seen in young people with no underlying disease.

4 Jun 2020

An approach for caring patients in COVID-19 units

Toronto and Spanish physicians describe in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) an approach to create dedicated COVID-19 patient units, infection control protocols and care teams to help other hospitals safely care for patients.

4 Jun 2020

COVID‐19 epidemics could be seasonal, peaking during the cold season

Now, a new study shows the link between lower humidity and an increase in locally acquired positive cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which means that outbreaks may happen during the winter season.

4 Jun 2020

Distancing, masks and eye gear protects against spread of SARS-CoV-2 finds large study

In a comprehensive systemic analysis of different studies, researchers have found that physical distancing, use of face masks, and eye protection were the most effective ways to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection from one person to another.

4 Jun 2020

Avoiding 'air hunger' and psychological trauma in COVID-19 ARDS survivors

A new paper published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society examines ventilation and medication strategies that can help avoid psychological trauma for severe COVID-19 survivors treated for acute respiratory distress syndrome with mechanical ventilation.

4 Jun 2020

GlobalData: India has relatively low COVID-19 average case fatality rate despite surge in cases

With a total of nearly 200,000 confirmed cases and over 5,500 deaths reported due to COVID-19 in the past three months, India stands in tenth position in terms of the number of confirmed cases.

4 Jun 2020

New mobile app can help the severity of COVID-19 cases

A new mobile app can help clinicians determine which patients with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are likely to have severe cases.

4 Jun 2020

Health care providers urged to stop hydroxycholoroquine use for COVID-19

The sacred oath taken by physicians during graduation from medical school to "First do no harm," the first words of the Hippocratic Oath, provides a strong impetus for a commentary just published in The American Journal of Medicine.

4 Jun 2020

Study says vitamin-magnesium combo may reduce severity of COVID-19 in seniors

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in late December 2019 has spread to over 188 countries and territories, causing over 6.5 million cases and 385,000 deaths. With no effective therapeutic COVID-19 drug or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine in sight, researchers are exploring different strategies to limit its spread and mortality.

4 Jun 2020