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Homeless shelters grapple with COVID safety as cold creeps in

Ben Barnes has slept in abandoned buildings, hallways and alleys. For the past year or so, he's been staying at the city's largest homeless shelter, Pacific Garden Mission, in the shadows of the famous skyline.

16 Nov 2020

New Timestrip indicators to support the use of promising coronavirus vaccines

Timestrip®, the developer of smart indicator technology, has moved fast to develop a range of products that support use of the coronavirus vaccines now promising to become available.

16 Nov 2020

Strategizing pediatric healthcare preparedness for the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

The paper, put together by a team of scientists based in the United Kingdom and Italy, also underscored the need for healthcare policies to account for the very real possibility of inadequate protective personal equipment (PPE), staff and hospital capacity, aggravated by the increased number of pediatric infections.

15 Nov 2020

Drugs targeting neutrophils could reduce ARDS in severe COVID-19

Scientists in Taiwan recently published a report on their use of anti-neutrophil strategies to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) – a life-threatening condition that can arise in critical COVID-19 cases – in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics.

15 Nov 2020

Promising SARS-CoV-2 N epitope for more accurate diagnostic and surveillance antibody testing

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in November 2020 describes the virus's N protein as a promising epitope for serology.

12 Nov 2020

Researchers assess risks posed by SARS-CoV-2 to Antarctica wildlife

Researchers have assessed risks posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Antarctica wildlife.

12 Nov 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Transition interrupted

Five days after the election was called for President-elect Joe Biden, President Donald Trump has not conceded — and instead ordered his administration not to begin the transition of power.

12 Nov 2020

New process helps preserve viral vaccines without refrigeration

Ever receive a vaccination that seemed to burn a lot while it was injected? The vaccine solution likely contained a lot of salt or sugar - natural preservatives that help keep it stable, in addition to the cold temperature at which it was kept.

12 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein optimized for conditions present in human airways

Researchers from Belgium and Germany demonstrated how the spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is fine-tuned towards the temperature and protease conditions of the human airways, which in turn enhances viral transmission and subsequent pathology. Their study is available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

10 Nov 2020

Majority of population likely has pre-existing immunity to SARS-CoV-2, claim researchers

A team of researchers has conducted a study suggesting that the majority of the global population is likely to have pre-existing T-cell immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

9 Nov 2020

Pre-existing antibodies created during COVID-19 may protect children against new pandemic strain

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London have found that some antibodies, created by the immune system during infection with common cold coronaviruses, can also target SARS-CoV-2 and may confer a degree of protection against the new viral strain.

9 Nov 2020

Decreasing humidity in the winter is likely to lead to more COVID-19 cases

A team of researchers from the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, USA, and Johns Hopkins University, USA, found evidence to support the notion that increased humidity may have contributed to lesser cases in spring earlier this year (2020). However, as the winter season fast approaches, the researchers fear that the decreasing humidity is likely to lead to an increase in COVID-19 cases.

8 Nov 2020

Study shows increasing size of respiratory droplets under cold humid conditions

Considerable evidence has accumulated to suggest that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus may spread through prolonged or brief contact with infected patients - with the infection being spread through respiratory droplets and aerosols. The need to understand how these infectious droplets behave becomes ever more urgent. A recent study published in the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020 reports the results of such an investigation.

8 Nov 2020

Study: Genetically edited form of herpes simplex virus outperforms leading vaccine candidate

A genetically edited form of a herpes simplex virus -- rewired to keep it from taking refuge in the nervous system and eluding an immune response -- has outperformed a leading vaccine candidate in a new study from the University of Cincinnati, Northwestern University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

6 Nov 2020

Fear circuit extends far beyond the amygdala, research shows

When a frightful creature startles you, your brain may activate its fear-processing circuitry, sending your heart racing to help you escape the threat.

5 Nov 2020

Living with children does not increase adults’ risk of severe COVID-19, say researchers

Researchers working on behalf of NHS England have found no evidence that adults who live with school-age children are at any increased risk of severe outcomes following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

4 Nov 2020

Fewer older adults may be experiencing restricting symptoms at the end of life

A new analysis published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society indicates that fewer older adults may be experiencing certain symptoms that can restrict their activity at the end of life.

4 Nov 2020

Temperature and humidity do not play a significant role in COVID-19 spread

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, there were high hopes that hot summer temperatures could reduce its spread. Although summer didn't bring widespread relief, the connection between the weather and COVID-19 continues to be a hot topic.

2 Nov 2020

Study reveals seven “forms of disease” in COVID-19

In a study recently published in the top journal "Allergy", a team of MedUni Vienna scientists led by immunologist Winfried F. Pickl and allergologist Rudolf Valenta (both from the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology) showed that there are seven "forms of disease" in COVID-19.

2 Nov 2020

Potential treatment might make tumors more responsive to immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapies, which empower patients' immune systems to eliminate tumors, are revolutionizing cancer treatment. Many patients respond well to these treatments, sometimes experiencing long-lasting remissions.

30 Oct 2020