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Food products are potential SARS-CoV-2 carriers, study finds

A team of scientists at the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and the Food Safety Research Center in Iran has emphasized the risk of various staple food products, including meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and ready-to-eat foods, as potential carriers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

20 Nov 2020

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on those with OCDs

Researchers from the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf and University Hospital, Munich in Germany, have reported their findings on the course of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

19 Nov 2020

Randomized trial adds new evidence to effectiveness of wearing masks

Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information.

19 Nov 2020

Study looks at SARS-CoV-2 RNA contamination in COVID-19 isolation ward of a hospital

To try and shed more light on SARS-CoV-2’s transmission, a research group based in Italy examined a COVID-19 isolation ward in a Milan hospital to evaluate the level of contamination present in the air and on surfaces with SARS-CoV-2 RNA (the virus’s genetic material).

15 Nov 2020

Simple cloth mask significantly reduces the spread of COVID-19 respiratory droplets

A study led by UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Professor Yifang Zhu has determined that even a simple cloth mask provides significant protections against COVID-19 transmission, reducing the spread of respiratory droplets by as much as 77%.

12 Nov 2020

Study of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in >5,000 healthcare workers

To address this, Daniel J Cooper and his team of researchers conducted a prospective seroepidemiological study to systematically evaluate specific risk factors for healthcare workers. They used a SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay and analyzed the risk factors for seropositivity using multivariate logistic regression.

9 Nov 2020

Mobile phone contamination could be part of SARS-CoV-2 transmission chain in hospitals, Brazil case study suggests

Researchers conducting a study at a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) intensive care unit (ICU) in São Paulo, Brazil, have warned that infection control guidelines need to include a universal policy regarding the disinfection of mobile phones in the hospital setting.

8 Nov 2020

Cats shed SARS-CoV-2 RNA for a shorter duration compared to humans, study finds

Since the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there have been numerous reports of pets becoming infected. Both dogs and cats have been observed to exhibit symptoms of infection.

8 Nov 2020

Providing the best psychiatric care within a safe environment during COVID-19 pandemic

The very heart of inpatient care for psychiatric patients is socialization, group therapy, shared meals, and a standard two people per room. Then COVID-19 hit with the accompanying public health warnings to isolate, socially distance, and wear masks.

4 Nov 2020

Hospital floors create route of transfer of potentially dangerous organisms to patients

The floors of hospital rooms are quickly and frequently contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria within hours of patient admission, creating a route of transfer of potentially dangerous organisms to patients, according to a study published today as part of the proceedings from Decennial 2020: The Sixth International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections.

30 Oct 2020

Study suggests new strategies to prevent complications in cardiac patients

Patients in cardiac intensive care units (CICUs) could benefit from the CICU health care team using a daily checklist to prevent infections and other common complications.

29 Oct 2020

Mouth may be primary route of SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 shows that the virus also multiplies robustly in the oral cavity, indicating that saliva plays a role in viral transmission.

29 Oct 2020

Staff and families support use of COVID-19 mitigation measures in UK schools

Researchers in the UK have conducted a study showing that families and school staff support the use of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mitigation measures in secondary schools as young people return to face-to-face education.

28 Oct 2020

Delaying urgent health issues can be more harmful than the potential risk of COVID-19

More than half a year into the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, healthcare providers have adapted by offering virtual visits and observing strict safety measures in clinics.

27 Oct 2020

CDC says 'mask up' when traveling

These updates focus on the prevention of the spread of the infection during travel. Since the onset of the pandemic, international and intra-state travel has been restricted across many nations.

20 Oct 2020

Testing, tracing and mask-wearing can prevent COVID-19 resurgences

Researchers in Australia, Denmark, and the United States have conducted a study showing the extent to which community testing, contact tracing, and mask-wearing can lower the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the Australian state of New South Wales.

14 Oct 2020

Probability sampling to slow spread of SARS-CoV-2

Their study titled, “An Innovative Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention to Mitigate SARS-CoV02 Spread: Probability Sampling to Identify and Isolate Asymptomatic Cases,” was released at the pre-publication and pre-peer review site medRxiv*.

14 Oct 2020

COVID-19-positive mothers rarely transmit the virus to their newborns

Mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection rarely transmit the virus to their newborns when basic infection-control practices are followed, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

12 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 can survive for 4 weeks on glass, money and metal

Published in the Virology Journal, the study shows that the virus can stay infectious for more extended periods on surfaces such as phone screens, stainless steel, and banknotes than previously thought.

12 Oct 2020

Clear and unequivocal evidence we should washing our hands during COVID-19

The study shows that Americans are washing their hands much more they did before the coronavirus pandemic. However, the groups who are less likely to remember to wash their hands on multiple occasions were white people, men, and those between the ages of 18 and 24.

9 Oct 2020