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.

New anti-COVID-19 system could potentially fight other viruses

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has sparked many research projects to meet the challenge of the virus and come up with measures to fight its activity. A new study published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe in April 2020 describes a novel system to help scientists understand the virus, including mutations, diagnose infections, and also to develop and evaluate vaccines more quickly.

8 Apr 2020

Scientists in the UK look to measure COVID-19 in the wider community

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is actively spreading throughout the globe, affecting 184 countries and territories. In the United Kingdom, the country has seen the highest daily numbers of recorded coronavirus deaths – 854 on Monday and 786 on Tuesday, prompting scientists to race toward determining how vast the virus is spreading in the UK.

8 Apr 2020

New “pop-up tent” could protect NHS workers when treating COVID-19 patients

A disposable plastic 'pop-up tent' which creates a protective barrier between patients and healthcare professionals could be the latest line of defence for frontline NHS workers thanks to a new product developed by a team from the UK.

8 Apr 2020

Smokers need to quit during coronavirus pandemic

Smoking tobacco may aggravate the effects of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Health experts are urging smokers to quit and cigarette companies to stop producing tobacco products to help alleviate the risks of COVID-19. A new study from China highlights the risk of smoking during the coronavirus pandemic.

7 Apr 2020

Study shows how forest loss puts people at greater risk of infectious diseases

Viruses that jump from animals to people, like the one responsible for COVID-19, will likely become more common as people continue to transform natural habitats into agricultural land, according to a new Stanford study.

7 Apr 2020

Common coronaviruses are sharply seasonal and appear to transmit like influenza

Of the seven coronaviruses known to infect people, four cause common respiratory infections that are sharply seasonal and appear to transmit similarly to influenza, according to a new study by University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers.

7 Apr 2020

Early warning scores could help sickest patients to receive timely care

The research team, based at the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West in collaboration with the West of England Academic Health Science Network, studied the impact of NEWS scores collected for more than 13,000 urgent GP referrals to hospital.

7 Apr 2020

Protecting elderly people in long-term care facilities during COVID-19 pandemic

A new report calls for measures to protect elderly people in long-term care facilities and their caregivers who are particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

7 Apr 2020

Supercomputer Fugaku will be used to help combat COVID-19 pandemic

The supercomputer Fugaku, which is currently being installed in Kobe, Japan under a RIKEN-led project, will be put to use to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, by giving priority to research selected by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

7 Apr 2020

Preclinical trials for two coronavirus vaccine candidates commence

Scientists at CSIRO, Australia’s national science body, and the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) in Geelong, Victoria, have commenced preclinical trials for two novel coronavirus vaccine candidates.

7 Apr 2020

New Fleischner Society statement on chest imaging and management of COVID-19 published

A multinational consensus statement from the Fleischner Society on the role of chest imaging in the management of patients with COVID-19 was jointly published today in the journals Radiology and Chest.

7 Apr 2020

Research findings could aid in the recognition and management of COVID-19 pneumonia

Researchers have identified the most common clinical characteristics of 109 patients with COVID-19 related pneumonia who died in Wuhan, China in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

7 Apr 2020

Australian plant that produces antibodies may help in coronavirus vaccine production

As the world reels from the rising number of cases of COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, an Australian scientist, Prof. Peter Waterhouse from Laboratory of Molecular Genetics (LMG) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), is working with a native plant from Australia that shows potential in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.

7 Apr 2020

Bill and Melinda Gates fund potential vaccine against COVID-19

In a race against time, teams of scientists across the world are working towards developing an effective and safe vaccine to prevent infection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 disease.

7 Apr 2020

Lessons from Italy's COVID-19 pandemic underscore the need for more research

A new viewpoint article published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine dissects different factors that contributed to the dire COVID-19 situation in Italy, emphasizing several aspects relevant to the international healthcare community.

7 Apr 2020

What we know about COVID-19 in children

A new viewpoint article published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics in April 2020 discusses the manifestation and management of the novel coronavirus disease devastating several countries.

7 Apr 2020

Study identifies six self-care strategies to combat clinician burnout

Staffing and equipment shortages and other issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic add to the long-standing challenges to reduce burnout among nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals.

7 Apr 2020

To curb coronavirus, What’s behind the wearing of a mask?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday recommended wearing cloth face masks when going out, especially to places like grocery stores and pharmacies.

7 Apr 2020

Inside meals on wheels’ struggle to keep older Americans fed during a pandemic

In the best of times, Meals on Wheels faces the herculean task of delivering 200 million meals annually to 2.4 million hungry and isolated older Americans.

7 Apr 2020

Nursing homes have thousands of ventilators that hospitals desperately need

As the number of COVID-19 patients climbs and health officials hunt for ventilators to treat them, nursing homes across the United States have a cache - about 8,200 of the lifesaving machines, according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

7 Apr 2020