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.

Pandemic-stricken cities have empty hospitals, but reopening them is difficult

As city leaders across the country scramble to find space for the expected surge of COVID-19 patients, some are looking at a seemingly obvious choice: former hospital buildings, sitting empty, right downtown.

2 Apr 2020

Medical teams need to be extra vigilant when dealing with diabetics during COVID-19 pandemic

Doctors need to pay particular attention to patients with endocrine disorders and diabetes mellitus in relation to COVID-19 infections, say leading endocrinologists.

2 Apr 2020

Patients with chronic liver disease need specific care during COVID-19

Currently, there are limited data on the impact of pre-existing liver disease and the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with many open questions.

2 Apr 2020

Biogazelle initiates large-scale testing of patient samples for SARS-CoV-2

Biogazelle NV, a CRO specialized in RNA analytics, has announced the initiation of large-scale testing of patient samples for SARS-CoV-2. Biogazelle is providing one of the multiple testing sites in a government-led consortium of pharma, biotech, IT and academia, alongside Janssen Pharmaceutica (J&J), GSK, UCB, UgenTec, MIPS and ThermoFisher.

2 Apr 2020

Study looks at Russian trolls that polarize vaccination efforts

There has always been controversy surrounding vaccines, but in the past, that was usually overridden by fear of the disease itself. The diseases vaccines prevent can be dangerous or even deadly. However, many anti-vaccination groups add to the confusion of people on the benefits of immunization against infectious diseases.

2 Apr 2020

Scientists estimate 2 to 3 percent of Hubei Province’s population has been infected with coronavirus

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has shocked the world. It was first reported in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, in China as a pneumonia-like illness seen in patients who had one thing in common – they visited the Huanan seafood market. Since then, the virus has spread to 180 countries and territories, infecting over 937,000 people worldwide. Now, a new mathematical model developed by scientists at the Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Italy, shows that about 2 to 3 percent of the total population of Hubei Province has been infected.

2 Apr 2020

How (easily) does the novel coronavirus spread?

Viruses are tiny bundles of DNA or RNA which have the ability to infect host cells, hijack the machinery of the host cell and then replicate. Once the host cell’s resources are exhausted, the viral particles are released to infect other cells. In this way, the viruses ensure their survival, often at the expense of the host.

1 Apr 2020

What are coronaviruses and COVID-19?

The current COVID-19 pandemic is caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.

1 Apr 2020

Global nuclear medicine community shares approaches to contain the spread of COVID-19

In an effort to provide safer working environments for nuclear medicine professionals and their patients, clinics across five continents have shared their approaches to containing the spread of COVID-19 in a series of editorials, published ahead of print in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

1 Apr 2020

AGA publishes new COVID-19 recommendations for PPE during gastrointestinal procedures

Today, the American Gastroenterological Association published new COVID-19 recommendations in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA: AGA Institute Rapid Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

1 Apr 2020

Beards and COVID-19 in the healthcare setting

A new opinion piece in The BMJ published in March 2020 discusses whether healthcare professionals should wear beards because of the risk that they could harbor the novel coronavirus.

1 Apr 2020

Putting an end to the pandemic

From the plagues of medieval Europe to the influenza pandemic of 1918, the specter of the next public health disaster has gripped the minds of scientists, captivated the imaginations of writers and vexed conspiracy theorists.

1 Apr 2020

ECMO support in Shanghai provides guidance for managing COVID-19 patients worldwide

The initial experience of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation management for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) patients in Shanghai, China provides guidance for management of critically ill COVID-19 patients worldwide, reports a study in the ASAIO Journal.

1 Apr 2020

What are the challenges facing palliative care during COVID-19?

The current COVID-19 outbreak affecting 180 countries and territories across six continents is taking its toll on healthcare systems globally. In particular, there is growing pressure on and concern for triage and palliative care departments. Now, researchers from the University of Toronto, Université Laval, Québec, and the University of Ottawa have published a new study titled, “Pandemic palliative care: beyond ventilators and saving lives,” in the latest issue of the journal Canadian Medical Association Journal that looks to address the challenges in providing palliative care during a viral pandemic.

1 Apr 2020

California hospitals face surge with proven fixes and some Hail Marys

California's hospitals thought they were ready for the next big disaster.

1 Apr 2020

Duke to lead PCORI-funded study of COVID-19 prevention in healthcare workers

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute has funded up to $50 million to evaluate hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a preventive drug for the novel coronavirus.

1 Apr 2020

Measuring the severity of COVID-19 using a model-based analysis

Researchers have modeled the progression and severity of COVID-19. Their study titled “Estimates of the severity of coronavirus disease 2019: a model-based analysis” was published in the latest issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

1 Apr 2020

PREDICT receives extension to provide emergency support for COVID-19 outbreak response

PREDICT will provide emergency support to other countries for outbreak response including technical support for early detection of SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19, through a six-month extension from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, effective April 1.

1 Apr 2020

Healthy Nevada Project participants report on possible exposure and risks of COVID-19

The Healthy Nevada Project, a first-of-its-kind, community-based population health study combining genetic, clinical, environmental and social data, offers free genetic testing to every Nevadan interested in learning more about their health and genetic profile.

1 Apr 2020

A global, online crowdsourcing challenge launched to accelerate epilepsy research

Novela Neurotech, a medtech company that accelerates neurological discoveries, joins forces with NeuroTechX, an international neurotech community to launch a global, online crowdsourcing challenge with the goal of accelerating epilepsy research.

1 Apr 2020

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Pandemic-stricken cities have empty hospitals, but reopening them is difficult

Medical teams need to be extra vigilant when dealing with diabetics during COVID-19 pandemic

Patients with chronic liver disease need specific care during COVID-19

Biogazelle initiates large-scale testing of patient samples for SARS-CoV-2

Study looks at Russian trolls that polarize vaccination efforts

Scientists estimate 2 to 3 percent of Hubei Province’s population has been infected with coronavirus

How (easily) does the novel coronavirus spread?

What are coronaviruses and COVID-19?

Global nuclear medicine community shares approaches to contain the spread of COVID-19

AGA publishes new COVID-19 recommendations for PPE during gastrointestinal procedures

Beards and COVID-19 in the healthcare setting

Putting an end to the pandemic

ECMO support in Shanghai provides guidance for managing COVID-19 patients worldwide

What are the challenges facing palliative care during COVID-19?

California hospitals face surge with proven fixes and some Hail Marys

Duke to lead PCORI-funded study of COVID-19 prevention in healthcare workers

Measuring the severity of COVID-19 using a model-based analysis

PREDICT receives extension to provide emergency support for COVID-19 outbreak response

Healthy Nevada Project participants report on possible exposure and risks of COVID-19

A global, online crowdsourcing challenge launched to accelerate epilepsy research

Best practices - optimize qPCR processes for pathogen detection eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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