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HU laboratories develop novel treatment methods and technology to fight against COVID-19

A couple of days before October, the world hit another bleak milestone as the number of deaths due to COVID-19 reached one million.

23 Oct 2020

Navy researchers evaluate commercial UV sources for viral disinfection to combat COVID-19

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory researchers evaluated commercial ultraviolet (UV) sources for viral disinfection to combat COVID-19 on land and at sea, and established a dedicated UV characterization lab in five days to ensure safe introduction and effective operation of UV sources across the Fleet.

22 Oct 2020

New project to use plasma jets to decontaminate vital medical equipment exposed to Covid-19 virus

A NEW project developed by Lancaster University's Health Innovation Campus and Material Science Institute will see pioneering technology used to decontaminate vital medical equipment exposed to the Covid-19 virus, via a partnership with University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

19 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 survives on human skin for 9 hours

Japanese researchers have now studied the survival possibilities of the flu virus and the SARS-CoV-2 on human skin. Their study titled, "Survival of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus on the human skin: Importance of hand hygiene in COVID-19," was published in the latest issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

8 Oct 2020

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral persistence in built environments

In a recent paper in an open-access journal, mSystems, published by The American Society for Microbiology, Ceth W. Parker et al. show challenges in recovering the virus, change in infectivity, and the case of viral persistence in built environments.

8 Oct 2020

Study shows effective light-induced inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 with conjugated oligomers and polymers

A new pilot study by US researchers demonstrates an alternative approach to long-lasting disinfection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by using cationic phenylene ethynylene polymers and oligomers (i.e., conjugated electrolytes). The paper is currently available on medRxiv* preprint server.

7 Oct 2020

Danish vs. Swedish data shows social interaction major risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in September 2020 compares the prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Danish and Swedish healthcare workers, to conclude that “social interaction is one of the biggest risk factors for getting infected with SARS-CoV-2.”

30 Sep 2020

Cold plasma inactivates SARS-CoV-2

In one such effort, Zhitong Chen et al., in a recent medRxiv* preprint paper find that by employing an efficient cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) with argon feed gas on different surfaces inactivates the infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus.

24 Sep 2020

UV-C irradiation rapidly inactivates SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces

Researchers at University Hospital Tübingen, Germany, have shown that ultraviolet C (UV-C) irradiation effectively inactivates surface-dried preparations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

23 Sep 2020

Study shows effectiveness of UV-C light for killing COVID-19 on N95 respirators

Dermatology researchers at Henry Ford Health System, in collaboration with a team at the University of Michigan, have demonstrated that certain N95 respirators tainted with COVID-19 can be effectively and safely decontaminated for reuse using ultraviolet-C light (UV-C), a method commonly utilized for treating rare skin diseases.

22 Sep 2020

Safer UVC light effectively kills SARS-CoV-2

A study conducted by Hiroshima University researchers found that using Ultraviolet C light with a wavelength of 222 nanometers which is safer to use around humans effectively kills SARS-CoV-2 -- the first research in the world to prove its efficacy against the virus that causes COVID-19.

17 Sep 2020

Bedrails, door handles and ECG monitors hotspots for SARS-CoV-2 in hospital wards

A new study published in the journal Science of The Total Environment in September 2020 reports that the virus can be detected rapidly using already available technology, which will help to monitor viral spread within healthcare facilities more closely and enable better control of the pandemic.

10 Sep 2020

UVA radiation may contribute to inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by sunlight

An international team of researchers has made important discoveries about the sunlight inactivation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that suggest this process is not currently adequately understood.

9 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 does not pose a food safety risk, health agency says

Now, a new report by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) highlights the link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and food safety. ICMSF is a global non-government organization that aims to provide information on food safety and human health.

8 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 is more resistant on surfaces in spring and autumn than in summer

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint paper, researchers from Kansas State University demonstrate astonishing persistence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on various types of surfaces – especially under spring/fall climate conditions.

1 Sep 2020

Silicon nitride shows potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralization capability

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 shows that the man-made compound silicon nitride, which is used in medical implants and high mechanical performance engineering applications, is capable of inactivating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at varying concentrations without causing cell cytotoxicity. This finding should be investigated to develop disinfectants to clear the virus from surfaces, preventing its spread.

1 Sep 2020

Poultry farmers play active role in the dissemination of avian influenza

Small-scale poultry farmers in Vietnam tend to respond to viral outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) by rapidly selling their birds as a way to avoid financial loss, according to a new study by an international team of researchers.

28 Aug 2020

Environmental surface testing at radiation oncology clinic showed no detectable SARS-CoV2

A Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey study shows environmental surface testing at the center's Radiation Oncology Department located within Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state showed no detectable SARS-CoV2 – the virus that causes COVID-19

28 Aug 2020

WHO urges the public to avoid routine dental work amid the coronavirus pandemic

With the cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) skyrocketing globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) is now warning the public to avoid routine dental procedures to reduce the risk of infection.

14 Aug 2020

Can SARS-CoV-2 be transmitted via feces?

A new study by researchers at the University of Oxford and the Trip Medical Database and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 as part of the ongoing Open Evidence Review on Transmission Dynamics of COVID-19 reports the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in feces and the need for precautions to prevent orofecal spread in the surroundings of confirmed or suspected cases.

12 Aug 2020