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.

Saline nasal irrigation after COVID-19 diagnosis reduces hospitalization

Starting twice daily flushing of the mucus-lined nasal cavity with a mild saline solution soon after testing positive for COVID-19 can significantly reduce hospitalization and death, investigators report.

13 Sep 2022

Engagement in bulking and cutting is associated with symptoms of eating disorders

A new study, published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, has found that nearly half of men, and one in five women, transgender and gender non-conforming participants, engaged in a "bulk and cut" cycle in the past 12 months.

13 Sep 2022

First report of a SARS-CoV-2 variant with an ORF7a deletion that dominated an outbreak

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers in Australia determined whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta-ORF7aΔ17del [open reading frame 7a protein with 17-nucleotide (nt) frameshift-inducing deletion] variant has a fitness advantage over the Delta variant lacking the ORF7aΔ17del deletion (Delta-ORF7aintact) and/or the SARS-CoV-2 lineage (A.2.2).

12 Sep 2022

Mucosal vaccination triggers superior T cell response against SARS-CoV-2 variants

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* server, researchers in Singapore and the United States demonstrated that intranasal (I.N.) delivery of a mucosal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination triggered a superior T cell response compared to an equivalent dose of antigen delivered by the subcutaneous (S.C.) route.

12 Sep 2022

Research supports use of FFP2/3 masks for HCWs caring for COVID-19 patients

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers in the United Kingdom assessed the aerobiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in United Kingdom (UK) hospitals and the impact of aerosol-generating procedures (AGP).

12 Sep 2022

Vaccines that induce mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2 are needed

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers in the United Kingdom studied assessed plasma and nasal antibody (Ab) responses induced after a year of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated hospitalization and the potential boost by subsequent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccinations in the United Kingdom (UK).

12 Sep 2022

Update on SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in animals by USDA

The USDA APHIS has recently updated its web-based dashboard to provide information on all SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in animals

12 Sep 2022

Study underscores the economic, mental health impacts of COVID-19 on people hit by climate disasters

When the Children's Environmental Health Initiative (CEHI) launched the Texas Flood Registry in April 2018, the goal was to develop a needs assessment focusing on health and housing impacts of the greater Houston area, which was still recovering less than one year after Hurricane Harvey's devastating landfall.

12 Sep 2022

Caregivers in nursing homes experienced high stress levels during the pandemic, study reveals

Caregivers are particularly important during a public health crisis. Now, researchers from Japan have found that caregivers working in nursing homes experienced high levels of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

12 Sep 2022

COVID-19 drugs persist through wastewater treatment, may negatively affect aquatic organisms

Certain drugs used to treat COVID-19 patients -; including remdesivir, dexamethasone and antibiotics for associated bacterial infections -; persist through wastewater treatment and may occur in waterways at levels high enough to negatively affect aquatic organisms, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.

12 Sep 2022

What is the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among gout patients?

The main outcome of a new study study was to assess the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among gout patients.

12 Sep 2022

Review of COVID-19 in children before and after SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variant emergence

Researchers provided a summary of SARS-CoV-2 infections among children pre- and post-SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants of concern (VOCs) emergence.

12 Sep 2022

Study explores link between prenatal stress during COVID-19 pandemic and negative neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants

Researchers pursued evidence of prenatal stress during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which could have negatively affected infants.

12 Sep 2022

Did the US jump the gun with the new omicron-targeted vaccines?

Last month, the FDA authorized omicron-specific vaccines, accompanied by breathless science-by-press release and a media blitz.

12 Sep 2022

While inflation takes a toll on seniors, billions of dollars in benefits go unused

Millions of older adults are having trouble making ends meet, especially during these inflationary times. Yet many don't realize help is available, and some notable programs that offer financial assistance are underused.

12 Sep 2022

Dissecting vaccinia virus and monkeypox virus-specific T cell responses in humans

In a new study, a team of researchers studied different antigens targeted by vaccinia virus (VACV)- and monkeypox virus (MPXV)-specific T cells.

12 Sep 2022

The ongoing 2022 West Nile virus transmission season in Italy

A recent article described the seasonal transmission of the West Nile virus in 2022 and compared the human cases reported in June-July 2022 with the reports in 2018.

12 Sep 2022

The long-term clinical status of pediatric patients after testing positive for COVID-19

A recent study found that the most common long COVID symptoms in the pediatric population showed a higher prevalence among patients in the age range of 6-17 years and were identical to those reported in adults.

12 Sep 2022

Children become more skeptical of what adults tell them, study says

Children learn on their own through observation and experimentation. They also learn from what other people tell them, especially adults and authority figures like their parents and teachers. When children learn something surprising, they seek out additional information by asking questions or by testing claims. Prior research shows that whether children explore adults' surprising claims varies by age, with children over six years of age more likely to seek out additional information than four- and five-year-olds.

12 Sep 2022

Self-replicating intradermal RNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers assessed the efficiency of a controllable self-replicating ribonucleic acid (c-srRNA) vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

12 Sep 2022

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Saline nasal irrigation after COVID-19 diagnosis reduces hospitalization

Engagement in bulking and cutting is associated with symptoms of eating disorders

First report of a SARS-CoV-2 variant with an ORF7a deletion that dominated an outbreak

Mucosal vaccination triggers superior T cell response against SARS-CoV-2 variants

Research supports use of FFP2/3 masks for HCWs caring for COVID-19 patients

Vaccines that induce mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2 are needed

Update on SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in animals by USDA

Study underscores the economic, mental health impacts of COVID-19 on people hit by climate disasters

Caregivers in nursing homes experienced high stress levels during the pandemic, study reveals

COVID-19 drugs persist through wastewater treatment, may negatively affect aquatic organisms

What is the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among gout patients?

Review of COVID-19 in children before and after SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variant emergence

Study explores link between prenatal stress during COVID-19 pandemic and negative neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants

Did the US jump the gun with the new omicron-targeted vaccines?

While inflation takes a toll on seniors, billions of dollars in benefits go unused

Dissecting vaccinia virus and monkeypox virus-specific T cell responses in humans

The ongoing 2022 West Nile virus transmission season in Italy

The long-term clinical status of pediatric patients after testing positive for COVID-19

Children become more skeptical of what adults tell them, study says

Self-replicating intradermal RNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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