Pandemic News and Research

RSS

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.

South African study confirms SARS-CoV-2 Omicron less severe than Delta even for unvaccinated

Researchers compare the outcomes of the fourth and previous waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.

17 Jan 2022

Study shows how sex disparities in COVID-19 mortality varied over time in New York

Researchers analyze the variation in COVID-19 mortality by sex across six different periods during the pandemic in New York.

17 Jan 2022

Meta-analysis confirms complete failure of hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment

Researchers investigate the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in the treatment of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

17 Jan 2022

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 prompts NLRP3 inflammasome activation through spike-ACE2 receptor interaction

New research assesses the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation in response to SARS-CoV-2 and its spike protein, and the effects of this exposure in the presence of a-synuclein protein aggregate fibrils.

17 Jan 2022

Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater samples

In a new study, a team of researchers introduced a novel method to estimate the proportion of different SARS-CoV-2 strains in wastewater samples.

17 Jan 2022

Review explores patients' and physicians' experiences with remote consultations in primary care

According to the Royal College of General Practitioners, at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ways in which patients accessed their GP reversed from around 70% face-to-face and 30% by phone, video or online pre-pandemic to around 30% face-to-face and 70% remote.

17 Jan 2022

Efficacy and safety of mRNA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in immuno-compromised subjects

A team of researchers assessed the immune response after administering a SARS-COV-2 vaccine in immuno-compromised subjects who are potentially at an increased risk to experience severe COVID-19 and inadequate response to SARS-CoV2 vaccination.

17 Jan 2022

Mental health of intensive care unit staff adversely impacted during COVID-19 pandemic

In a new study, a team of researchers surveyed the prevalence of mental health disorders in intensive care unit workers from England during the COVID-19 pandemic.

17 Jan 2022

Study finds evidence to strongly implicate OAS1 as an effector gene influencing COVID-19 severity

Researchers demonstrated that this splice variant is likely to be the single nucleotide polymorphism responsible for the association at this locus.

17 Jan 2022

Seroepidemiologic surveys for assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan

In a new study, a team of researchers demonstrated that Japan had witnessed a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta variant-induced endemic between August and December 2021.

17 Jan 2022

Framework for understanding cross-country spread of COVID-19 in the context of the globally interconnected economy

A study published in Scientific Reports uses a three-dimensional conceptual model to examine COVID-19's global spatiotemporal dissemination.

17 Jan 2022

Better global health equality could prevent emergence of future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

In a new study, researchers used a simple phenomenological model to investigate the role of immunocompromised hosts in SARS-CoV-2 antigenic development.

17 Jan 2022

Study demonstrates that intra-host SARS-CoV-2 variants with reduced infectivity are developed during infection

A new paper discusses the appearance of quasi-species in a single host with prolonged infection, with different rates of infectivity and sensitivity to neutralization by antibodies elicited by the Pfizer vaccine or those present in convalescent plasma.

17 Jan 2022

Study reveals aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via floor drains

A new study investigated COVID-19 cases in an apartment complex in South Korea and explored the possibility of aerosol transmission without direct contact between infected individuals with the help of molecular phylogenetic analysis and epidemiological surveillance.

17 Jan 2022

Nine-month survey of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in North Carolina

A new paper reports increased breakthrough infections with SARS-CoV-2, the agent behind the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

17 Jan 2022

Study investigates whether immune responses to BNT162b2 vaccine differ in subjects with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new paper published in the journal JCI Insight reports on the differential levels of immunity achieved in those with and without a history of prior infection with the virus following one and two doses of the earliest vaccines to be approved for emergency use.

17 Jan 2022

Study identifies cellular receptors for alphaviruses shared across mosquitoes, humans, and animals

A new study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School has identified a set of cellular receptors for at least three related alphaviruses shared across mosquitoes, humans, and animals that host the virus.

17 Jan 2022

Study analyzes the impact of global trust in government due to the COVID-19 pandemic

In a week when the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted to breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules, a new study has found that impartial, transparent and truthful government communications are fundamental for achieving and maintaining government trust during public health emergencies.

17 Jan 2022

Protein biomarkers in urine could be used to diagnose concussion and monitor recovery

Concussion can be frustratingly hard to diagnose and track. The injury doesn't show up on routine brain scans, and there is no definitive diagnostic test. It's usually diagnosed based on symptoms, and, in athletes, comparison with baseline testing if it was done. But concussion symptoms are non-specific, unreliable, and easily influenced by emotions.

17 Jan 2022

Monitoring rodents for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, Hong Kong

A new study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal has hypothesized that locations with positive SARS-CoV-2 in sewage could be used as potential surveillance targets to analyze if pestiferous urban rodents shed SARS-CoV-2 into the environment.

16 Jan 2022

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

South African study confirms SARS-CoV-2 Omicron less severe than Delta even for unvaccinated

Study shows how sex disparities in COVID-19 mortality varied over time in New York

Meta-analysis confirms complete failure of hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 prompts NLRP3 inflammasome activation through spike-ACE2 receptor interaction

Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater samples

Review explores patients' and physicians' experiences with remote consultations in primary care

Efficacy and safety of mRNA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in immuno-compromised subjects

Mental health of intensive care unit staff adversely impacted during COVID-19 pandemic

Study finds evidence to strongly implicate OAS1 as an effector gene influencing COVID-19 severity

Seroepidemiologic surveys for assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan

Framework for understanding cross-country spread of COVID-19 in the context of the globally interconnected economy

Better global health equality could prevent emergence of future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Study demonstrates that intra-host SARS-CoV-2 variants with reduced infectivity are developed during infection

Study reveals aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via floor drains

Nine-month survey of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in North Carolina

Study investigates whether immune responses to BNT162b2 vaccine differ in subjects with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection

Study identifies cellular receptors for alphaviruses shared across mosquitoes, humans, and animals

Study analyzes the impact of global trust in government due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Protein biomarkers in urine could be used to diagnose concussion and monitor recovery

Monitoring rodents for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, Hong Kong

Achieving and maintaining ISO 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

Latest News