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.

Engineered small extracellular vesicles for the neutralization of SARS-CoV-2

Characterizing these engineered sEVs, the researchers demonstrated that the soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (sACE-2) loaded sEV successfully binds and thus inhibits the entry of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 as well as its variants, protecting against SARS-CoV-2 infection. They also demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of these engineered sEVs in vivo.

9 Jan 2022

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant uses endosomal entry pathway and grows in upper respiratory tract cells

Researchers demonstrate that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant grows rapidly in human primary nasal epithelial cultures.

9 Jan 2022

New Better Health campaign launched to encourage families to eat better

Families will be given support to help to improve the diets of their children through a new campaign as the new statistics reveal the number of parents giving unhealthy snacks to their children has increased during the pandemic.

9 Jan 2022

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 B.1.619 and B.1.620 variants in South Korea

Researchers investigate the spread and transmission ability of SARS-CoV-2 lineages B.1.619 and B.1.620 in South Korea.

9 Jan 2022

SARS‑CoV‑2 Omicron variant escapes monoclonal antibodies

Researchers determine the neutralizing activity of four mAbs against ten strains of SARS-CoV-2.

9 Jan 2022

Lab engineered human A549 lung cell model conducive for investigating SARS-CoV-2 antivirals

Researchers developed a human A549 lung epithelial cell-based model to probe SARS-CoV-2 replication.

9 Jan 2022

Slight pH adjustment may turn a metabolic inhibiting drug into promising COVID-19 treatment

Mechanical engineering and materials science professor David Needham has shown that a slight increase in solution pH might be all it takes to turn a metabolic inhibiting drug, traditionally used to treat gut parasites, into a promising prophylactic/preventative nasal spray and early treatment throat spray for COVID-19.

7 Jan 2022

ED visits for pediatric poisonings increased nine times following cannabis legalization

Ontario saw nine times more emergency department (ED) visits per month for cannabis poisonings in young children under the age of 10 after Canada legalized recreational cannabis, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

7 Jan 2022

Researchers analyze the role of self-deception in everyday life

A philosophy team from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) and the University of Antwerp analyzed the role self-deception plays in everyday life and the strategies people use to deceive themselves.

7 Jan 2022

Vaccinated mothers transfer SARS-CoV-2 antibodies to their breastfed infants

Women vaccinated against COVID-19 transfer SARS-CoV-2 antibodies to their breastfed infants, potentially giving their babies passive immunity against the coronavirus, according to University of Massachusetts Amherst research.

7 Jan 2022

Supreme Court weighs Biden’s workplace vaccine requirements

The Supreme Court on Friday took up one of the most contentious issues of the covid-19 pandemic, hearing a series of cases challenging the Biden administration's authority to require workers to get a covid vaccine or be tested for the virus regularly.

7 Jan 2022

N95 respirators can be safely re-used up to 25 times after VHP decontamination

N95 respirators are commonly used in hospitals worldwide to protect healthcare personnel from infectious pathogens. During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare facilities have experienced shortages of the respirators, forcing personnel to re-use them or resort to less protective masking alternatives.

7 Jan 2022

December 2021 nTIDE report: Job numbers for people with disabilities remain above pre-pandemic levels

Despite a small decline in December, the job numbers for people with disabilities remained above pre-pandemic levels, according to today's National Trends in Disability Employment – Monthly Update (nTIDE), issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD).

7 Jan 2022

Omicron variant found to be much less sensitive to neutralizing antibodies than Delta

The Omicron variant was detected for the first time in South Africa in November 2021 and has since spread to many countries.

7 Jan 2022

Study shows probiotics can reduce symptoms of COVID-19 when taken post-exposure

A new study shows how a daily use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) probiotic may protect against symptom development in instances when it is used as post-exposure prophylaxis within seven days after exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

7 Jan 2022

Exploring neurodevelopmental effects on infants from in-utero exposure to COVID-19

A new study aimed to determine the associations between fetal exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, in-utero, and child neurodevelopmental status.

7 Jan 2022

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children rare after COVID-19 vaccination in adolescents

The current study was based on merged results using the CDD’s surveillance database coupled with the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), along with reports from health departments or physicians to the CDC.

7 Jan 2022

Reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 in children

These findings bear out earlier reports that COVID-19 is less frequent and severe in children than adults.

7 Jan 2022

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant leads to widespread escape from neutralizing antibody responses

A new study reported the neutralization of Omicron by a large panel of sera collected from convalescent early pandemic, Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta infected individuals, as well as among vaccinees receiving three doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca (AZD1222) or the Pfizer BioNtech (BNT16b2) vaccines.

7 Jan 2022

Model suggests feasibility of shorter COVID-19 isolation period with minimal risk

Researchers set up a model that included parameters such as the infectiousness of the individual, and lateral flow testing, in order to assess the effectiveness of test-to-release policies as compared to those with fixed-duration isolation mandates

7 Jan 2022

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Engineered small extracellular vesicles for the neutralization of SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant uses endosomal entry pathway and grows in upper respiratory tract cells

New Better Health campaign launched to encourage families to eat better

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 B.1.619 and B.1.620 variants in South Korea

SARS‑CoV‑2 Omicron variant escapes monoclonal antibodies

Lab engineered human A549 lung cell model conducive for investigating SARS-CoV-2 antivirals

Slight pH adjustment may turn a metabolic inhibiting drug into promising COVID-19 treatment

ED visits for pediatric poisonings increased nine times following cannabis legalization

Researchers analyze the role of self-deception in everyday life

Vaccinated mothers transfer SARS-CoV-2 antibodies to their breastfed infants

Supreme Court weighs Biden’s workplace vaccine requirements

N95 respirators can be safely re-used up to 25 times after VHP decontamination

December 2021 nTIDE report: Job numbers for people with disabilities remain above pre-pandemic levels

Omicron variant found to be much less sensitive to neutralizing antibodies than Delta

Study shows probiotics can reduce symptoms of COVID-19 when taken post-exposure

Exploring neurodevelopmental effects on infants from in-utero exposure to COVID-19

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children rare after COVID-19 vaccination in adolescents

Reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 in children

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant leads to widespread escape from neutralizing antibody responses

Model suggests feasibility of shorter COVID-19 isolation period with minimal risk

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