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.

Study uses novel statistical approaches to identify factors that contributed to COVID-19 mortality

Staying home and limiting local travel, supporting access to primary care, and limiting contacts in contagion hubs -; including hospitals, schools, and workplaces -; are strategies that might help reduce COVID-19-related deaths, according to new research. The research team, by statisticians at Penn State, the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Italy, and Université Laval in Quebec, Canada, used novel statistical approaches to compare the first wave of the epidemic across 20 regions in Italy and identify factors that contributed to mortality.

31 Aug 2021

Science advisors gather in an international call for evidence-based policy making

The largest-ever independent gathering of interest groups, thought-leaders, science advisors to governments and global institutions, researchers, academics, communicators and diplomats is taking place in Montreal and online.

31 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 animal origin: What we know so far

Scientists at the University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in the United Kingdom and the South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, China, have shed light on the animal origin of SARS-CoV-2, tracing back to the first outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), the infectious agent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China in 2002 to 2003.

31 Aug 2021

New evidence provides strong support for the halt on prescribing hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19

In 2021, in the United States alone, there have been more than 560,000 prescriptions of hydroxychloroquine for the prevention, post-exposure and treatment of COVID-19.

31 Aug 2021

Research explores the role of cameras in employee fatigue during virtual meetings

More than a year after the pandemic resulted in many employees shifting to remote work, virtual meetings have become a familiar part of daily life. Along with that may come "Zoom fatigue" – a feeling of being drained and lacking energy following a day of virtual meetings.

31 Aug 2021

University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science receives $23.5 million NIH award

The University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science has received a $23.5 million, four-year award from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health.

30 Aug 2021

Researchers identify 55 lingering effects of COVID-19

As COVID-19 hospitalizations once again soar in a fourth surge more than 18 months after the pandemic started, some patients continue to experience symptoms long after recovering from COVID, according to a Houston Methodist study recently published in Nature's Scientific Reports.

30 Aug 2021

Researchers urge neurologists to actively encourage vaccinations for Parkinson's patients

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are at higher risk for vaccine-preventable respiratory illnesses. However, patients with advanced PD may have less access to vaccinations according to a new study published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease.

30 Aug 2021

Influenza vaccination should become a part of standard hospital care after myocardial infarction

Influenza vaccination reduces the risk of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis at 12 months in hospitalized patients with myocardial infarction or high-risk coronary disease, according to late breaking research presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2021.

30 Aug 2021

Prevalence of vaccine breakthrough cases in SF Bay Area

A new study focuse on studying breakthrough infections in a highly vaccinated community owing to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

30 Aug 2021

Researchers study the role of low-density granulocytes in COVID-19

Information on granulocytes helps to understand mechanisms associated with covid-19 and other infectious diseases. Such information also promotes the development of better diagnostic methods and therapies.

30 Aug 2021

Will mRNA vaccine boosters be required for SARS-CoV-2 variants?

A new study shows that the highly effective mRNA Moderna vaccine designed against the original SARS-CoV-2 strain may lose some efficacy as new variants arise.

30 Aug 2021

Can SARS-CoV-2 be transmitted in the food cold chain?

A new study reports that the risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 through such fomites is very low.

30 Aug 2021

Development of extra protective broad-spectrum antimicrobial face shield

In a new study available on the preprint server Preprints*, researchers have innovated a transparent face shield with intrinsic antimicrobial activity.

30 Aug 2021

Concert venues are banking on proof of vaccines or negative tests to woo back fans

Fans of the band Wilco could have reasonably interpreted frontman Jeff Tweedy singing "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" at an Aug. 13 concert at St. Louis Music Park as the universe explaining the past year or so.

30 Aug 2021

Could genetic variants in host cell receptors (ACE2) explain COVID-19 susceptibility among certain ethnic groups?

Led by Ioannis Karakikes of Stanford University, a new study suggests some hospitalized patients with COVID-19 contain ACE2 genetic variants that increase ACE2 expression. Some variants that altered ACE2 protein expression and binding affinity were more prevalent in people with European backgrounds.

30 Aug 2021

Study reveals how SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern modulate receptor and antibody binding

In a trailblazing engineering effort, Canadian and US researchers indicate that the emergence of novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 stems from the mutations of spike glycoprotein that confer either increased affinity for the host cell receptor or increased antibody evasion.

30 Aug 2021

CoronaVac elicits lower antibody response than natural SARS-CoV-2 infection, study suggests

A recent study from Thailand highlights a rather low degree of neutralization-afforded protection mounted by the inactivated whole-virus CoronaVac vaccine compared to natural infection with SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19.

30 Aug 2021

New study maps the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 delta and delta plus variants

The SARS-CoV-2 delta variant bears the D164G mutation, which is known to enhance viral fitness. However, a number of additional mutations are known to be common to the delta and delta plus lineages, at least 25 as identified in a study recently published in the Journal of Autoimmunity, mainly located on the spike protein of the virus.

30 Aug 2021

Researchers conduct an international study of vaccine hesitancy

The health beliefs model is one method of quantifying health behaviors. In a study recently published in the journal Vaccine, this method is utilized to specifically study COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, bearing in mind that hesitancy is highly variable not only between individuals and location but also in regards to the specific medicine in question.

30 Aug 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Study uses novel statistical approaches to identify factors that contributed to COVID-19 mortality

Science advisors gather in an international call for evidence-based policy making

SARS-CoV-2 animal origin: What we know so far

New evidence provides strong support for the halt on prescribing hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19

Research explores the role of cameras in employee fatigue during virtual meetings

University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science receives $23.5 million NIH award

Researchers identify 55 lingering effects of COVID-19

Researchers urge neurologists to actively encourage vaccinations for Parkinson's patients

Influenza vaccination should become a part of standard hospital care after myocardial infarction

Prevalence of vaccine breakthrough cases in SF Bay Area

Researchers study the role of low-density granulocytes in COVID-19

Will mRNA vaccine boosters be required for SARS-CoV-2 variants?

Can SARS-CoV-2 be transmitted in the food cold chain?

Development of extra protective broad-spectrum antimicrobial face shield

Concert venues are banking on proof of vaccines or negative tests to woo back fans

Could genetic variants in host cell receptors (ACE2) explain COVID-19 susceptibility among certain ethnic groups?

Study reveals how SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern modulate receptor and antibody binding

CoronaVac elicits lower antibody response than natural SARS-CoV-2 infection, study suggests

New study maps the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 delta and delta plus variants

Researchers conduct an international study of vaccine hesitancy

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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