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.

Study: 31% of Americans had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 by the end of 2020

A new study published in the journal Nature estimates that 103 million Americans, or 31 percent of the U.S. population, had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 by the end of 2020.

27 Aug 2021

Pediatric cancer patients fare worse with COVID-19 than children without cancer

Research from a large international effort shows that 20% of children with cancer who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 develop severe infections.

27 Aug 2021

COVID-19 pandemic illuminates the importance of airborne transmission of respiratory viruses

SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind today's global coronavirus pandemic, spreads primarily by inhalation of virus-laden aerosols at both short and long ranges -;and a comprehensive new assessment of respiratory viruses finds that many others probably do as well.

27 Aug 2021

Improved understanding of aerosol transmission could help control airborne respiratory viruses

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed critical knowledge gaps and assumptions concerning how respiratory viruses spread between hosts.

27 Aug 2021

Advancing quality improvement initiatives to address the root causes of health inequity

According to the Lancet Global Health Commission on High Quality Health Systems, poor-quality healthcare contributes to more deaths globally than lack of access to care.

26 Aug 2021

NIH HEAL Initiative leverages the strengths of communities to address opioid public health crisis

An article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association highlights the results of numerous strategies through which the National Institutes of Health's Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative, is finding scientific solutions to address the nation's opioid crisis.

26 Aug 2021

Preliminary study suggests nitric oxide may be a potential treatment for COVID-19 respiratory failure

New research led by Devang K. Sanghavi of the Mayo Clinic in Florida, USA, suggests pre-intubation use of nitric oxide for patients with COVID-19–related hypoxemic respiratory may help reduce patients' mortality. Their findings show that inhaling nitric oxide in this patient population could reduce the need for future intubation and other invasive mechanical ventilation.

26 Aug 2021

Oral mucosa identified as potential target for SARS-CoV-2 infection

A recent study suggested that ACE2 receptors are expressed in oral tissues, making the oral cavity an important potential entry point of SARS-CoV-2.

26 Aug 2021

Apple, Bose and others pump up the volume on hearing aid options, filling void left by FDA

Spurred by decades of complaints about the high cost of hearing aids, Congress passed a law in 2017 to allow over-the-counter sales, with hopes it would boost competition and lower prices.

26 Aug 2021

New Montana law sows confusion, defiance over school quarantines

As classes get underway this week and next, Montana school and county health officials are grappling with how a new state law that bans vaccine discrimination should apply to quarantine orders for students and staffers exposed to covid-19.

26 Aug 2021

Potential variant of interest in South Africa assigned to the PANGO lineage C.1.2

Continual genomic surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 strains in South Africa has revealed an increase in the number of sequences belonging to C.1 lineage during the third wave (May 2021) of SARS-CoV-2 infections. This observation was unexpected because C.1 was last reported in January 2021.

26 Aug 2021

Scientists assess SARS-CoV-2 mutants in ferret hosts

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv* by the cause of SARS-CoV-2 mutations observed in mink and ferrets is investigated, and the danger posed by such mutations to humans assessed.

26 Aug 2021

Large UK study examines impact of Delta variant on viral burden and vaccine effectiveness

Now, a new study published on the medRxiv* preprint server focused on determining the effectiveness of the BNT162b2, ChAdOx1, and mRNA-1273 vaccines by conducting SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive tests.

26 Aug 2021

Johns Hopkins experts share tips to protect kids heading back to school

Children across the nation are heading back to school, a time of year that can bring a variety of emotions from excitement to anxiety.

26 Aug 2021

Study examines impact of COVID pandemic on birth outcomes in Wales

Researchers in the UK have looked at the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic on the population birth outcomes in 2020, detailing the experiences of the expectant mothers from immunization rates for babies to self-reported levels of stress and anxiety in the mothers, compared to pre-COVID years.

25 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant increased COVID-19 severity in Scotland's 3rd wave

A team of UK-based scientists has recently revealed that the alpha variant (B.1.1.7) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the third pandemic wave in Scotland and that the variant is associated with more severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

25 Aug 2021

Child mortality in England dropped significantly during COVID-19 pandemic

In a study conducted at Cardiff University and the University of Bristol, UK, scientists have observed that in England, the all-cause child mortality rate has dropped significantly during the first year of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic compared to that in the pre-pandemic year. The highest reduction in mortality rate has been observed in children under the age of 10 years. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

25 Aug 2021

Study shows school closures can be minimized by regular testing and vaccination against COVID-19

A new study discusses a novel model to determine age-specific differences in susceptibility of infection, contact patterns, and contagiousness to COVID-19.

25 Aug 2021

The woman behind the development of mRNA-based vaccines against coronavirus

With her research, biochemist Katalin Karikó laid the foundation for the development of RNA vaccines against the coronavirus. Now she is being honoured for this by the Würzburg Societas Physico-Medica.

25 Aug 2021

Prevalence of suicidal thinking did not increase among veterans during the pandemic

Many public health experts feared the COVID-19 pandemic would cause an increase in suicidal behavior among U.S. military veterans, a group that already has high rates of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder and which experienced a 30% surge in suicides between 2010 and 2018.

25 Aug 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Study: 31% of Americans had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 by the end of 2020

Pediatric cancer patients fare worse with COVID-19 than children without cancer

COVID-19 pandemic illuminates the importance of airborne transmission of respiratory viruses

Improved understanding of aerosol transmission could help control airborne respiratory viruses

Advancing quality improvement initiatives to address the root causes of health inequity

NIH HEAL Initiative leverages the strengths of communities to address opioid public health crisis

Preliminary study suggests nitric oxide may be a potential treatment for COVID-19 respiratory failure

Oral mucosa identified as potential target for SARS-CoV-2 infection

Apple, Bose and others pump up the volume on hearing aid options, filling void left by FDA

New Montana law sows confusion, defiance over school quarantines

Potential variant of interest in South Africa assigned to the PANGO lineage C.1.2

Scientists assess SARS-CoV-2 mutants in ferret hosts

Large UK study examines impact of Delta variant on viral burden and vaccine effectiveness

Johns Hopkins experts share tips to protect kids heading back to school

Study examines impact of COVID pandemic on birth outcomes in Wales

SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant increased COVID-19 severity in Scotland's 3rd wave

Child mortality in England dropped significantly during COVID-19 pandemic

Study shows school closures can be minimized by regular testing and vaccination against COVID-19

The woman behind the development of mRNA-based vaccines against coronavirus

Prevalence of suicidal thinking did not increase among veterans during the pandemic

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

Latest News