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.

Scientists identify existing drugs that may inhibit SARS-CoV-2 virus

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 600,000 deaths in the United States since the start of 2020 and more than 4 million globally.

13 Jul 2021

Three in ten people unable to do frequent handwashing at home during COVID-19

Health experts cited frequent handwashing as a key way to prevent the spread of infection as COVID-19 took hold. But a global report has found that three in ten people were unable to do this in their homes.

13 Jul 2021

Latest ATS/CSL Behring research grant recipient focuses on COVID-19 ARDS study

The ATS Research Program is pleased to announce that William Zhang, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical Center is the recipient of the 2020-2021 ATS/CSL Behring Research Award in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

13 Jul 2021

Reductions in local government funding contribute to declines in life expectancy

A new study from researchers at the University of Liverpool shows that decreasing local government funding over recent years probably contributed to declines in life expectancy in some areas of England, which was stalling even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

13 Jul 2021

Blood test could be a simple and effective method for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection

A blood test that quantifies the protein ACE2, the cellular protein which allows entry of the coronavirus into cells, as well as ACE2 fragments, produced as a result of interaction with the virus, could be a simple and effective method for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a study led by Javier Sáez-Valero, from the UMH-CSIC Neurosciences Institute in Alicante, published in FASEB Journal.

13 Jul 2021

Researchers develop new model to assess infection risks for supermarket customers

A Skoltech team has developed a model for assessing infection risks for supermarket customers. The researchers believe that their model will help formulate scientifically backed rules for safe shopping during the pandemic. The paper was published in PLOS One.

13 Jul 2021

GARDP, CHAI and Shionogi collaborate to accelerate access to antibiotic for bacterial infections

The Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership, the Clinton Health Access Initiative and Shionogi & Co., Ltd today announced a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate access, including in low- and middle-income countries, to the antibiotic cefiderocol for bacterial infections in patients with limited treatment options.

13 Jul 2021

Could aspirin intake reduce mortality risk in COVID-19 patients?

Scientists from the Michigan State University, USA, have conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare mortality rate in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who are aspirin users or non-users. The Findings reveal that the use of aspirin is associated with a significant reduction in overall and in-hospital mortality rates.

13 Jul 2021

Scientists develop mouse-specific SARS-CoV-2 strains that efficiently replicate in standard laboratory mice

A team of scientists in France recently developed a mouse-adapted strain of SARS-CoV-2 that efficiently replicates in the lungs of standard laboratory mice and induces mild to moderate disease. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

13 Jul 2021

Study examines asymptomatic, presymptomatic and symptomatic transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2

A new preprint, available on the medRxiv* server, describes how researchers found at least a third of infected individuals to be asymptomatic, but that a fifth of them successfully passed on the virus to others. In comparison, about a quarter of symptomatic cases did so, especially when the symptoms included fever, cough and shortness of breath. In these circumstances, up to 30% of them transmitted the virus.

13 Jul 2021

Colonization by SARS-CoV-2 not synonymous with infection, screening study highlights

A new study released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server throws cold water on this notion, however, by demonstrating that in a set of asymptomatic cases, less than a tenth actually had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This finding has serious implications for the practices mentioned above, since they may be neither justifiable nor cost-effective as means to break the chain of viral transmission.

13 Jul 2021

California takes a nibble at offering food stamps to undocumented immigrants

One week the food pantry had frozen crabmeat; other weeks, deli meat or plant-based "meat." The week before the Fourth of July, there was no meat at all, and a reminder that the pantry would be closed the next two weeks.

13 Jul 2021

Teen volunteers get a foot in the door for nursing home careers

Jasmine De Moya, 17, has dreamed for years of working in the medical field, and she yearned to spend time with older people, missing her grandparents, who live in the Dominican Republic.

13 Jul 2021

Study reports low risk for COVID-19 in Emergency Medical Service personnel exposed to aerosol-generating procedures

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that emergency medical service personnel exposed to aerosol-generating procedures (AGP) on COVID-19 patients are generally at low risk of infection. The findings, published in CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases, support clinical strategies that maintain established and evidence-based practices for emergency conditions.

13 Jul 2021

Patient characteristics including demographic factors and comorbidities can accurately predict the outcome of COVID-19 infection severity

New machine learning models incorporating COVID-19 infection data show that patient demography is a key predictor of infection outcome.

13 Jul 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Scientists identify existing drugs that may inhibit SARS-CoV-2 virus

Three in ten people unable to do frequent handwashing at home during COVID-19

Latest ATS/CSL Behring research grant recipient focuses on COVID-19 ARDS study

Reductions in local government funding contribute to declines in life expectancy

Blood test could be a simple and effective method for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers develop new model to assess infection risks for supermarket customers

GARDP, CHAI and Shionogi collaborate to accelerate access to antibiotic for bacterial infections

Could aspirin intake reduce mortality risk in COVID-19 patients?

Scientists develop mouse-specific SARS-CoV-2 strains that efficiently replicate in standard laboratory mice

Study examines asymptomatic, presymptomatic and symptomatic transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2

Colonization by SARS-CoV-2 not synonymous with infection, screening study highlights

California takes a nibble at offering food stamps to undocumented immigrants

Teen volunteers get a foot in the door for nursing home careers

Study reports low risk for COVID-19 in Emergency Medical Service personnel exposed to aerosol-generating procedures

Patient characteristics including demographic factors and comorbidities can accurately predict the outcome of COVID-19 infection severity

3D printing a way out of COVID-19

Review details clinical signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection in domestic and wild cats

Real-world evidence SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines work and help prevent worst outcomes

Study: 57.8% of healthcare professionals suffered mental disorders during COVID-19 first wave

Researchers create virtual tool to enable people to share messages of gratitude

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Latest News