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 highlights mainstream news media’s role in public health communication during the pandemic

A study by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore has found that as the type of COVID-19 misinformation rectified by Singapore's mainstream news media evolved over the course of the pandemic, the role played by the media in debunking those myths became increasingly important to citizens in the nation's fight to manage the outbreak.

12 Jul 2021

Study could guide future treatment of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children

Children and adolescents with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) who are treated initially with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) and glucocorticoids have reduced risk for serious short-term outcomes, including cardiovascular dysfunction, than those who receive an initial treatment of IVIG alone, a new study finds.

12 Jul 2021

Study finds worsening mood and increased anxiety among young adults during the pandemic

As typical social and academic interaction screeched to a halt last year, many young people began experiencing declines in mental health, a problem that appeared to be worse for those whose connections to family and friends weren't as tight, a new study has found.

12 Jul 2021

Millions of COVID-19 cases went undetected in the first six months of the pandemic, finds study

A new report published in the journal Science Translational Medicine estimates that potentially 16.8 million Americans were infected but not officially diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 by July 2020. In addition, the results suggest there were nearly five undetected coronavirus cases for every diagnosed coronavirus infection in the first six months of the pandemic.

12 Jul 2021

The progressive increase in transmissibility and virulence of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants could lead to a significantly more deadly pandemic

Researchers from Toronto University, Canada, recently showed that these emerging VOCs were linked to increased virulence, as determined by hospitalization risk, ICU admission, and mortality. This study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

12 Jul 2021

Review of scientific evidence supports zoonotic origin for SARS-CoV-2 with zero biological evidence for laboratory leak scenario

Recently, an international team of biologists, led by professors from the University of Sydney and the University of Edinburgh, critically reviewed currently available scientific evidence that may throw some light on the origin of the virus that causes COVID-19.

12 Jul 2021

Scientists identify novel entry receptors for SARS-CoV-2

Scientists from the Northeastern University, China, and University of Michigan, USA, have recently identified five potential entry receptors for SARS-CoV-2. These receptors specifically express in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells and have a high binding affinity for the viral spike protein.

12 Jul 2021

mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine CV07050101 demonstrates limited immunogenicity in non-human primates

Scientists from the US and Germany have recently evaluated the efficacy of an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CV07050101, in inducing humoral and cellular immune responses in non-human primates. The study reveals that prime-boost immunization with the vaccine candidate induces only limited immunity against SARS-CoV-2.

12 Jul 2021

Curbing COVID-19 through border controls and restricted entry

In our latest interview, we spoke to Dr. Sheng-Chia Chung about her latest research that investigated curbing COVID-19 transmission through border controls.

12 Jul 2021

Useful strategies can help alleviate mental health problems during the pandemic

In spite of many clinical options, people with mental health problems including eating disorders often do not access professional help within the crucial first 12 months – in part because of lack of information in the community about accessing targeted services.

12 Jul 2021

PSMF survey: Only 45% of patients feel in control of their health

The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm in 2020 and drew attention to healthcare performance, access and resource use.

12 Jul 2021

Composition and structure of nasopharyngeal microbiome relate to COVID-19 disease severity

Breathing treatments are provided to hospitalized COVID-19 patients. In this study, the researchers examined the community composition in relation to three attributes - COVID-19 status, breathing assistance, and antibiotic use. This study is published in the journal, Applied Microbiology.

12 Jul 2021

Novel cold-tolerant bacterium produces a red bio-pigment with germ-killing properties

A team of researchers from Shoolini University, Himachal Pradesh, India have discovered a psychrophilic bacterial strain, called Rhodonellum psychrophilum GL8, at the high altitude Pangong Tso Lake in the Himalayas.

12 Jul 2021

What is behind the inconsistent results of COVID-19 clinical trials?

“Most clinical studies of antiviral drugs for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have failed to observe a statistically significant effect, which may be due to poor designs of clinical trials.”

12 Jul 2021

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine efficacy reduced in patients with CD20-B-cell depleting treatment history

Researchers from Switzerland recently investigated humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to mRNA-based vaccines in patients undergoing treatment with CD20-B-cell depleting agents for autoimmune diseases, transplantation, or malignancy.

12 Jul 2021

Socioeconomic inequities and structural racism are neglected pieces of SARS-CoV-2 transmission networks

A recent perspective article published in the prestigious journal Science highlights how the use of network-driven strategies for adequately informing rapidly emergent epidemic responses is not only evidence-based but also an equitable way forward for the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and future respiratory pandemics.

12 Jul 2021

Accelerating the design of minibinder therapeutics resilient to SARS-CoV-2 mutations

Multivalent protein-based minibinders hold great promise as potential prophylactic and treatment agents, as they can retain their activity against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern. This was revealed in a recent tour-de-force research study currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server while the article undergoes the peer review process.

11 Jul 2021

Pfizer aims to implement boosters and a new vaccine based on SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant

The drugmaker Pfizer, one of the companies behind the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, or BNT162b2, awaits the green light to develop a COVID-19 booster shot that can protect against emerging variants. Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be 95% effective in an ongoing large-scale clinical trial against the original SARS-CoV-2 strain.

11 Jul 2021

Novel monoclonal antibody could pave way for future COVID-19 treatments and vaccines

Researchers in the United States have shown that targeting the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral spike protein could achieve broad neutralization of variants of concern.

11 Jul 2021

SARS-CoV-2 immunity due to prior infection or vaccination is similar, study says

A new study finds that the rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reinfection is low following one episode of the infection.

11 Jul 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Study highlights mainstream news media’s role in public health communication during the pandemic

Study could guide future treatment of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children

Study finds worsening mood and increased anxiety among young adults during the pandemic

Millions of COVID-19 cases went undetected in the first six months of the pandemic, finds study

The progressive increase in transmissibility and virulence of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants could lead to a significantly more deadly pandemic

Review of scientific evidence supports zoonotic origin for SARS-CoV-2 with zero biological evidence for laboratory leak scenario

Scientists identify novel entry receptors for SARS-CoV-2

mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine CV07050101 demonstrates limited immunogenicity in non-human primates

Curbing COVID-19 through border controls and restricted entry

Useful strategies can help alleviate mental health problems during the pandemic

PSMF survey: Only 45% of patients feel in control of their health

Composition and structure of nasopharyngeal microbiome relate to COVID-19 disease severity

Novel cold-tolerant bacterium produces a red bio-pigment with germ-killing properties

What is behind the inconsistent results of COVID-19 clinical trials?

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine efficacy reduced in patients with CD20-B-cell depleting treatment history

Socioeconomic inequities and structural racism are neglected pieces of SARS-CoV-2 transmission networks

Accelerating the design of minibinder therapeutics resilient to SARS-CoV-2 mutations

Pfizer aims to implement boosters and a new vaccine based on SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant

Novel monoclonal antibody could pave way for future COVID-19 treatments and vaccines

SARS-CoV-2 immunity due to prior infection or vaccination is similar, study says

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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