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.

Initial SARS-CoV-2 vaccination response may predict BNT162b2 booster response, but not AZD1222

A new study finds that the antibody titer values prior to the booster dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine can predict the final antibody response after two doses.

11 Jul 2021

Restructuring SNAP is a straightforward way to eliminate food insecurity in the U.S.

Food insecurity is a major problem in the U.S., and it worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides some relief, but millions of Americans still lack adequate access to healthy food. A new study from the University of Illinois proposes a potential solution.

9 Jul 2021

Transgender, nonbinary people faced reduced access to gender-affirming care during the pandemic

A survey offered to transgender and nonbinary people across six continents and in thirteen languages shows that during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many faced reduced access to gender-affirming resources, and this reduction was linked to poorer mental health.

9 Jul 2021

UTIA researchers receive $423,316 grant to study food loss and waste reduction

Research suggests that 40% of food produced in the U.S. is lost or wasted, while approximately one in eight households experiences food insecurity.

9 Jul 2021

UArizona-led center receives $3 million NSF grant to advance at-home health care technology

The last two decades have seen an uptick in people choosing to monitor their health using wearable technologies such as Fitbits and Apple Watches.

9 Jul 2021

Stimulating immune cells to form special structures can potentiate pancreatic cancer chemotherapy

A new study from Queen Mary University of London has demonstrated that immune cells can be stimulated to assemble into special structures within pancreatic cancer such that, at least in a pre-clinical model, researchers can demonstrate an improvement in the efficacy of chemotherapy.

9 Jul 2021

Societies experience a sense of fatigue due to the pandemic

How a pandemic progresses in a country is largely determined by social, political and psychological processes. Predicting these socio-dynamics seems hardly possible until today; thus making it impossible to foresee the course the pandemic takes.

9 Jul 2021

Consumer checklist to support people locate effective treatment for eating disorders

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.

9 Jul 2021

Can saliva metabolomics predict COVID-19 severity?

New research suggests that saliva metabolomics may be able to help prognosticate disease severity in COVID-19 positive individuals.

9 Jul 2021

Antiviral activity of long-chain polyphosphates against SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study has been published in Science Signaling that has examined the potential role that long-chain inorganic polyphosphates (polyPs) play against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

9 Jul 2021

Federal speech rulings may embolden health care workers to call out safety issues

Karen Jo Young wrote a letter to her local newspaper criticizing executives at the hospital where she worked as an activities coordinator, arguing that their actions led to staffing shortages and other patient safety problems.

9 Jul 2021

Researchers model probability of extinction of SARS-CoV-2 variant in an outbreak

However, it cannot be confirmed for certain that the strain has been eliminated, raising the question of how long a strain must go undetected before being considered, in all probability, extinct.

9 Jul 2021

Open talk about negative features of COVID-19 vaccines increases trust

Concerns have been raised about the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines regarding very rare but potentially fatal side effects related to low blood platelet counts and blood clots. Recently, reports also emerged that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine may cause a rare yet serious side effect: heart inflammation.

9 Jul 2021

SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing in oral fluids may be an efficient way forward for research in children

A recent study by researchers from the United Kingdom (UK) and Brazil shows how laboratory assays based on the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in oral fluids can be used as a suitable tool for population-based seroepidemiology studies in children. The paper is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server while it undergoes peer review.

8 Jul 2021

Intranasal COVID-19 vaccine protects animals against lethal COVID-19 infection

In a new study assessing the potential of a single-dose, intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, a team from the University of Iowa and the University of Georgia found that the vaccine fully protects mice against lethal COVID-19 infection.

8 Jul 2021

Kids misusing soft drinks to corrupt SARS-CoV-2 tests

A group of collaborating researchers systematically tested a variety of different soft drinks to determine their ability to create false-positive results.

8 Jul 2021

Researchers uncover genetic markers associated with COVID-19 infection risk and severity

An international collaboration uncovers several genetic markers associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity.

8 Jul 2021

Study investigates long-term sequelae of COVID-19 in hospitalized children

Researchers from ISARIC (International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium) pediatric Long Covid working group in the UK, Sechenov University and Z.A. Bashlyaeva Children's Municipal Clinical Hospital in Russia ran the largest study to date on children hospitalized with COVID-19.

8 Jul 2021

Physical fitness at a young age linked to protection against severe COVID-19

Of the Swedish men in their late teens who performed well in the physical fitness tests for military conscription, a relatively high proportion were able to avoid hospital care when they became infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic up to 50 years later.

8 Jul 2021

Repurposed drugs for COVID-19 treatment identified through virtual screening and cell-based assays

A joint research group from KAIST and Institut Pasteur Korea has identified repurposed drugs for COVID-19 treatment through virtual screening and cell-based assays.

8 Jul 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Initial SARS-CoV-2 vaccination response may predict BNT162b2 booster response, but not AZD1222

Restructuring SNAP is a straightforward way to eliminate food insecurity in the U.S.

Transgender, nonbinary people faced reduced access to gender-affirming care during the pandemic

UTIA researchers receive $423,316 grant to study food loss and waste reduction

UArizona-led center receives $3 million NSF grant to advance at-home health care technology

Stimulating immune cells to form special structures can potentiate pancreatic cancer chemotherapy

Societies experience a sense of fatigue due to the pandemic

Consumer checklist to support people locate effective treatment for eating disorders

Can saliva metabolomics predict COVID-19 severity?

Antiviral activity of long-chain polyphosphates against SARS-CoV-2 infection

Federal speech rulings may embolden health care workers to call out safety issues

Researchers model probability of extinction of SARS-CoV-2 variant in an outbreak

Open talk about negative features of COVID-19 vaccines increases trust

SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing in oral fluids may be an efficient way forward for research in children

Intranasal COVID-19 vaccine protects animals against lethal COVID-19 infection

Kids misusing soft drinks to corrupt SARS-CoV-2 tests

Researchers uncover genetic markers associated with COVID-19 infection risk and severity

Study investigates long-term sequelae of COVID-19 in hospitalized children

Physical fitness at a young age linked to protection against severe COVID-19

Repurposed drugs for COVID-19 treatment identified through virtual screening and cell-based assays

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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