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.

New analysis of U.S. COVID-19 deaths reveals bigger drop in average life expectancy, disparities

An updated analysis of American COVID-19 deaths throughout 2020 reveals an even bigger drop in average life expectancy as well as still-substantial disparities by race and ethnicity.

25 Jun 2021

Overcrowding and multigenerational housing arrangements increase SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk

Researchers at the Weill Cornell Medical College aimed to determine the role of overcrowded households as a risk factor for COVID-19. The study's objective, which appeared in the medRxiv* pre-print server, was to examine the link between overcrowded and multigenerational households and COVID-19 in New York City.

25 Jun 2021

Researchers decode humans’ survival from historical coronavirus outbreaks

An international team of researchers co-led by the University of Adelaide and the University of Arizona has analyzed the genomes of more than 2,500 modern humans from 26 worldwide populations, to better understand how humans have adapted to historical coronavirus outbreaks.

25 Jun 2021

Study shows how SARS-CoV-2 virus enters cells to cause infection

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists identified how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, gets inside cells to cause infection.

24 Jun 2021

Scientists identify new virulence mechanism for a surface protein on pneumonia-causing bacteria

A bout with flu virus can be hard, but when Streptococcus pneumonia enters the mix, it can turn deadly.

24 Jun 2021

Researchers develop a low-cost automated rapid test for detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

During the continued progression of the Corona pandemic, rapid, inexpensive, and reliable tests will become increasingly important to determine whether people have the associated antibodies - either through infection or vaccination.

24 Jun 2021

Adolescent marijuana and alcohol use did not significantly change during the pandemic

Adolescent marijuana use and binge drinking did not significantly change during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite record decreases in the substances' perceived availability, according to a survey of 12th graders in the United States.

24 Jun 2021

Pronation maneuvers for critically ill COVID-19 patients - multidisciplinary management reduce complications

A recent study aimed to determine the efficacy of pronation maneuvers by the ICU physiotherapy team when used on critically ill COVID-19 patients.

24 Jun 2021

Mask-wearing reduces COVID-19 transmission significantly, study finds

Researchers from the University of Bristol found that an entire population that wears masks in public leads to a reduction in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by almost 26%.

24 Jun 2021

Care home staff burdened by increased workload caused by COVID-19 pandemic

A recent group of researchers aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the working practices of care home staff, particularly those caring for people with dementia.

24 Jun 2021

Scientists predict driver mutations of future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

A team of scientists from the USA has recently predicted the driver mutations that may appear in future variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The prediction is based on currently available genetic surveillance data on amino acid mutations present in SARS-CoV-2 variants. A detailed description of the study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

24 Jun 2021

Is COVID-19 more severe in pregnancy?

A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, indicates that pregnant women are more likely to develop severe disease following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

24 Jun 2021

WHO, COVAX partners work with South African consortium to build COVID-19 vaccine technology transfer hub

The World Health Organization and its COVAX partners are working with a South African consortium comprising Biovac, Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, a network of universities and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish its first COVID mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub.

24 Jun 2021

Could polio vaccines induce cross-reactive antibodies that target SARS-CoV-2?

A new preprint released on the medRxiv* server explores a link between immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the earlier SARS-CoV, and childhood poliovirus vaccination. Almost 90% of the world’s people have received this vaccine, but antibodies elicited by it reduce over time and are almost absent at the end of adolescence.

24 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 causes ER-stress-activated unfolded protein response leading to cell death

A new study describes the varying ways in which the virus co-opts the machinery of the host cell following infection to evade or modulate the host immune response, alter the pattern of translation of viral proteins, and the release of new viral particles.

24 Jun 2021

New tablet-sized device can profile multiple COVID-19 antibodies and biomarkers simultaneously

Biomedical engineers at Duke University in the USA have developed a device that detects coronavirus disease (COVID-19) antibodies as well as biomarkers that distinguish between antibodies produced in response to SARS-CoV-2 and four other coronaviruses with complete accuracy.

24 Jun 2021

New study suggests an earlier and faster spread of COVID-19 than initially thought

Researchers from Kent University in the UK have shown that the first coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient likely dates back to October 2019. They also found that the spread to other continents of its causative pathogen – the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – occurred faster and sooner.

24 Jun 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

New analysis of U.S. COVID-19 deaths reveals bigger drop in average life expectancy, disparities

Overcrowding and multigenerational housing arrangements increase SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk

Researchers decode humans’ survival from historical coronavirus outbreaks

Study shows how SARS-CoV-2 virus enters cells to cause infection

Scientists identify new virulence mechanism for a surface protein on pneumonia-causing bacteria

Researchers develop a low-cost automated rapid test for detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

Adolescent marijuana and alcohol use did not significantly change during the pandemic

Pronation maneuvers for critically ill COVID-19 patients - multidisciplinary management reduce complications

Mask-wearing reduces COVID-19 transmission significantly, study finds

Care home staff burdened by increased workload caused by COVID-19 pandemic

Scientists predict driver mutations of future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Is COVID-19 more severe in pregnancy?

WHO, COVAX partners work with South African consortium to build COVID-19 vaccine technology transfer hub

Could polio vaccines induce cross-reactive antibodies that target SARS-CoV-2?

SARS-CoV-2 causes ER-stress-activated unfolded protein response leading to cell death

New tablet-sized device can profile multiple COVID-19 antibodies and biomarkers simultaneously

New study suggests an earlier and faster spread of COVID-19 than initially thought

Calming computer jitters: Help for seniors who aren’t tech-savvy

Black and Hispanic Americans suffer most in biggest US decline in life expectancy since WWII

Biden quietly transforms Medicaid safety net

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

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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