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.

Over one-quarter of families with autistic adults who use Developmental Disability services face complications

In the latest National Autism Indicators Report, researchers from Drexel University's A.J. Drexel Autism Institute examined surveys of family members of autistic adults who use Developmental Disability services, and found needs for additional supports like respite care and assistance to plan for crisis and emergencies, especially among families whose adult lived with them.

26 May 2021

Study attempts to standardize humoral immune Correlates of Protection (CoP) in COVID-19

A new study aims to identify antibody-based biomarkers associated with the humoral immune response that could be a standard CoP candidate for COVID-19. Further, standardization of research methods to measure these biomarkers has also been conducted.

25 May 2021

Modeling the risk of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks upon lifting non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv* by Sachak-Patwa et al. (May 22nd, 2021), mathematical models are developed to assess the probability and impact of such localized outbreaks, accounting for changing general immunity levels in the population as vaccines are distributed.

25 May 2021

Person infected with SARS-CoV-2 can transmit infection to three to five other people

What started as the preliminary analysis of routine laboratory data has since evolved into the largest-ever study of viral load levels in patients with SARS-CoV-2.

25 May 2021

Men with low testosterone levels are more susceptible to severe COVID-19

Throughout the pandemic, doctors have seen evidence that men with COVID-19 fare worse, on average, than women with the infection.

25 May 2021

Human T cells can target more than 1,400 sites on SARS-CoV-2 virus

In a new paper, scientists from La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) bring together research findings from COVID-19 researchers around the world.

25 May 2021

New study may pave way for novel therapeutic strategies for COVID-19

An international and multidisciplinary team led by researchers at the University of Oxford, University of Glasgow, and University of Heidelberg, has uncovered the interactions that SARS-CoV-2 RNA establishes with the host cell, many of which are fundamental for infection.

25 May 2021

Repurposed gout medication (probenecid) shows potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication

New research by a team of scientists in the USA describes the potential utility of a drug called probenecid, commonly used to treat gout, to treat this devastating viral illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the causative virus of COVID-19.

25 May 2021

Next-generation SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine candidate elicits powerful immunity in preclinical trials

New research – by scientists at the University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the University of Iowa in the USA – describes a novel COVID-19 vaccine candidate that has achieved impressive immunologic results in mouse studies.

25 May 2021

New testing protocol for SARS-CoV-2 can process thousands of samples within 48 hours

Researchers at the Vienna BioCenter designed a testing protocol for SARS-CoV-2 that can process tens of thousands of samples in less than 48 hours. The method, called SARSeq, is published in the journal Nature Communications and could be adapted to many more pathogens.

25 May 2021

Could 6′,6′-difluoro-aristeromycin (DFA) have broad-spectrum antiviral potential against coronaviruses?

Researchers at the Leiden University Medical Center demonstrated that low-micromolar concentrations of 6′,6′-difluoro24 aristeromycin (DFA), an adenosine nucleoside analog, strongly inhibits the replication of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in a cell-based infection assay.

25 May 2021

Corporations encourage employee vaccination but stop short of mandates

Many of the companies with the largest number of employees say they'll do almost anything to encourage their employees to get vaccinated.

25 May 2021

Pandemic leads doctors to rethink unnecessary treatment

Covid-19 is opening the door for researchers to address a problem that has vexed the medical community for decades: the overtreatment and unnecessary treatment of patients.

25 May 2021

Colorado lawmakers wage multifront assault on high drug costs

Tired of waiting for federal action to reduce prescription drug costs, Colorado is acting on its own — even if it must do so with one arm tied behind its back.

25 May 2021

Heterologous prime-boost immunization with AstraZeneca and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines safe and well-tolerated, study finds

A team of scientists from Germany has recently evaluated the reactogenicity profile of heterologous ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/BNT162b2 prime-boost vaccination among healthcare workers. The findings reveal that a 12-week interval regimen of heterologous vaccination is well-tolerated among participants. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

25 May 2021

Researchers explore strategies that could help the homeless during pandemics

A team of UBC Okanagan researchers is looking at strategies that could help the homeless during a pandemic.

25 May 2021

UIC leads multi-center collaborative to help communities affected by COVID-19

The University of Illinois Chicago has been selected by the National Institutes of Health as the principal site of a multi-center collaborative in the Chicago area that will bolster research and outreach to help communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

25 May 2021

Extra funding should be made available for nursery provision, say researchers

Extra funding should be made available for early years care in the wake of the pandemic, researchers say.

25 May 2021

DEFINE: Trial designed to test repurposed treatments in patients with COVID-19

A team of scientists from the United Kingdom has designed an experimental medicine trial to evaluate the safety/tolerability, and efficacy profiles of a panel of candidate repurposed therapies in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. A detailed outline of the trial is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

25 May 2021

Research looks at viral presence around hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Researchers in Canada aimed to determine the burden of SARS-CoV-2 in the air and on surfaces in the rooms of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

25 May 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Over one-quarter of families with autistic adults who use Developmental Disability services face complications

Study attempts to standardize humoral immune Correlates of Protection (CoP) in COVID-19

Modeling the risk of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks upon lifting non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)

Person infected with SARS-CoV-2 can transmit infection to three to five other people

Men with low testosterone levels are more susceptible to severe COVID-19

Human T cells can target more than 1,400 sites on SARS-CoV-2 virus

New study may pave way for novel therapeutic strategies for COVID-19

Repurposed gout medication (probenecid) shows potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication

Next-generation SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine candidate elicits powerful immunity in preclinical trials

New testing protocol for SARS-CoV-2 can process thousands of samples within 48 hours

Could 6′,6′-difluoro-aristeromycin (DFA) have broad-spectrum antiviral potential against coronaviruses?

Corporations encourage employee vaccination but stop short of mandates

Pandemic leads doctors to rethink unnecessary treatment

Colorado lawmakers wage multifront assault on high drug costs

Heterologous prime-boost immunization with AstraZeneca and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines safe and well-tolerated, study finds

Researchers explore strategies that could help the homeless during pandemics

UIC leads multi-center collaborative to help communities affected by COVID-19

Extra funding should be made available for nursery provision, say researchers

DEFINE: Trial designed to test repurposed treatments in patients with COVID-19

Research looks at viral presence around hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 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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