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.

Little evidence for mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-associated thrombocytopenia, suggests new FDA study

Even as a host of vaccines have been rolled out to counter the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, some serious adverse effects have been reported, in the form of thrombocytopenia. A new study in the journal Vaccine reports the results of an evaluation of reported cases of this condition, using data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

24 May 2021

Are COVID-19 medications safe in pregnancy?

Most medications being tested today in clinical trials for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been repurposed from other indications. These are typically not tested in pregnant women. A new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, summarizes what is known about the safety of these drugs in this group.

24 May 2021

Novel natural compounds may help treat COVID-19, study suggests

A new study in the journal Chemistry Europe reports two natural compounds identified by virtual screening and computational modeling as having great promise for the development of drugs against SARS-CoV-2.

24 May 2021

How conservative are the current COVID-19 pandemic global statistics?

After almost a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, the actual case count of those infected with its causative virus – SARS-CoV-2 – remains unclear. Though well over 167.2 million cases have been reported worldwide, this is certainly believed by many to be a massive undercount. A new epidemiological study uses the classical SIR-C mathematical model to find the peak size and date of cases, both documented and unidentified, and the gap between them.

24 May 2021

Reduced levels of leptin are linked to poor vaccine responses in general population

Reduced levels of a metabolic hormone known as leptin is linked to poor vaccine antibody responses in the general population, a University of Queensland study has found.

24 May 2021

Higher BMI linked to higher survival rates in patients hospitalized for severe bacterial infections

For many diseases, overweight and obesity are risk factors. But now a study shows that a higher BMI may be linked to higher survival rates in patients hospitalized for severe bacterial infections.

24 May 2021

Study underscores the importance of health insurance coverage continuity in the U.S.

A new study underscores the importance of health insurance coverage continuity in access to and receipt of care and care affordability in the United States.

24 May 2021

Which biomarkers can help predict adverse outcomes in COVID-19?

A team of researchers has conducted a systematic review to identify laboratory factors that can predict the risk of severe and critical COVID-19 as well as associated mortality rates. The team – from institutions in India and the USA – recently published their findings in the Journal of Clinical Medicine Research.

24 May 2021

Could saffron be an effective supplement for helping manage COVID-19?

A new study, published in the journal Cell Press, explores the potential use of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) as a drug supplement for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

24 May 2021

No-cancel culture: How telehealth is making it easier to keep that therapy session

When the covid-19 pandemic forced behavioral health providers to stop seeing patients in person and instead hold therapy sessions remotely, the switch produced an unintended, positive consequence: Fewer patients skipped appointments.

24 May 2021

Tips for older adults to regain their game after being cooped up for more than a year

Alice Herb, 88, an intrepid New Yorker, is used to walking miles around Manhattan. But after this year of being shut inside, trying to avoid covid-19, she's noticed a big difference in how she feels.

24 May 2021

Is your living room the future of hospital care?

Major hospital systems are betting big money that the future of hospital care looks a lot like the inside of patients' homes.

24 May 2021

Genetically engineered intestinal organoids reveal potential treatment targets against SARS-CoV-2

Using CRISPR/Cas9 and human intestinal organoids to study genes implicated in the biology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), researchers from the Netherlands identified a specific serine protease (TMPRSS2) as an attractive pan-coronavirus therapeutic target. Their exciting findings are available in a study currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

24 May 2021

Proof that face masks reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Researchers in Germany and China have conducted a study analyzing the efficacy of face masks in mitigating the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

24 May 2021

Computationally designed peptide blocks the entry of SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV

In order to develop effective antiviral drugs, scientists design active molecules based on their structures that can prevent or disrupt the specific viral-receptor binding - this is an effective strategy to prevent the virus from entering the host.

23 May 2021

Telepresence robot enables COVID-19 patients to talk to their loved ones

Researchers of the Integrated Systems Engineering Group of the University of Malaga (UMA) have designed a telepresence robot that enables people suffering from COVID-19 to talk to their loved ones.

22 May 2021

Researchers validate new COVID-19 test kit that could spur the expansion of more rapid testing

Simon Fraser University researchers have validated a faster, cheaper COVID-19 test that could kickstart the expansion of more widespread rapid testing. Study results have been published in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

22 May 2021

Australian discovery could speed up SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development

To address this gap, researchers from Australia recently examined the relationship between levels of in vitro neutralization and the observed protection obtained from SARS-CoV-2 infection. They used data from 7 currently available vaccines and convalescent cohorts. Their research is published in the journal Nature Medicine.

22 May 2021

When COVID-19 is severe, rogue antibodies attack body tissues and organs

The study, published in the journal Nature, sheds light on the disease mechanism of COVID-19 and how the virus causes a faulty immune system.

21 May 2021

Modeling SARS-CoV-2 spike/human ACE2 complex identifies high-affinity variants that cause greater transmissibility

The study, published in the Journal of Molecular Biology, shows promise in detecting potential new variants that can cause the faster spread of COVID-19. The recent mutations and variants detected have caused the rapid spread of the infection in many countries.

21 May 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Little evidence for mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-associated thrombocytopenia, suggests new FDA study

Are COVID-19 medications safe in pregnancy?

Novel natural compounds may help treat COVID-19, study suggests

How conservative are the current COVID-19 pandemic global statistics?

Reduced levels of leptin are linked to poor vaccine responses in general population

Higher BMI linked to higher survival rates in patients hospitalized for severe bacterial infections

Study underscores the importance of health insurance coverage continuity in the U.S.

Which biomarkers can help predict adverse outcomes in COVID-19?

Could saffron be an effective supplement for helping manage COVID-19?

No-cancel culture: How telehealth is making it easier to keep that therapy session

Tips for older adults to regain their game after being cooped up for more than a year

Is your living room the future of hospital care?

Genetically engineered intestinal organoids reveal potential treatment targets against SARS-CoV-2

Proof that face masks reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Computationally designed peptide blocks the entry of SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV

Telepresence robot enables COVID-19 patients to talk to their loved ones

Researchers validate new COVID-19 test kit that could spur the expansion of more rapid testing

Australian discovery could speed up SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development

When COVID-19 is severe, rogue antibodies attack body tissues and organs

Modeling SARS-CoV-2 spike/human ACE2 complex identifies high-affinity variants that cause greater transmissibility

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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