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.

Glucosidase inhibitors hold promise as novel therapeutic agents against SARS-CoV-2

In a new study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers from the United States report that two iminosugar glucosidase inhibitors have the ability to suppress the replication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in tissue culture – at concentrations of at least 100 times lower than required for cytotoxic effects.

19 May 2021

Study investigates mental health consequences of COVID-19 geriatric care in nursing homes

No matter one's age, race, gender, socioeconomic status or political party, COVID-19 has impacted everyone at some level. That impact has been especially palpable for the approximately 1.3 million elderly Americans who reside in the country's 15,600 nursing homes.

19 May 2021

Pandemic protocols in workplace resulted in less "sickness presenteeism"

Employer COVID-19 safety measures influenced worker precautions even when they were not on the clock, according to a new study out of Washington State University.

19 May 2021

Researchers found disparities for COVID-19 testing and positivity rates in West Virginia

In studying COVID-19 testing and positivity rates in West Virginia between March and September 2020, West Virginia University researchers found disparities among Black residents and residents experiencing food insecurity.

19 May 2021

New study will help investigate innate immune responses to viral infections

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) report the formation of human cells containing a green fluorescent protein or GFP (one of the most important proteins in biology and fluorescence imaging) genetically fused with two interferon stimulated genes (ISGs), namely Viperin and ISG15.

19 May 2021

New “Consensus Document” can help manage wound care

DURING the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists have increasingly played a key role as being the first point of contact for people with wounds, both chronic and acute.

19 May 2021

Scientists provide a new approach to model infectious diseases

In the midst of a devastating global pandemic of wildlife origin and with future spillovers imminent as humans continue to come into closer contact with wildlife, infectious-disease models that consider the full ecological and anthropological contexts of disease transmission are critical to the health of all life.

19 May 2021

Antibody response following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine is greater than natural infection

Researchers in the United States have provided the first evidence that messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines against severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induce a broader array of antibody subtypes against the viral spike protein than natural infection does.

19 May 2021

Connecticut's MAT programs have higher-than-average patient retention rates

Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, is an important tool in the ongoing fight against opioid use dependence in the United States.

19 May 2021

Despite sufficient information on COVID-19, Central PA residents worry about mixed messages

Residents of central Pennsylvania had the information they needed to slow the spread of COVID-19 early on in the pandemic, but were overwhelmed with worries about mixed messages and distrust of some sources, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

19 May 2021

AMP and APC urge congress to pass the VITAL Act

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) and the Association of Pathology Chairs (APC) commend U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) for introducing legislation that would allow molecular pathology professionals to continue advancing and offering high-quality laboratory developed testing procedures (LDPs) for patient care.

19 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine PTX-COVID19-B safe and highly immunogenic in preclinical study

COVID-19, the coronavirus disease of 2019, is one of the worst pandemics in human history. It emerged in December 2019 and is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Nearly 164 million SARS-CoV-2 infections and 3.4 million deaths have been reported globally since the beginning of the pandemic, which is still raging in many countries.

18 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.420 and B.1.617.1 immune escape variants reported in France

Researchers discovered the first N440K variant and the new E484Q and L452R Indian variants isolated in France in a recent study. They presented the genetic mutations in the isolated genomes and the phylogenetic tree, including these strains among different SARS-CoV-2 clades. This work is posted on the bioRxiv preprint server.

18 May 2021

Prior dengue infection considerably increases risk of symptomatic COVID-19

18 May 2021

Previous study has underestimated the true extent of racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths

More than a year into the pandemic, the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 among racial and ethnic minorities in the US has been well documented.

18 May 2021

Researchers identify specific influenza targets that could lead to universal flu vaccine for indigenous populations

Researchers have identified specific influenza targets that could be used to better protect Indigenous people from experiencing severe influenza disease through a universal, T cell-based vaccine.

18 May 2021

New COVID-19 testing technology is a cheaper, faster alternative to tube-based RT-PCR tests

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain shortages of reagents and test kits have limited the rapid expansion of clinical testing needed to contain the virus.

18 May 2021

Researchers report promising biotherapeutics for obesity and related medical complications

The research teams at the University of Hong Kong led by Professor Xuechen LI from the Research Division for Chemistry and Department of Chemistry, and Professor Yu WANG from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, reported a synthetic biotherapeutics with promising anti-tumor, insulin sensitising and hepatoprotective activities in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

18 May 2021

New imaging technique helps reveal the best antibodies for COVID-19 detection

Vaccines are turning the tide of the pandemic, but the risk of infection is still present in some situations. If you want to visit a friend, get on a plane, or go see a movie, there is no highly accurate, instant test that can tell you right then and there whether or not you have a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

18 May 2021

COVID-19 pandemic causes disproportionate rise in cardiovascular deaths among racial, ethnic minorities

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States experienced higher rates of heart disease and cerebrovascular disease deaths, relative to the corresponding months the previous year.

18 May 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Glucosidase inhibitors hold promise as novel therapeutic agents against SARS-CoV-2

Study investigates mental health consequences of COVID-19 geriatric care in nursing homes

Pandemic protocols in workplace resulted in less "sickness presenteeism"

Researchers found disparities for COVID-19 testing and positivity rates in West Virginia

New study will help investigate innate immune responses to viral infections

New “Consensus Document” can help manage wound care

Scientists provide a new approach to model infectious diseases

Antibody response following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine is greater than natural infection

Connecticut's MAT programs have higher-than-average patient retention rates

Despite sufficient information on COVID-19, Central PA residents worry about mixed messages

AMP and APC urge congress to pass the VITAL Act

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine PTX-COVID19-B safe and highly immunogenic in preclinical study

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.420 and B.1.617.1 immune escape variants reported in France

Prior dengue infection considerably increases risk of symptomatic COVID-19

Previous study has underestimated the true extent of racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths

Researchers identify specific influenza targets that could lead to universal flu vaccine for indigenous populations

New COVID-19 testing technology is a cheaper, faster alternative to tube-based RT-PCR tests

Researchers report promising biotherapeutics for obesity and related medical complications

New imaging technique helps reveal the best antibodies for COVID-19 detection

COVID-19 pandemic causes disproportionate rise in cardiovascular deaths among racial, ethnic minorities

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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