Pandemic News and Research

RSS

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.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Germany

Seroprevalence studies have proved their worth in estimating the size and directionality of an outbreak of infectious disease, especially the current pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A new study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server describes the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in five representative regions of Germany.

10 May 2021

Total COVID-19 deaths could be 7 million

A new analysis from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), which independently researches health at the University of Washington School of Medicine, shows that the total global toll due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be more than twice the officially reported number of deaths, at almost 7 million.

10 May 2021

Combo COVID-flu vaccine protects against current and emerging variants in animal model

Now, in new research posted to the bioRxiv preprint server, scientists at Novavax, Inc. present a vaccine including recombinant influenza hemagglutinin (HA) antigen along with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, with saponin Matrix-M adjuvant. Both have passed independent safety tests in phase 1 trials.

10 May 2021

Researchers set out overarching goals to speed up implementation of mental health research

A group of UK academics are calling for targets for mental health in order to meet the healthcare challenges of the next decade.

10 May 2021

Targeted methods to control spread of SARS-CoV-2 without resorting to lockdowns

Researchers at the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases and the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia revealed alternative ways to control the pandemic spread without resorting to these measures.

9 May 2021

Is COVID-19 a new disease?

In a review recently published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal by Osuchowski et al. (May 6th, 2021) the currently known pathophysiology of COVID-19 is laid out to describe the mechanistic features that make COVID-19 distinct from many conditions previously thought to be similar.

9 May 2021

Mild Covid-19 infection not likely to cause lasting damage to structure or function of the heart

Mild Covid-19 infection is very unlikely to cause lasting damage to the structure or function of the heart, according to a study led by UCL (University College London) researchers and funded by the British Heart Foundation and Barts Charity.

8 May 2021

Increased heart rate as a physiological response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine

Although widely publicized, evidence for physiological responses to the vaccines is currently scarce in published literature. Giogiro Quer and Matteo Gadaleta of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, USA, led an investigation to obtain tracking data for physiological responses to vaccine programs.

8 May 2021

Unique infectious profile explains why it is so hard to treat COVID-19

A comprehensive review into what we know about COVID-19 and the way it functions suggests the virus has a unique infectious profile, which explains why it can be so hard to treat and why some people experience so-called "long-COVID", struggling with significant health issues months after infection.

7 May 2021

UTMB researchers receive $11.3 million grant to study immunopathogenesis of Ebola

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have been awarded an $11.3 Million, multi-year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study immunopathogenesis of Ebola, and in particular to determine why cells infected with Ebola develop "immune system paralysis," which inhibits immune response, leads to hyperinflammation, and allows the deadly infection to spread.

7 May 2021

CFTR modulator can be safe, well-tolerated for younger children with common form of cystic fibrosis

Children ages two to five who have the most common form of cystic fibrosis (CF), caused by two copies of the F508 gene mutation, have not had any modulator treatments available to them until recently.

7 May 2021

Learning health system approach can help reduce the risk of hospital-acquired pressure injuries

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems scrambled to modify patient care processes - particularly when it came to strategies aimed at reducing the risk of hospital-related complications.

7 May 2021

How did SARS-CoV-2 first evolve in humans?

In a perspective article recently published in the journal Science, Hyeryun Choe and Michael Farzan from the Scripps Research Institute, USA, have described the early-stage evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in humans. They have provided a detailed overview of how early mutations in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein facilitate its adaptation in human systems.

7 May 2021

Immunosuppression in COVID-19 promotes emergence of multiple immune escape mutants

An interesting new study describes the emergence of several such variants from a chronically immunosuppressed COVID-19 patient, who remained infected for over 170 days before clearing the virus.

7 May 2021

The ancestor of SARS-CoV-2’s Wuhan strain was circulating in late October 2019

The SARS-CoV-2 was first reported in a case from Wuhan, China, in December 2021, and subsequently became the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging the world today. A new study in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution tracks its variants all over the world since the onset of the pandemic.

7 May 2021

Are infants at greater risk of COVID-19 than children?

The widely circulating SARS-CoV-2 has caused the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of this infection varies significantly with age, sparing young children for the most part, though not completely. However, a new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, shows that infants are not as resistant to the virus as children are. The researchers trace this to the expression of ACE2 to varying extents in different groups.

7 May 2021

Could antiviral surface designs help reduce SARS-CoV-2’s spread?

In an effort to improve surface decontamination methods, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, looked at fabricating surfaces with virucidal properties. More specifically, these scientists investigated surface properties that could prevent the survival of viruses on these surfaces, particularly SARS-CoV-2.

7 May 2021

Research highlights the impact of stringent hand hygiene during the pandemic on hand skin health

The dermatological impact of COVID-19 is a burning topic at EADV’s 2021 Spring Symposium. New research presented today highlights the effect that stringent hand hygiene during the pandemic has had on hand skin health.

7 May 2021

5 things to know about health care changes in Montana

The 2021 Montana legislative session will be remembered as one of the state's most consequential as a Republican-led legislature and governor's office passed new laws restricting abortions, lowering taxes and regulating marijuana.

7 May 2021

Human organoids useful for modeling COVID-19 variants of concern, finds study

A new study published on the bioRxiv* preprint server found that using human organoids could help with better characterizing the phenotype of several viral variants, including B.1.1.7. Their findings show the ribonucleic acid (RNA) shedding of the SARS-CoV-2 variant correlated with viral fitness and infectiousness.

7 May 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Germany

Total COVID-19 deaths could be 7 million

Combo COVID-flu vaccine protects against current and emerging variants in animal model

Researchers set out overarching goals to speed up implementation of mental health research

Targeted methods to control spread of SARS-CoV-2 without resorting to lockdowns

Is COVID-19 a new disease?

Mild Covid-19 infection not likely to cause lasting damage to structure or function of the heart

Increased heart rate as a physiological response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine

Unique infectious profile explains why it is so hard to treat COVID-19

UTMB researchers receive $11.3 million grant to study immunopathogenesis of Ebola

CFTR modulator can be safe, well-tolerated for younger children with common form of cystic fibrosis

Learning health system approach can help reduce the risk of hospital-acquired pressure injuries

How did SARS-CoV-2 first evolve in humans?

Immunosuppression in COVID-19 promotes emergence of multiple immune escape mutants

The ancestor of SARS-CoV-2’s Wuhan strain was circulating in late October 2019

Are infants at greater risk of COVID-19 than children?

Could antiviral surface designs help reduce SARS-CoV-2’s spread?

Research highlights the impact of stringent hand hygiene during the pandemic on hand skin health

5 things to know about health care changes in Montana

Human organoids useful for modeling COVID-19 variants of concern, finds study

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

Latest News