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.

Large U.S. study identifies sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 testing and positivity

The massive and continuing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), throughout the world, has led to a staggering toll of over 549,000 deaths in the USA, among over 30 million cases. A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv* server discusses the factors related to the chances of testing positive for this virus.

29 Mar 2021

Persistent impact on smell and taste in COVID-19 patients one year later

The presentation of the infection ranges from asymptomatic, through dry cough with fever, anosmia/dysgeusia, to shortness of breath with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv* server reports on the clinical progression of anosmia and dysgeusia, in particular, one year after the infection.

29 Mar 2021

Single Sputnik V vaccine dose elicits robust immune response in previously infected individuals

A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv server describes successful immunization of the vaccinated population with a single dose of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine.

29 Mar 2021

Combined clinical and genomic data better predicts COVID-19 severity

The current COVID-19 outbreak is one of the worst pandemics in history and has claimed millions of lives across the globe, overwhelmed healthcare systems, and created unprecedented socio-economic ramifications.

28 Mar 2021

Antibody agents effective at neutralizing European, South African, and United States SARS-CoV-2 variants

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated the effectiveness of three antibody agents at neutralizing recently emerged variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

28 Mar 2021

New SARS-CoV-2 genome variants identified in US mink

Researchers in Canada have discovered two novel variants in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) gene sequences collected from mink in the United States.

28 Mar 2021

Selecting SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors in human airway epithelial cells

In a recent article currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers from Belgium and the U.S. demonstrated a robust replication model for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) isolates in primary human epithelial cells at the air-liquid interface and appraised the antiviral effect of selected viral replication inhibitors.

28 Mar 2021

Covid-19 lockdown restrictions may have led to reduction in asthma exacerbations

Fewer patients with severe attacks were seen by their GP or admitted to hospital during the covid-19 pandemic, and fewer were admitted to hospital for pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung diseases, show findings from three papers published online in the journal Thorax.

27 Mar 2021

Researchers identify new drug candidates for treating patients with severe COVID-19

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have identified the most toxic proteins made by SARS-COV-2--the virus that causes COVID-19 - and then used an FDA-approved cancer drug to blunt the viral protein's detrimental effects.

27 Mar 2021

New framework proposed to place restrictions on vulnerable communities at risk of COVID-19

As COVID-19 vaccines slowly roll out across the world, government officials in densely populated countries must still manage vulnerable communities at highest risk of an outbreak.

27 Mar 2021

Home workers sleep longer and remain equally productive as before the pandemic, study finds

In a unique study in collaboration with Gävle Municipality, the researchers have compared individuals when they work from home to when they work at their offices.

26 Mar 2021

Research project to study how the pandemic has affected health, wellbeing of police officers

The University's Professor Jason Roach will work alongside the National Police Wellbeing Service on a research project that will study to what extent the health and wellbeing of the nation's police officers has been affected by the pandemic.

26 Mar 2021

Latino Californians are among hardest hit by COVID-19

The COVID-19 surge of summer through winter 2020‒2021 devastated all population groups. Yet when the death rates of Latinos are compared to non-Hispanic white (NHW) rates in every age group, there is a significant disparity between the two: Latino death rates are from two to seven times higher than NHW rates.

26 Mar 2021

Universal mask policy could reduce healthcare workers' risk of acquiring COVID-19

A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine from researchers at Henry Ford Health System has found that Henry Ford's early implementation of a universal mask policy in the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with reducing the risk of healthcare workers at Henry Ford acquiring COVID-19.

26 Mar 2021

A novel approach to oral vaccination against Covid-19

Scientists at the University of Würzburg together with a pharmaceutical company are working on a novel approach to oral vaccination against the coronavirus.

26 Mar 2021

U-M Depression Center to be renamed in recognition of Eisenbergs' philanthropy toward the center

The University of Michigan Board of Regents today approved the renaming of the U-M Depression Center for Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg and their family, in recognition of their transformational $30 million total giving to depression research and scholarship.

26 Mar 2021

Salk joins a long list of recipients included in The Conrad Prebys Foundation’s inaugural grant cycle

Salk Professor Thomas Albright has been awarded $1 million and Assistant Professor Edward Stites awarded $500,000 by The Conrad Prebys Foundation as part of its inaugural round of grants.

26 Mar 2021

Demographic and clinical comparison of the first and second COVID-19 waves in London, UK

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv*, clinical and demographic data from across the UK is compared to viral genome sequence data, identifying trends amongst the population affected, and across SARS-CoV-2 strains.

26 Mar 2021

Longitudinal study of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies following vaccination

A longitudinal study of IgG antibody levels in vaccinated healthcare workers was recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv*, suggesting that IgG levels could be a reliable indicator of successful vaccination.

26 Mar 2021

Testing unavailability may influence public behaviors and facilitate SARS-CoV-2 transmission

A team of scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles, USA, recently conducted a survey investigating the association between availability of testing facilities and COVID-19-related behavioral aspects. Their findings reveal that testing unavailability independently influences certain COVID-19-related behaviors that may increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

26 Mar 2021

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Large U.S. study identifies sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 testing and positivity

Persistent impact on smell and taste in COVID-19 patients one year later

Single Sputnik V vaccine dose elicits robust immune response in previously infected individuals

Combined clinical and genomic data better predicts COVID-19 severity

Antibody agents effective at neutralizing European, South African, and United States SARS-CoV-2 variants

New SARS-CoV-2 genome variants identified in US mink

Selecting SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors in human airway epithelial cells

Covid-19 lockdown restrictions may have led to reduction in asthma exacerbations

Researchers identify new drug candidates for treating patients with severe COVID-19

New framework proposed to place restrictions on vulnerable communities at risk of COVID-19

Home workers sleep longer and remain equally productive as before the pandemic, study finds

Research project to study how the pandemic has affected health, wellbeing of police officers

Latino Californians are among hardest hit by COVID-19

Universal mask policy could reduce healthcare workers' risk of acquiring COVID-19

A novel approach to oral vaccination against Covid-19

U-M Depression Center to be renamed in recognition of Eisenbergs' philanthropy toward the center

Salk joins a long list of recipients included in The Conrad Prebys Foundation’s inaugural grant cycle

Demographic and clinical comparison of the first and second COVID-19 waves in London, UK

Longitudinal study of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies following vaccination

Testing unavailability may influence public behaviors and facilitate SARS-CoV-2 transmission

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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