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.

SARS-CoV-2 protein effectively shuts down production of proteins in the host, study shows

A detailed study of a SARS-Cov-2 protein, Nsp1, with a central role in weakening the host anti-viral immune response shows that it effectively shuts down production ofproteins in the host.

17 Jul 2020

Private radiology practices have been greatly affected by COVID-19 pandemic

Private radiology practices have been especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the steps they take to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on their practice will shape the future of radiology, according to a special report from the Radiological Society of North America COVID-19 Task Force, published today in the journal Radiology.

17 Jul 2020

Lifetime discrimination associated with high blood pressure in African Americans

Experiences of discrimination over a lifetime is associated with high blood pressure in African American adults, according to findings published this month in the journal Hypertension from researchers at the Urban Health Collaborative at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health.

17 Jul 2020

Research shows increased psychological well-being after the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic

The corona crisis appears to have had a negative impact on the mental health of the Danish population, but research from Aarhus University shows that the psychological well-being had improved already by the end of April.

17 Jul 2020

Researchers detect positive COVID-19 cases in 20 minutes using blood samples

World-first research by Monash University in Australia has been able to detect positive COVID-19 cases using blood samples in about 20 minutes, and identify whether someone has contracted the virus.

17 Jul 2020

Pesticide use can speed the transmission of schistosomiasis

Widespread use of pesticides and other agrochemicals can speed the transmission of the debilitating disease schistosomiasis, while also upsetting the ecological balances in aquatic environments that prevent infections, finds a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

17 Jul 2020

Coordinated lockdown strategies key to preventing resurgent COVID-19 outbreaks, study shows

Coordinated lockdown strategies among countries is key to preventing resurgent COVID-19 outbreaks in continental Europe, a new modeling study shows.

17 Jul 2020

Reduction in flights due to COVID‐19 pandemic imperils weather forecast

Weather forecasts have become less accurate during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the reduction in commercial flights, according to new research.

17 Jul 2020

Montana Rodeo goes on, bucking fears on fort peck reservation

Cowboys lined the metal chutes that released bucking horses and their riders into the arena, Miss Rodeo Montana signed autographs for fans, and coronavirus warning signs ended with "Face mask usage is of personal choice."

17 Jul 2020

More COVID-19 cases where blood type A is common

Now, a new study by researchers at the University of Ulm, Germany, which is published on the preprint server medRxiv in July 2020, focuses on how blood group distribution is related to the mapped dynamics of the epidemic as shown by its geographical distribution.

17 Jul 2020

Findings show promise for developing vaccines against multiple strains of flu, including SARS-CoV-2

A vaccine additive known as an adjuvant can enhance responses to a vaccine containing the exotic avian flu virus H5N1, so that both rookie and veteran elements of the immune response are strengthened, according to results from an Emory Vaccine Center study.

17 Jul 2020

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among blood donors in China

Now, a study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in July 2020 reports on the low seroprevalence of antibodies to the virus, now designated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), among blood donors in Wuhan, the Chinese city it all started in, and two other equally large cities in China.

17 Jul 2020

Game-Changer: A SARS-CoV-2 serological test for 50-cents per sample!

A recent study published in the preprint server medRxiv in July 2020 shows that this is indeed possible. The development of this inexpensive but reliable and sensitive test could change the face of preventive measures for COVID-19 in low-resource settings.

17 Jul 2020

Report calls for customized evidence on optimal implementation of COVID-19 measures

Today a report was released that calls for the use of research evidence on the optimal implementation of public health interventions for COVID-19 in varied global settings.

17 Jul 2020

Common antioxidant enzyme catalase as COVID-19 treatment

A new paper by researchers from the USA and China and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in July 2020 discusses a new drug based on the catalase enzyme, which could play a vital part in reducing the inflammation associated with progressive and severe COVID-19 disease.

17 Jul 2020

COVID-19 outcomes better in countries with female leaders

A thought-provoking new study published on the preprint server medRxiv on Thursday suggests that countries headed by female leaders showed better outcomes over a variety of indicators.

17 Jul 2020

Rapid genomic surveillance of healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2

The researchers from the University of Cambridge, Cambridge United Kingdom have published their findings in a study titled, “Rapid implementation of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing to investigate cases of healthcare-associated COVID-19: a prospective genomic surveillance study,” in the latest issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

16 Jul 2020

Singapore study finds virus-specific T cell immunity in recovered COVID-19 and SARS patients

The T cells, along with antibodies, are an integral part of the human immune response against viral infections due to their ability to directly target and kill infected cells.

16 Jul 2020

New insight into the SARS-CoV-2 infection process

Canadian researchers from the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, have found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be using a unique method to gain entry into the cells.

16 Jul 2020