covid 19 News and Research

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Cloth masks may reduce transmission of COVID-19

The evidence shows that cloth masks, particularly those with several layers of cotton cloth, block droplet and aerosol contamination of the environment, which may reduce transmission of COVID-19.

26 May 2020

COVID-19 appears to attack the placenta in pregnant women

Pregnant women should take extra precautions amid the coronavirus pandemic. A new study shows that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), attacks the placenta.

26 May 2020

Preterm birth rates during COVID-19 in Denmark

The current COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic in March 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO). This led to the enforcement of a lockdown on an almost global scale with wide-ranging consequences. Now, a new Danish study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 reveals the impact on preterm birth rates.

26 May 2020

Occupational risk for COVID-19

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 examines the risk of COVID-19 disease in various occupations, showing that as expected, health workers and those in social care occupation are at the highest risk. This should help guide policies to protect and support these occupations during this trying period.

25 May 2020

ACE2 receptors for SARS-CoV-2 in human eye

Since its emergence in Wuhan, China, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread rapidly over most of the world’s inhabited regions, causing millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths. The primary symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, are fever, dry cough, and tiredness.

25 May 2020

Zero benefit of Hydroxychloroquine or Chloroquine in COVID-19, says extensive study

The purported "game-changer" anti-malarial drug Hydroxychloroquine, which was claimed to be effective in preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and also helping better outcomes in COVID-19 patients, seems to have failed in clinical trials.

25 May 2020

Rats on the rampage as leftovers from closed restaurants become scarce, warns CDC

The Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) has warned that as restaurants are closed due to social distancing and lockdowns owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, rats are resurfacing en masse. The CDC warns that these rats are becoming aggressive as they are deprived of their usual source of food.

25 May 2020

The infection of lung stem cells may determine SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity

A group of researchers from Russia and France has demonstrated how stem cells in the lungs can be readily infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), leading to significant defects in their regeneration capacity and more severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Their manuscript is currently available on the preprint server bioRxiv.

25 May 2020

Newly identified gene may have contributed to rapid evolution of COVID-19

An international team of researchers has identified a previously uncharacterized gene within the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome that may be important in understanding the origins and evolution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

25 May 2020

New study pinpoints ideal antiviral targets within the SARS-CoV-2 viral cycle

A specific biophysical model for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) shows how potential drugs inhibiting both viral transcription and translation would be particularly effective against coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The model was developed by University of Minnesota researchers and described in their recent publication available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

25 May 2020

Pinpointing SARS-CoV-2 origin with new predictive model

Researchers in the United States and Canada have developed a combination of predictive statistical models that could help guide decisions about which animal species should be prioritized for detecting the origin of novel potential zoonotic viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

25 May 2020

Inexpensive screening method for retinal changes in diabetics

Retinal damage due to diabetes is now considered the most common cause of blindness in working-age adults.

25 May 2020

Novel LED irradiation system aims to kill microorganisms with UVC light

A novel LED irradiation system developed by the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut aims to kill microorganisms with ultra-short wave UV light - without side effects. Prototype handed over to the Charité for initial testing.

25 May 2020

SARS-CoV-2 is uniquely adapted to infect humans

The novel coronavirus pandemic has sparked much debate on its origin, with some suggesting it may have been laboratory-grown. Previous studies, however, mentioned that it is zoonotic in nature, which means that the virus jumped from wild animals and found its way to humans.

25 May 2020

Can Chlorpromazine help treat COVID-19?

A new research paper published in the journal L'Encéphale in May 2020 reports on the planned ReCoVery Study, which will examine the possibility of repurposing the antipsychotic drug chlorpromazine for the treatment of COVID-19.

25 May 2020

Using Qigong to manage COVID-19 in older adults

A recent study published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry in May 2020 reports on the possible usefulness of the integrative practice called Qigong to prevent and manage COVID-19 in older adults.

25 May 2020

Children with COVID-19 presenting with sudden severe lung disease

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to seek out new victims, puzzling new presentations are further confusing the situation. A new study published online in The Lancet Rheumatology in May 2020 reports a case of severe COVID-19 in a child who rapidly developed acute respiratory distress symptoms without prior respiratory symptoms. This case should alert clinicians to consider this diagnosis in children as well.

24 May 2020