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Chest X-rays reveal more severe COVID-19 in racial/ethnic minority patients

Racial/ethnic minority patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 infection are more likely to have more severe disease on chest X-rays than white/non-Hispanic patients, increasing the likelihood of adverse outcomes, such as intubation or death, according to a study published in the journal Radiology.

16 Jul 2020

British Columbia’s successful response to COVID-19 - policy anchored by science

Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the BC Center for Disease Control in Vancouver have reported the first estimates of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence for Canada before and after mitigation measures were relaxed in May.

16 Jul 2020

Certain decontamination methods damage N95 face masks' protective function

Certain methods of decontaminating medical face masks for repeated use during the COVID-19 pandemic appear to damage the masks' integrity and protective function, according to research by a University of Massachusetts Amherst environmental health scientist.

16 Jul 2020

Inflammageing may be related to worse COVID-19 outcomes in older individuals

The increased severity and mortality of SARS-CoV-2 infections in older individuals may be related to inflammageing - an age-associated phenomenon of increased general inflammation.

16 Jul 2020

Eosinophil count can aid in early detection of COVID-19 in patients

A rapid laboratory test, the eosinophil count, readily obtained from a routine complete blood cell count (CBC) can aid in the early recognition of COVID-19 in patients, as well as provide prognostic information, according to new research in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

16 Jul 2020

Disease-carrying mosquitoes fly free as health departments focus on coronavirus

The U.S. public health system has been starved for decades and lacks the resources necessary to confront the worst health crisis in a century. Read the investigation from KHN and The Associated Press.

16 Jul 2020

GW researcher receives $3.6 million to study HIV-1 resistance to antibody treatments

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $3.6 million to Rebecca Lynch, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology, immunology, and tropical medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, to investigate HIV-1 resistance to antibody treatments.

16 Jul 2020

CBD may help reduce cytokine storm and excessive lung inflammation in COVID-19

Cannabidiol, or CBD, may help reduce the cytokine storm and excessive lung inflammation that is killing many patients with COVID-19, researchers say.

16 Jul 2020

Weak immune status, and not HIV infection affects cavity prevalence in children

Recent studies indicate HIV infection heightens the risk of dental cavities - but a Rutgers researcher has found evidence that the risk of cavities comes not from HIV itself but from a weakened immune system, which could be caused by other diseases.

16 Jul 2020

A coronavirus vaccine: Where does it stand?

More than four months into the coronavirus pandemic, how close are the U.S. and the world to a safe and effective vaccine? Scientists say they see steady progress and are expressing cautious optimism that a vaccine could be ready by spring.

16 Jul 2020

Researchers develop recommendations to avoid triage of COVID-19 patients

An international expert group led by Mathias Wirth, Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at the University of Bern, has developed recommendations for avoiding triage of COVID-19 patients in extreme situations.

16 Jul 2020

Prominent pharmacologist calls for new approach to treat COVID-19

A prominent Australian pharmacologist has called for a new approach to treating COVID-19 as hopes fade of finding an effective vaccine or antiviral before the end of the year.

16 Jul 2020

Overall mortality of COVID-19 patients admitted in ICUs has reduced considerably, shows study

A systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies from three continents shows overall mortality of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICUs) has fallen from almost 60 per cent at the end of March to 42 per cent at the end of May — a relative decrease of one third.

16 Jul 2020

Researchers identify distinct immune profiles in COVID-19 patients

Expanding on observations made in smaller patient cohorts, researchers studying immune responses of 125 hospitalized COVID-19 patients identified distinct immune profiles -- "Immunotypes" -- and showed how these signatures correlated with disease severity.

16 Jul 2020

Selective statins may reduce SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and inhibit infection

Statins are a class of drugs often used to control high cholesterol levels in obesity. Now, a study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in July 2020 suggests that statins do not aggravate the risk of COVID-19 infection and may have a small beneficial effect in some cases.

16 Jul 2020

How do international travel bans effect local COVID-19 epidemics?

Now, a new study published in July 2020 on the preprint server medRxiv* shows that the latter is likely to cause 90% or more of local epidemics and that stringent bans on international travelers are therefore unlikely to affect the course of the local outbreak significantly.

16 Jul 2020

Massive study looks at history of COVID-19 in Catalonia, Spain

A massive and important new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in July 2020 sets out a comprehensive picture of the COVID-19 outbreak in Catalonia, Spain. It fills in a void in the current research, with its grand scale and detailed analysis.

16 Jul 2020

Children with MIS-C have different antibody responses than adults with COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint medRxiv in July 2020 reveals that children with the condition Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) have a distinctly different pattern of antibody generation compared to adults with COVID-19 disease.

16 Jul 2020

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 placental infection in mild COVID-19

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in July 2020 reveals evidence of placental infection and hypoxia, despite the lack of serious symptoms in the mother.

16 Jul 2020

Strategies to flatten the COVID-19 curve

The first case of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the United States was in late January. By mid-March, "social distancing" had entered the public lexicon.

16 Jul 2020