Disease/Infection News

RSS

Study explores the negative consequences of social isolation

Never before have we experienced social isolation on a massive scale as we have during the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

10 Jun 2020

Pollen contributes to flu and COVID-19 seasonality

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting millions of people around the world and has taken a toll of over 411,000 lives. Yet after five months, there are immense gaps in our knowledge as to the factors that increase or inhibit viral transmission.

10 Jun 2020

Deep UV LED inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 - fast and effective

The ongoing pandemic has aroused considerable effort to find methods to prevent and control the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19 disease. Rapid inactivation devices would be of great help in this area, to prevent viral transmission through aerosols and contact with infected surfaces.

9 Jun 2020

Lockdowns combined with widespread use of facemasks can stop the resurgence of SARS-CoV-2

Population-wide use of facemasks keeps the coronavirus 'reproduction number' under 1.0, and prevents further waves of the virus when combined with lockdowns, a modelling study from the universities of Cambridge and Greenwich suggests.

9 Jun 2020

Unique mutations could weaken Indian SARS-CoV-2 strain

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 suggests that the presence of unique mutations in the viral strains circulating in India has led to their attenuation.

9 Jun 2020

KU leads new project to monitor, evaluate COVID-19 response activities in 47 African countries

Researchers from the University of Kansas are monitoring and evaluating COVID-19 response activities in 47 African countries.

9 Jun 2020

A drug to treat harsh complications of coronavirus infection is registered in Russia

Levilimab received state approval through a fast-track mechanism, according to Decree No. 441 of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 4, 2020, since its mechanism of action is associated with the control of the cytokine storm, which is one of the manifestations of coronavirus infection.

9 Jun 2020

"A shred of evidence" BCG vaccinations protect against COVID-19

Professor David Levine from the University of California, Berkeley, says a study of people in Spain and Italy has provided a “shred of evidence” that the BCG vaccination may protect against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

9 Jun 2020

Examining the effect of smoking, nicotine and vaping on COVID-19 severity

Researchers at the University of Oxford say they will be conducting the most extensive study to date linking primary and clinical data for the assessment of associations between smoking status and the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

9 Jun 2020

Researchers show how warmer weather might shape the spread of COVID-19

An international team of researchers led by McMaster University has found that while higher heat and humidity can slow the spread of COVID-19, longer hours of sunlight are associated with a higher incidence of the disease, in a sign that sunny days can tempt more people out even if this means a higher risk of infection.

9 Jun 2020

Convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19 is safe and effective

A new systematic review available on medRxiv preprint server shows that using convalescent plasma in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is well-tolerated and may prompt the clearance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as well as decrease disease severity; however, these effects are more pronounced in younger patients.

9 Jun 2020

New model can estimate regional disease burden and impact of vaccination

Researchers have developed a model that can estimate regional disease burden and the impact of vaccination, even in the absence of robust surveillance data, a study in eLife reveals.

9 Jun 2020

COVID-19 survivors could suffer long-term health effects

Patients recovering from COVID-19 could suffer significant long-term effects, according to research into the experiences of people hospitalized by previous coronavirus outbreaks.

9 Jun 2020

Study links COVID-19-based loneliness with elevated psychiatric symptoms in older adults

Although social distancing is crucial in thwarting the spread of COVID-19, isolation and the ensuing loneliness may be severely detrimental for older adults.

9 Jun 2020

Protease inhibition could help defeat SARS-CoV-2

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread around the world, many researchers are studying epidemiological models to predict its propagation. As of yet, there are no effective vaccines that could counter the SARS- CoV-2 infection or drugs to treat COVID-19 disease

9 Jun 2020

A new strategy to combat influenza A and Zika virus

Leuven researchers have deployed synthetic amyloids to trigger protein misfolding as a strategy to combat the influenza A and Zika virus.

9 Jun 2020

Heart transplant recipients affected by COVID-19 face racial, gender disparities

Physician-scientists specializing in heart failure wanted to know: if their heart transplant patients contract COVID-19, would they have a different experience than the general public or others who are also immunosuppressed?

9 Jun 2020

Anti-RBD antibodies shown to neutralize active SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 reports the discovery of multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in samples from healthy donors, collected before the pandemic. These antibodies are capable of inhibiting the binding of the spike protein of the virus to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) molecule and can neutralize active infection of cells in culture.

9 Jun 2020

Study: Coronavirus arrived in northern California through complex series of introductions

Distinct from virus transmission patterns identified elsewhere, analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes from a small number of California-based patients suggests the virus arrived in northern California through a complex series of introductions, not only from state to state but also from international travel.

9 Jun 2020

COVID-19 produces lung inflammation in non-human primate experiments

A new study published on the online preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports the successful use of three primate species to model the infection, pathogenesis, and clinical features associated with COVID-19. The research provides useful and immediately available models to test new vaccines and treatments.

9 Jun 2020