Disease/Infection News

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Researchers warn against false negatives in COVID-19 diagnostic test

One of the most commonly used diagnostic tools, particularly during this pandemic, is the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR), which uses a person's respiratory sample to detect viral particles and determine if the person may have been exposed to a virus.

27 May 2020

USF scientists to establish novel technology that sterilize N95 respiratory masks

An interdisciplinary team of scientists from the University of South Florida has advanced efforts to establish a novel technology that can rapidly sterilize and electrostatically recharge N95 respiratory masks to restore their original filtration efficiency.

27 May 2020

New initiative to address multiple environmental crises beyond COVID-19

The unfolding SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) pandemic is drastically altering the human-nature relationship. It is affecting global environmental issues in complex ways while the overall picture still remains unclear.

27 May 2020

Blood clotting disorders may explain some of the worst symptoms of COVID-19

The hypothesis that blood clotting disorders may explain some of the worst symptoms of COVID-19, including respiratory failure and pulmonary fibrosis, was suggested in mid-April by researchers in Brazil affiliated with the University of São Paulo's Medical School (FM-USP) via an article accepted for publication by the Journal of Thrombosis.

27 May 2020

Investigational antiviral superior to standard of care for treating COVID-19 patients

The investigational antiviral remdesivir is superior to the standard of care for the treatment of COVID-19, according to a report published today in The New England Journal of Medicine.

27 May 2020

What affects the case fatality rate of COVID-19? Analysis of top 50 affected countries

Ever since the beginning of the international spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease, researchers have been trying to identify the risk factors that increase the chances of infection. Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 discusses various potential factors and reports the observed associations.

27 May 2020

Many different T cell receptors recognize SARS-CoV-2 antigenic sites

The global COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading over the world. However, not much is known about how the adaptive immune response kicks in following the viral challenge. This knowledge is crucial to predicting the efficacy of a vaccine and estimating the chances of reinfection.

26 May 2020

Study finds very low level of SARS-CoV-2 in two San Francisco Bay areas

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports a very low prevalence of antibodies in two separate populations living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

26 May 2020

Heparin resistance among COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU

A new study has shown that COVID-19 patients admitted to the Intensive care unit may be resistant to the naturally occurring anticoagulant Heparin. The study titled, “Heparin resistance in COVID‑19 patients in the intensive care unit,” was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis.

26 May 2020

Researchers to study the ability of optical radiation to disinfect surfaces

Now and in the months to come, hospitals and commercial buildings will be tasked with sanitizing large indoor environments to prevent the transmission of viruses like SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.

26 May 2020

Simulated sunlight kills SARS CoV-2 on surfaces in 7 to 14 minutes

Simulated sunlight could effectively kill severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that is responsible for the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

26 May 2020

Pediatricians urge efforts to offset COVID-19 impacts on children from low-income households

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the social, educational and health care disparities already plaguing the nearly 40 million Americans the U.S. Census Bureau estimates are living in poverty.

26 May 2020

COVID-19 in cats and dogs is likely acquired directly from infected humans

A recent study from Japan available reveals how almost all cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among domestic animals can be linked to their owners infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

26 May 2020

Study shows antihypertensive drugs do not raise serum levels of ACE2

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* by researchers from Iceland and the U.S. shows how treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) does not raise angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) levels in human serum – and cautions against the discontinuation of these drugs among patients affected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

26 May 2020

IgG antibodies reduce viral load of SARS-CoV-2

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington has highlighted the importance of serological testing for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

26 May 2020

Montefiore and Einstein evaluate a new drug combination to fight COVID-19

Montefiore Health System Albert Einstein College of Medicine have begun the next stage of the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT), to evaluate treatment options for people hospitalized with severe COVID-19 infection.

26 May 2020

Researchers discover ear infections in the remains of ancient humans living in Levant

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered evidence of ear infections in the skull remains of humans living in the Levant some 15,000 years ago.

26 May 2020

GP's notes could provide vital clues to help manage COVID-19 crisis

GP's notes currently unavailable to medical researchers could provide clues to help manage major health crises - like COVID-19.

26 May 2020

U.S. COVID-19 patients face long hospital stays and high rates of ICU admission

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the U.S. are enduring longer hospital stays and facing higher rates of intensive care unit admission than patients in China, finds a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Kaiser Permanente.

26 May 2020

Novel testing system predicts outcomes in patients with sepsis

More than 1.7 million Americans develop sepsis each year, and more than 270,000 die from it. The condition--which happens when the body has an extreme response to a bacterial or viral infection, causing a chain reaction that can lead to organ failure and death--has few strategies for treatment.

26 May 2020