Disease/Infection News

RSS

SARS-CoV-2 prevalence varies widely across Brazil

Researchers have shown that the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Brazil varies significantly by city and region, with the highest prevalence observed in the North of the country and the lowest seen in South and Center-West regions.

1 Jun 2020

NAU scientist collaborating on vault-based vaccine to prevent and treat COVID-19

C. Todd French, assistant professor of biology and leader of Northern Arizona University's new COVID-19 Testing Service Center, is working with scientists at Vault Pharma, an emerging biotechnology company, to test candidate vaccines against the novel coronavirus.

1 Jun 2020

WVU researchers explore woody biomass for protection against COVID-19

As healthcare facilities grapple with personal protective equipment shortages, West Virginia University researchers are going against the grain to help with an earthy, unorthodox resource: wood.

1 Jun 2020

Study shows mental toll of being a frontline healthcare worker during COVID-19

They worked in hospitals hundreds of miles from the epicenter of COVID-19. Their city of 24 million people locked down hard enough, and did enough testing, that it only had a few hundred cases of the disease.

1 Jun 2020

Studies call for reforms to improve nutritional programs in HIV care settings

HIV management in developing countries varies with socioeconomic and structural circumstances, with two Flinders University studies finding examples of key ways to close the gap for those worst affected in developing countries.

1 Jun 2020

Democratic super PAC uses familiar political play to hit Trump on Medicare

Priorities USA Action, a Democratic super PAC, announced a new digital and TV ad series criticizing President Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

1 Jun 2020

Global survey launched to get children’s views and experiences of COVID-19

he Centre for Children's Rights at Queen's has launched a global survey for children and young people (aged 8-17 years) to get their views and experiences of 'Life under Coronavirus'.

1 Jun 2020

Expert warns that UK employers may face legal action over COVID-19 exposure

Employers across the UK could face legal action from employees who return to work and contract the COVID-19 virus, a leading health and safety expert has warned.

1 Jun 2020

Coronavirus surprise: IRS allows midyear insurance and FSA changes

The economic upheaval and social disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic have upended the assumptions many people made last fall about which insurance plan to sign up for, or how much of their pretax wages to sock away in health or dependent care flexible spending accounts.

1 Jun 2020

Using lung simulators to help tackle COVID-19

COVID-19 is a virus that affects the respiratory system in humans. By using realistic lung simulators, we can understand how this virus affects the lungs.

From neosim AG 1 Jun 2020

Researchers develop new method to measure hydroxychloroquine levels in SLE patients

Researchers at Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital have developed a new method to measure levels of the medication hydroxychloroquine in patients with rheumatic disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

1 Jun 2020

Researchers use optical mapping system to observe the effect of hydroxychloroquine

The malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which has been promoted as a potential treatment for Covid-19, is known to have potentially serious effects on heart rhythms.

1 Jun 2020

No specific COVID-19-linked lesions found despite extensive organ injury

A recent paper published online on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports autopsy results on COVID-19 patients. The paper concludes that there were no specific hallmark lesions of COVID-19 in any of the many organs found to be injured by the infection in patients who died of the disease.

1 Jun 2020

How COVID-19 affects the nervous system

A new paper published in the journal JAMA Neurology in May 2020 discusses the presentation and complications of COVID-19 with respect to the nervous system.

31 May 2020

Anosmia and changes in brain MRI in COVID-19

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic was sweeping across the world, new symptoms and clinical presentations appeared, often confusing the picture. A case report from Italy, published in the journal JAMA Neurology in May 2020, shows that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be a neurotropic virus, and may cause infection to present primarily with anosmia.

31 May 2020

Significant number of COVID-19 positive cases asymptomatic, raising transmission concerns

There have been many instances of people testing positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) who have no symptoms of the infection whatsoever. These asymptomatic patients are, however, still capable of spreading the infection without being aware of it, say experts.

31 May 2020

Ruxolitinib shows promise in severe COVID-19

An anti-inflammatory drug Ruxolitinib has shown promising results in the treatment of severe coronavirus disease COVID-19. The study titled, “Ruxolitinib in treatment of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A multicenter, single-blind, randomized controlled trial,” was published as a pre-proof for the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

31 May 2020

COVID-19 mortality is significantly higher in hospitalized patients with diabetes

A new meta-analysis published on the preprint server medRxiv by the researchers from the United States and Greece reveals that the likelihood of death is 65% higher in hospitalized coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients with diabetes when compared to non-diabetics – urging the adequate glucose control in the era of the pandemic.

31 May 2020

How susceptible are domestic animals to SARS-CoV-2?

A recent paper by Chinese researchers, published in the leading journal Science, shows that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) does not replicate well in dogs, pigs, chickens, and ducks; however, ferrets and cats are easily infected, and cats may transmit the virus via an airborne route.

31 May 2020

Genetic shuffling and evolutionary selection may have led to SARS-CoV-2 emergence

A combination of genetic shuffling and evolutionary selection of near-identical genetic sequences among specific bat and pangolin coronaviruses may have led to the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and its introduction into humans, a new study suggests.

30 May 2020