Disease/Infection News

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Study reveals the therapeutic applications of medicinal plants

Both Asia and Africa are home to many plants that can be used for the treatment of many diseases and their medicinal properties are gaining interest in western societies.

17 Feb 2021

New study explores the effect of COVID-19 on motherhood

It's no secret that the risk related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) increases with age, making older adults more vulnerable than younger people.

17 Feb 2021

Antibody testing is key to understand immune response to SARS-CoV-2

While PCR testing has been used widely for COVID-19 diagnosis, it only provides information on who is currently infected. Antibody testing can tell who has been previously exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, a metric that is essential for tracking spread across a population.

17 Feb 2021

Drastic population collapse in Central Africa was caused by prolonged disease epidemic, indicates study

A new study published in the journal Science Advances shows that Bantu-speaking communities in the Congo rainforest underwent a major population collapse from 1600 to 1400 years ago, probably due to a prolonged disease epidemic, and that significant resettlement did not restart until around 1000 years ago.

16 Feb 2021

MRI scans reveal major abnormalities in the eyes of people with severe COVID-19

Researchers using MRI have found significant abnormalities in the eyes of some people with severe COVID-19, according to a study published in the journal Radiology.

16 Feb 2021

Nsp1 protein could provide new treatments for COVID-19

A study that identifies how a coronavirus protein called Nsp1 blocks the activity of genes that promote viral replication provides hope for new COVID-19 treatments.

16 Feb 2021

Humidity created inside facemasks may help combat COVID-19, study finds

A new study, published in the journal Biophysical Journal by researchers at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), showed that face masks increase the humidity in the air that the mask-wearers inhale. The level of moisture in inhaled air could be linked to lower levels of COVID-19 severity.

16 Feb 2021

Pan-coronavirus vaccine needed to deal SARS-CoV-2 variants

In an article, published on the JAMA Network and written by health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, American physician-scientist and immunologist serving as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the authors discuss the need for a pan-coronavirus vaccine, which can protect against most or all variants of SARS-CoV-2.

16 Feb 2021

Virus transmission by dental tools and prevention by antiviral agent

Researchers at the University of Ljubljana have demonstrated how a virus can spread by droplets during ultrasonic scaler (USS) operation and how this spread can be mitigated by merely substituting the irrigant with clinical virucidal agents, namely sodium hypochlorite and EOW (Electrolyzed Oxidizing Water).

16 Feb 2021

Detection of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant in New York

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena have developed a software tool called "Variant Database" that has detected an emerging lineage of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) isolates in New York.

16 Feb 2021

Stability and pathogenicity of MERS coronavirus varies across different viral strains

An international team of researchers has conducted a study suggesting that individual variation across different strains of betacoronaviruses can alter their stability and pathogenicity profiles.

16 Feb 2021

Asthma may influence the evolution of influenza virus, study shows

A subtype of asthma in adults may cause higher susceptibility to influenza and could result in dangerous flu mutations.

16 Feb 2021

A pangolin coronavirus spike glycoprotein sheds light on SARS-CoV-2’s evolution

As the exact zoonotic origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains unresolved, scientists at the Francis Crick Institute in London, UK, explored the structure and binding properties of a Pangolin coronavirus spike glycoprotein to see if it could shed light on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2.

16 Feb 2021

UV light can be used to disinfect SARS-CoV-2 contaminated surfaces, says study

Using different UV exposure times and dosages, researchers showed that surfaces like glass, plastic, stainless steel, and N95 respirator material could be quickly and easily disinfected.

16 Feb 2021

Artemisia plant extracts show potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in vitro

A team of scientists from Germany and the USA recently explored the effectiveness of traditional plant medicines in treating SARS-CoV-2 infection.

16 Feb 2021

What are the changes in the physical phenotype of blood cells in COVID-19?

While primarily a respiratory illness, there are distinctive alterations in the type and number of blood cells in COVID-19. A new study by a team of researchers in Germany describes the nature of these changes.

16 Feb 2021

British and South African SARS-CoV-2 variants show some resistance to neutralizing antibodies

Researchers in France report impaired neutralization of two new SARS-CoV-2 variants by antibodies induced by vaccination or natural infection.

16 Feb 2021

Clonally expanded plasma cell lineages in SARS-CoV-2 produce specific neutralizing antibodies

A new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv server provides a greater understanding of the aspect of humoral immunity against the virus – the plasma cells that pour out a flood of specific antibodies targeting various epitopes on the pathogen.

16 Feb 2021

Mink-derived SARS-CoV-2 mutations reduce antibody effectiveness

A new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv* server shows that these mutations disrupt inhibition by neutralizing antibodies, both natural and therapeutic.

16 Feb 2021

Elevated Activin A and FLRG levels correlate with worst outcomes in severe COVID-19

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection causes a "cytokine storm" in hospitalized and ICU patients. Studies have shown that the blockade of cytokine signaling and steroid treatment helps achieve positive outcomes in patients.

15 Feb 2021