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Could spironolactone treat COVID-19-related pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis?

Researchers have described the potential of the drug spironolactone, a potassium-sparing diuretic, and anti-androgen, in preventing or alleviating the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia, and in preventing pulmonary fibrosis.

27 Jan 2021

What do we know about the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines so far?

A new study surveys what we know so far about SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates from advanced clinical trials.

27 Jan 2021

Purdue University-affiliated startup receives NSF grant to study severe COVID-19 cases

A Purdue University-affiliated startup is receiving national support to pursue a strategy to treat severe COVID-19 cases and possible future outbreaks involving other viruses.

27 Jan 2021

Allarity Therapeutics announces plans to test antiviral activity of stenoparib drug

Allarity Therapeutics of Hørsholm, Denmark, today announced plans to further test the antiviral activity of stenoparib, its PARP inhibitor, against SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7, also known as Coronavirus Variant B117 (the "British variant"), at the COVID-19 Testing Service Center (CTSC) of Northern Arizona University's Pathogen and Microbiome Institute (PMI), a leading U.S. infectious disease testing center.

27 Jan 2021

Certain malaria parasites use a mechanism to cross the blood–brain barrier

Malaria is one of the most common causes of death in children in Africa and is triggered by a small parasite that lives in the blood. When the parasite builds up in the blood vessels of the brain, it develops into one of the most dangerous forms of the disease, cerebral malaria.

27 Jan 2021

Medicaid expansion helps detect more numbers of undiagnosed HIV infections

The Medicaid expansion facilitated by the Affordable Care Act led to increases in the identification of undiagnosed HIV infections and in the use of HIV prevention services such as preexposure prophylaxis drugs, says new research co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts who study the intersection of health care and public policy.

27 Jan 2021

Eviction moratoria and relief from utility disconnections reduce COVID-19 cases

Policies that helped financially struggling Americans stay in their homes and keep access to water and electricity during the COVID-19 pandemic also helped reduce the spread of the virus, according to a new analysis by Duke University researchers.

27 Jan 2021

New ACR Steering Committee established to guide diagnostic testing during COVID-19 pandemic

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the premier global, molecular diagnostic professional society, today announced the formation of the AMP COVID Response (ACR) Steering Committee to help coordinate and communicate the organization's continued efforts to guide diagnostic testing during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and preparations for future emerging outbreaks.

27 Jan 2021

Study sheds new light on digital contact tracing to control the spread of COVID-19

An international research collaboration, involving scientists from the UK, US and Spain, has shed new light on the usefulness of digital contact tracing (DCT) to control the spread of Covid-19.

27 Jan 2021

Survey: 74% of respondents consider national vaccination strategy to be appropriate

According to the BfR-Corona-Monitor, three out of four respondents consider the national vaccination strategy appropriate.

27 Jan 2021

Study: Use of online messaging and social media apps spiked during COVID-19 pandemic

The use of online messaging and social media apps among Singapore residents has spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) study has found.

27 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2 spike may impair antigen presentation by CD8 T cells

A new study published on the bioRxiv preprint server aims to identify specific viral epitopes on the spike protein from various regions of the spike protein and the T cell responses they evoke.

27 Jan 2021

Flu vaccinations for hospital workers can substantially reduce influenza-related deaths

Pneumonia and the flu kill tens of thousands of Americans each year, racking up billions of dollars in medical costs and even more in lost productivity.

27 Jan 2021

Suicide mosquitos may prevent the spread of Zika virus

In 2016, the World Health Organization called the Zika virus epidemic a "public health emergency of international concern" due to the virus causing birth defects for pregnant women in addition to neurological problems.

27 Jan 2021

Rapid transmission of N501Y variants may be due to favorable effects on host receptor binding

Now, in new research posted to the preprint server bioRxiv*, scientists use an experimental structure of the Spike RBD domain co-crystallized with part of the ACE2 receptor and several in silico methods to analyze the possible impacts of three amino acid replacements (Spike K417N, E484K, N501Y) concerning ACE2 binding.

27 Jan 2021

Cell phone data can reveal behavioral changes in people diagnosed with flu-like illness

Cell phone data that is routinely collected by telecommunications providers can reveal changes of behavior in people who are diagnosed with a flu-like illness, while also protecting their anonymity, a new study finds.

26 Jan 2021

Mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain analyzed

Using more than 100,000 virus genome sequences uploaded in the GISAID database, researchers found around 9,000 mutations in the virus spike protein RBD.

26 Jan 2021

Rapid reopening crucial in promoting the second wave of COVID-19

The spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected almost a hundred million people, with over two million deaths being attributed to this illness over the past 12 months or so. The only means to counter this so far has been through non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).

26 Jan 2021

Antibodies and inflammatory markers may help identify COVID-19 cases and predict severity

A new preprint appearing on the medRxiv server describes the changes that occur in numerous antibodies and inflammatory molecules with age and at varying stages, or severity, of the infection and resulting illness. The results may help to predict the risk in individual cases.

26 Jan 2021

'Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome' likely to substantially impact NHS in England

Researchers in the UK have warned that cardiometabolic and pulmonary events among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors following their discharge from hospital is likely to have an ongoing and substantial impact on the National Health Service (NHS) in England.

26 Jan 2021

Disease/Infection News

Could spironolactone treat COVID-19-related pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis?

What do we know about the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines so far?

Purdue University-affiliated startup receives NSF grant to study severe COVID-19 cases

Allarity Therapeutics announces plans to test antiviral activity of stenoparib drug

Certain malaria parasites use a mechanism to cross the blood–brain barrier

Medicaid expansion helps detect more numbers of undiagnosed HIV infections

Eviction moratoria and relief from utility disconnections reduce COVID-19 cases

New ACR Steering Committee established to guide diagnostic testing during COVID-19 pandemic

Study sheds new light on digital contact tracing to control the spread of COVID-19

Survey: 74% of respondents consider national vaccination strategy to be appropriate

Study: Use of online messaging and social media apps spiked during COVID-19 pandemic

SARS-CoV-2 spike may impair antigen presentation by CD8 T cells

Flu vaccinations for hospital workers can substantially reduce influenza-related deaths

Suicide mosquitos may prevent the spread of Zika virus

Rapid transmission of N501Y variants may be due to favorable effects on host receptor binding

Cell phone data can reveal behavioral changes in people diagnosed with flu-like illness

Mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain analyzed

Rapid reopening crucial in promoting the second wave of COVID-19

Antibodies and inflammatory markers may help identify COVID-19 cases and predict severity

'Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome' likely to substantially impact NHS in England

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

How cohesin mechanics and nanotracker tech are redefining DNA research

Todd Bauman and Chris Povich

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