Disease/Infection News

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Interim analysis of phase 3 study shows excellent efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

South African study data were used to evaluate the safety of the vaccine in the results just published, but not its efficacy [which refers to the percentage reduction of disease].

9 Dec 2020

Researchers present new project for detection of SARS-COV-2 virus in indoor air

Researchers at the Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO) and the Universitat de València (UV) have presented the AIRCOV project for the detection of the SARS-COV-2 virus in indoor air.

9 Dec 2020

Toxin produced by E. coli bacteria also has nondiarrheal effects on the digestive tract

For people in wealthy countries, diarrhea is usually nothing more than an uncomfortable inconvenience for a few days. But for a poor child in a developing country, repeated bouts of diarrhea can lead to serious health consequences such as malnutrition, stunted growth and cognitive deficits.

9 Dec 2020

Researchers examine how COVID-19 face masks can be made more effective

Face masks are helpful in preventing the spread of COVID-19, but researchers believe they can be made even more effective, something that has implications far beyond the current pandemic as masks could become a more commonly used public health intervention.

9 Dec 2020

FDA approves first COVID-19 direct-to-consumer test

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized LabCorp's Pixel COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit for use by any individual 18 years and older without a prescription.

9 Dec 2020

UCI researchers develop noninvasive, at-home saliva test to detect COVID-19

Researchers in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine announced promising results in the development of a noninvasive at-home antigen test to detect the spike of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in saliva.

9 Dec 2020

Study reveals COVID-19 outcomes for Californians with intellectual and development disabilities

A new study published recently in ScienceDirect by researchers from Syracuse University and SUNY Upstate Medical University shows that California residents who receive services for intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) have lower COVID-19 case rates but a higher case-fatality rate than the general population.

9 Dec 2020

Covid-19's impact on cancer services and research

The National Cancer Research Institute, Cancer Research UK and Public Health England's National Disease Registration Service hosted a Cancer/Covid-19 Research Summit with researchers from different disciplines discussing the impact that Covid-19 is having on cancer services and research.

9 Dec 2020

New guidelines improved the ability to predict C. diff infection mortality

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the most common health care-associated infection in the United States, causing an estimated 12,800 deaths each year.

9 Dec 2020

COVID-19 control measures reduce walking activities in United States

An international team of researchers has conducted a study demonstrating the effects that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) control measures have had on people’s walking patterns in the United States.

9 Dec 2020

Study suggests vast majority of Seattle population remains susceptible to COVID-19

Researchers in the United States have conducted a study suggesting that a small proportion of people living in Seattle were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – by around late March/early April 2020.

9 Dec 2020

Virginia Tech researchers awarded NIH grant to develop Zika virus vaccine

Flaviviruses -- a group of viruses transmitted by ticks or mosquitoes -- infect an estimated 400 million people annually with diseases like yellow fever, Dengue fever, West Nile virus, and, most recently, Zika virus.

9 Dec 2020

Different SARS-CoV-2 neutralization assays are reliable and concordant for antibody monitoring

A recent study by US researchers, currently available on the medRxiv preprint server, evaluated several cell-based assays that are under validation for determining correlates of protection in individuals with symptomatic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and vaccine studies – and demonstrated their high concordance with both live and pseudotyped virions.

9 Dec 2020

The impact of COVID-19 on emergency medical services: a case study

A team of researchers based in Turkey has now studied the pandemic's effect on emergency medical services (EMS). Their study, titled "Effects of COVID‐19 pandemic on emergency medical services," was published in the latest issue of The International Journal of Clinical Practice.

9 Dec 2020

Obesity increases the risk of severe COVID-19, study finds

Researchers reveal that being overweight and obese are common risk factors for developing severe COVID-19. However, they suggested further assessment of metabolic parameters, including body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio, and insulin levels, to estimate the risk.

9 Dec 2020

Researchers develop analytical model to gauge SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in schools

Research highlight the risk of virus spread in schools in the Netherlands. Since most schools across countries have resumed in-person or face-to-face classes, knowing the virus's risk and transmission dynamics in this context is crucial.

9 Dec 2020

The effects of cigarette smoke and COPD on SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers have revealed some of the effects of cigarette smoke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on SARS-CoV-2 infection.

9 Dec 2020

UofL receives DoD funding to develop a nasal spray for preventing COVID-19

The University of Louisville has received funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to develop a nasal spray to prevent serious viral respiratory infections such as COVID-19 using Q-Griffithsin, a drug compound developed and co-owned by UofL.

9 Dec 2020

What safety measures have food suppliers implemented in response to COVID-19?

Researchers surveyed small to large food companies in 16 countries on food safety attributes and emergency plans. They found that less than half the food companies had documented putting emergency plans in place for pandemics and public health crises.

9 Dec 2020

Neutrophils may play a key role in COVID-19-related thrombosis

A team of researchers in Italy have published a study suggesting that rather than platelets, neutrophils could be playing the lead role in thrombotic complications associated with COVID-19.

9 Dec 2020