Disease/Infection News

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Non-invasive point of care imaging can aid rapid diagnosis of corneal infections

Simple, non-invasive imaging at the point of care can aid the diagnosis of corneal infections, reducing the risk of sight loss and helping patients' vision return to pre-infection levels.

20 Nov 2020

Lancaster University to help control the spread of invasive malaria mosquito

Lancaster University is involved in a major research project which aims to control the spread of an invasive malaria mosquito in Sudan and Ethiopia.

20 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 suppresses ACE2 activity in COVID-19 patients

A recent study conducted by a team of international scientists has revealed that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), suppresses the expression and function of human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and induces the expression of interferon-stimulated genes at the initial phase of infection. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

20 Nov 2020

Food products are potential SARS-CoV-2 carriers, study finds

A team of scientists at the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and the Food Safety Research Center in Iran has emphasized the risk of various staple food products, including meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and ready-to-eat foods, as potential carriers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

20 Nov 2020

Furin inhibition may mitigate severe COVID-19, study finds

Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, a researcher at the Institute for Functional Medicine in the United States, has explained the role of furin protease in developing severe COVID-19 illness.

20 Nov 2020

Scientists explain potential reasons for SARS-CoV-2 re-infection

A study, which was published in the journal New Microbes and New Infections, focused on the possible reasons for SARS-CoV-2 reinfection.

20 Nov 2020

How effective have COVID-19 mitigation strategies been in Australia's second wave?

Researchers have modeled the effect of the different types of social distancing implemented in Australia's greater Melbourne area in response to the county's second wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. They found implementing stricter lockdowns in the beginning before the rapid rise in cases works best. The team's findings have been made available on the preprint server, medRxiv*.

20 Nov 2020

Universal screening for SARS-CoV-2 may be an ineffective mitigation strategy, says study

A team of researchers in the Netherlands have reported that regular, universal and random screening and isolation of infectious individuals may not be a viable strategy for reopening society after bringing a wave of SARS-CoV-2 under control.

20 Nov 2020

Researchers develop nasal spray against COVID-19 virus

A nasal spray to provide protection against the COVID-19 virus has been formulated by researchers at the University of Birmingham, UK, using materials already cleared for use in humans.

20 Nov 2020

Trump’s lame-duck status leaves governors to wing it on COVID

Not long after the world learned that President Donald Trump had lost his reelection bid, states began issuing a new round of crackdowns and emergency declarations against the surging coronavirus.

20 Nov 2020

These front-line workers could have retired. They risked their lives instead.

Sonia Brown’s husband died on June 10. Two weeks later, the 65-year-old registered nurse was back at work. Her husband's medical bills and a car payment loomed over her head.

20 Nov 2020

Fear of flying is a COVID-era conundrum

The holidays are approaching just as COVID-19 case rates nationwide are increasing at a record-breaking pace, leading to dire warnings from public health experts.

20 Nov 2020

MMR vaccine could protect against COVID-19

The number of reported global infections of SARS-CoV-2 stands at 56.88 million as of 19 November 2020, and this number continues to rise.

20 Nov 2020

Researchers receive coveted award for outstanding research on COVID-19

The 2020 ACM Gordon Bell Special Prize for High Performance Computing-Based COVID-19 Research was presented to a 12-member team for their project "AI-Driven Multiscale Simulations Illuminate Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Dynamics."

20 Nov 2020

Study: More investment is needed to produce, distribute approved COVID-19 vaccines

The success of a COVID-19 vaccine will depend not only on its efficacy but will hinge at least as much on how fast and widely it can be delivered, the severity of the pandemic, and the public's willingness to be immunized, according to a study published in Health Affairs.

20 Nov 2020

Residents of many countries have a positive attitude towards Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus

The Russian Direct Investment Fund, announces the results of a survey of more than 12,000 respondents in 11 countries on their attitude towards vaccination against coronavirus and their vaccine preferences.

20 Nov 2020

Pork consumption is not likely to cause COVID-19 infection

According to the current state of knowledge, there are no cases that have shown evidence of humans being infected with the novel coronavirus via the consumption of contaminated food.

20 Nov 2020

Multi-institution team receives prestigious award for breakthrough research on SARS-CoV-2

The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) awarded its first ACM Gordon Bell Special Prize for High Performance Computing-Based COVID-19 Research to a multi-institution research team that included the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory.

20 Nov 2020

Scientists develop a new vaccine approach for HIV

Unlike so many other deadly viruses, HIV still lacks a vaccine. The virus--which continues to infect millions around the world--has proven especially tricky to prevent with conventional antibodies, in part because it evolves so rapidly in the body.

20 Nov 2020

New COVID-19 app can make contact tracing more private and secure

Engineers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Virginia Tech are collaborating on a smartphone app that can help conduct contact tracing needed to contain the spread of COVID-19 without risking users' privacy or personal security. Their work is funded by a one-year, $120,000 RAPID grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

20 Nov 2020