Disease/Infection News

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Simple method provides real-time surveillance to control the spread of drug-resistant gonorrhea

A dual therapy treatment regimen of expanded-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs) plus azithromycin (AZM) is the recommended standard of care for gonorrhea.

27 Oct 2020

COVID-19 vaccine tracker provides real-time updates on effective vaccine

McGill University professor Nicole Basta and her team have created an interactive online COVID-19 vaccine tracker, that provides real-time updates on progress in developing a safe and effective vaccine.

27 Oct 2020

Lung biomarkers may predict severe COVID-19

Two University of New Mexico researchers postulate certain specific biomarkers' relevance in predicting the potential for progression to severe COVID-19 in a paper published on the preprint server bioRxiv*

27 Oct 2020

Frequent testing and isolation/quarantine essential to contain COVID-19

A recent study by researchers at Virginia Tech and Central China Normal University published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 discusses the various interventions required and the level of control required, whether to flatten the curve or reduce the case number.

27 Oct 2020

Study identifies cardiac structural damage experienced by COVID-19 patients

Cardiac ultrasounds (also known as echocardiograms) are providing a view of the heart and the impact of the COVID-19 virus on patients.

27 Oct 2020

Fear and isolation drives PTSD among health/social workers in COVID-19

A new study, published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020, identifies the factors that predict distress in HSCW and emphasizes the importance of adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE).

27 Oct 2020

Researchers identify effective way to protect vulnerable people from COVID-19

T-cells taken from the blood of people who recovered from a COVID-19 infection can be successfully multiplied in the lab and maintain the ability to effectively target proteins that are key to the virus's function, according to a new study published Oct. 26 in Blood.

27 Oct 2020

About 15% of COVID-19-related deaths linked to long-term exposure to air pollution

Long-term exposure to air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of dying from COVID-19 and, for the first time, a study has estimated the proportion of deaths from the coronavirus that could be attributed to the exacerbating effects of air pollution for every country in the world.

27 Oct 2020

Scientists to minimize COVID-19 cases and transmission among food industry workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the nation's food supply, in part due to food industry workers falling ill, which reduces the workforce and can lead to temporary facility shut-downs.

27 Oct 2020

New tool predicts prognosis of individual patients with COVID-19

A new artificial intelligence-based score considers multiple factors to predict the prognosis of individual patients with COVID-19 seen at urgent care clinics or emergency departments.

27 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 is mainly spread in households and household-like settings

Ten months into the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, health experts have a good understanding of how the virus spreads. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads through respiratory droplets and aerosols and enters the body through the mouth, nose, and eyes.

27 Oct 2020

COVID-19 antibiotic risk factors

Now, a team of researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center aimed to determine antibiotic prescribing rates and risk factors for antibiotic prescribing in hospitalized patients. They found that almost one-third of patients received more than one course of antibiotics.

27 Oct 2020

10-24-year-olds are as susceptible to COVID-19 as older adults

In an attempt to replicate the results of previous studies, a team of researchers performed statistical analyses on COVID-19 prevalence data from the U.S. to compare the number of cases in adolescents and youth to that in older adults. Their work is published on the preprint server medRxiv.

27 Oct 2020

New research on small non-coding RNAs and SARS-CoV-2

A recently published mini-review in the Frontiers in Microbiology on the altered expression of small non-coding RNAs during coronavirus-mediated infections.

26 Oct 2020

Phase 1 trial results of gorilla adenovirus vaccine for COVID-19

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020 reports the development of a novel vaccine based on a simian adenoviral vector obtained from a group C gorilla isolate called GRAd32. This could help speed up vaccine development.

26 Oct 2020

Researchers generate a transcriptomic map of the COVID brain

COVID-19 is known to be associated with multiple changes in gene expression, but many of these are also seen in chronic brain conditions as well as in some abnormal mental conditions. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 uncovers the molecular basis of this association.

26 Oct 2020

New peptide derivatives that target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

In a new study published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, researchers report peptide derivatives, or peptidomimetics, based on the circle residues involved in the interaction of the spike protein and ACE2.

26 Oct 2020

Transcriptomics identifies possible COVID-19 therapies

By using a diverse set of transcriptomic SARS-CoV-2 signatures, US researchers put to use their previously developed drug repositioning pipeline to pinpoint potential drug candidates for the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The study is currently available on bioRxiv preprint server.

26 Oct 2020

Study suggests 5’UTR of SARS-CoV-2 might be of pangolin coronavirus origin

Findings from a new genomic sequencing study support the hypothesis that the pangolin was the intermediate host for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that enabled transmission of the virus to humans.

26 Oct 2020

Nasal spray formulation of ivermectin for COVID-19 shows promise in pigs

Researchers in Argentina have conducted a pre-clinical study demonstrating the safety and pharmacokinetic performance of a new nasal spray formulation designed to suppress the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

26 Oct 2020