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Anosmia and ageusia may be useful as COVID-19 surveillance case definitions

A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 reports the utility of alterations in taste and smell to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 among contacts and in a community that lacks unlimited testing resources.

7 Oct 2020

Transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in two Indian states

Indian and American researchers collaborated to study the trends of transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in two Indian states – Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Their study titled, “Epidemiology and transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in two Indian states,” was published in the latest issue of the journal Science last week.

7 Oct 2020

Religion and risk of COVID-19 in UK

Their study titled, “Religious affiliation and the risk of COVID 19 related mortality; a retrospective analysis of variation in pre and post lockdown risk by religious group in England and Wales,” was published in the pre-publication site medRxiv.

7 Oct 2020

Study identifies the exact neurons that are most affected by epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases. It is caused by a malfunction in brain cells and is usually treated with medicines that control or counteract the seizures.

7 Oct 2020

Research team discovers a new key player in long-term memory

A McGill-led multi-institutional research team has discovered that during memory consolidation, there are at least two distinct processes taking place in two different brain networks - the excitatory and inhibitory networks.

7 Oct 2020

No rise in extremely preterm births during COVID-19 lockdown

Since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have implemented restrictions on mobility and social interactions, including lockdowns. This has been associated with a reduction in the number of extremely preterm (EP) babies, according to one Danish study. A recent paper published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 reveals that this may not be the case.

7 Oct 2020

New approach can help paramedics better identify patients at high risk for adverse cardiac events

Is this person with chest pain having a heart attack? That's a question EMTs frequently confront when responding to 911 calls.

7 Oct 2020

Study reveals major deficits in addressing asylum seekers’ mental health needs

A new study of asylum seekers in Germany suggests that, among those with symptoms of depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), few receive a diagnosis from the health care system, and of those diagnosed, many do not receive treatment.

7 Oct 2020

Older adults use cannabis for medical purposes, study finds

With growing interest in its potential health benefits and new legislation favoring legalization in more states, cannabis use is becoming more common among older adults.

7 Oct 2020

Proteolytic cleavage of nucleocapsid helps SARS-CoV-2 evade host immune responses

A team of scientists of the University of Oxford reveals that the nucleocapsid protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) undergoes autoproteolysis, and that resulting products can escape the host immune responses and facilitate viral proliferation. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

7 Oct 2020

Study shows effective light-induced inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 with conjugated oligomers and polymers

A new pilot study by US researchers demonstrates an alternative approach to long-lasting disinfection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by using cationic phenylene ethynylene polymers and oligomers (i.e., conjugated electrolytes). The paper is currently available on medRxiv* preprint server.

7 Oct 2020

COVID-19 mortality linked to differences in trust and income inequality

rust in public institutions is linked to fewer COVID-19 deaths, but trust and belonging to groups is associated with more deaths, according to a wide-ranging, McGill-led study of 30-day COVID-19 mortality rates in 84 countries.

7 Oct 2020

Rapid, low-cost test for potential universal COVID-19 monitoring

An international team of researchers has presented a convenient, low-cost serology test to detect antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that could potentially be made available universally.

7 Oct 2020

Mask mandates associated with significant reduction in COVID-19 cases

A new study by Simon Fraser University researchers has found clear evidence that wearing a mask can have a significant impact on the spread of COVID-19.

7 Oct 2020

Cardiff University mathematician develops new method for rapid COVID-19 testing

A mathematician from Cardiff University has developed a new method for processing large volumes of COVID-19 tests which he believes could lead to significantly more tests being performed at once and results being returned much quicker.

7 Oct 2020

Researcher receives NIA grant to study traumatic stress-related accelerated cellular aging in the brain

Erika Wolf, PhD, clinical research psychologist for the National Center for PTSD at the VA Boston Healthcare System and associate professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, is the recipient of a four-year, $1.7 million R01 award from the National Institute on Aging to study traumatic stress related accelerated cellular aging in the brain.

7 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infection analysis could help fight against COVID-19

Researchers in the United States has provided a detailed catalog of the interactions that occur between host cell proteins and RNA and the RNA of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the course of infection.

7 Oct 2020

New biomarker may help identify patients at risk for graft-versus-host disease after stem cell transplants

A recent report published in Science Translational Medicine by MUSC Hollings Cancer Center investigator Sophie Paczesny, M.D., Ph.D., sheds light on immune cell biomarkers that may reveal which patients are most at risk for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a life-threatening condition that can arise after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for treatment of liquid cancers such as leukemia.

7 Oct 2020

Researchers hope to develop an effective COVID-19 vaccine using bovine adenovirus

A researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is part of a team of scientists working to develop a unique COVID-19 vaccine that uses a bovine adenovirus as a safe and effective delivery vehicle.

7 Oct 2020

Researchers receive NIH grant to investigate link between loneliness and Alzheimer's risk

Two researchers from The Neuro, with collaborators from the StoP-AD Centre at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, will lead a research program centered on an emerging field of neuroscience thanks to a grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Aging in the USA.

7 Oct 2020