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First confirmed US case of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection

Of the cases of reinfections worldwide, a particular case has been reported by scientists at the Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada. A 25-year-old man from Washoe County in the United States, the hardest-hit country globally, has more than 7.85 million cases.

14 Oct 2020

D614G mutation in SARS-CoV-2 increases viral fitness and infectivity

Researchers from the Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Duke University, Durham NC, USA, recently analyzed the D614G mutation in SARS-CoV-2 in the context of a soluble S ectodomain construct. Their study has been published in the preprint server bioRxiv.

14 Oct 2020

Children and teens can spread SARS-CoV-2 in their households

A team of researchers from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aimed to determine the secondary attack rates (SAR) among household contacts of children and adolescents who contracted SARS-CoV-2 during an outbreak at an overnight camp in June.

13 Oct 2020

Study finds sex differences among young individuals who suffer a heart attack

Women aged 50 or younger who suffer a heart attack are more likely than men to die over the following 11 years, according to a new study published today (Wednesday) in the European Heart Journal.

13 Oct 2020

Pre-existing immunity to other coronaviruses may be poor

Brenda M. Westerhuis et al., in a recent medRxiv* preprint paper, investigate the antibody cross-reactivity - to explain the severe disease. COVID-19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

13 Oct 2020

Severe morning sickness raises depression risk

Severe morning sickness increases the risk of depression both during and after pregnancy, new research has found.

13 Oct 2020

Microstructural brain differences linked to waist circumference and BMI in children

Differences in the microstructure of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a region in the brain that plays an important role in processing food and other reward stimuli, predict increases in indicators of obesity in children, according to a study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and nine other institutes, all part of the National Institutes of Health.

13 Oct 2020

Salivary samples highly effective in detecting SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the United States has found that oral salivary samples are less sensitive than nasal-oropharyngeal swabs for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA

13 Oct 2020

Researchers develop new model to observe self-optimization phenomenon in neuronal networks

Researchers at the Cyber-Physical Systems Group at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, in conjunction with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, have developed a new model of how information deep in the brain could flow from one network to another and how these neuronal network clusters self-optimize over time.

13 Oct 2020

Using pooled wastewater testing to detect COVID-19 cases

A pilot study testing wastewater from buildings as a surveillance method for COVID-19 found it to be a feasible method for detecting positive cases in highly occupied settings like dormitories.

13 Oct 2020

Scientists examine a novel approach to analyzing dendritic spine shapes

Dendritic spines are small protrusions from a neuron's dendrite membrane, where contact with neighboring axons is formed to receive synaptic input.

13 Oct 2020

Mothers transmit passive protection against SARS-CoV-2 to their newborns

A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 shows that newborns may be protected from acquiring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection by antibodies in the mother’s blood that travels through the placenta.

13 Oct 2020

Drug derived from a natural human protein could stop lethal lung damage from the flu

The raging lung inflammation that can contribute to death from the flu can be stopped in its tracks by a drug derived from a naturally occurring human protein, a new animal study suggests.

13 Oct 2020

Cancer patients who smoke more likely to quit with frequent, sustained telephone counseling

Recently diagnosed cancer patients who smoke are significantly more likely to quit and remain tobacco-free if they receive frequent and sustained telephone counseling, according to a new study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital.

13 Oct 2020

Are antibiotics being over prescribed in COVID-19?

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 shows that the baseline levels of inflammatory markers and C-reactive protein (CRP) in relation to antibiotic administration can rule out bacterial co-infections and help reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

13 Oct 2020

Better sleep improves next-day mindfulness, finds study

Sleeping an extra 29 minutes each night can be the key to improving mindfulness, a critical resource that has benefits for daily well-being and work performance.

13 Oct 2020

PPE may account for low SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in healthcare workers

A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 shows that among healthcare workers, and especially among first responders, less than 1% and just over 5%, respectively, had antibodies to the virus.

13 Oct 2020

Empathy can be used actively to combat the COVID-19 pandemic

Empathy for vulnerable people in risk groups motivates us to use face masks and keep our distance, so that we help to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to the study, which has just been published in the journal Psychological Science.

13 Oct 2020

Low-level developmental lead exposure increases risk of relapse to alcohol seeking in mice

A new IU study examining effects of low-level developmental lead exposure in mice could explain why some people dependent on alcohol return to using.

13 Oct 2020

Sleep disorders common during COVID-19 pandemic

A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020 reveals the significant prevalence of sleep abnormalities among the population in areas affected by COVID-19. This is likely to cause a heavy toll on mental and physical health if sustained over the long run.

13 Oct 2020