Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Parents complain that pediatricians, wary of COVID, shift sick kids to urgent care

A mom of eight boys, Kim Gudgeon was at her wits' end when she called her family doctor in suburban Chicago to schedule a sick visit for increasingly fussy, 1-year-old Bryce.

23 Nov 2020

Oxford University and AstraZeneca release their COVID-19 vaccine results

AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have just released their results from its interim analysis of AZD1222, a vaccine being trialed to prevent COVID-19.

From AstraZeneca 23 Nov 2020

Signaling pathway promotes cancer growth by blocking pro-growth signals from second major cancer pathway

Sometimes, too much of a good thing can turn out to be bad. This is certainly the case for the excessive cell growth found in cancer. But when cancers try to grow too fast, this excessive speed can cause a type of cellular ageing that actually results in arrested growth.

23 Nov 2020

Study suggests neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies offer protection against reinfection

A new study published in November 2020 on the preprint server medRxiv* indicates that the chances of symptomatic infection are indeed much lower among the population with antibodies to the virus.

22 Nov 2020

Pomegranate peel extract shows potential as inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 virus

Researchers led by first author Relja Suručić from the Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, have studied the use of pomegranate peel extracts in preventing infections with SARS-CoV-2.

22 Nov 2020

Analysis shows social distancing helped reduce nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission in London

Recently, a team of researchers from the King's College London, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, and St Thomas' Hospital, London analyzed comprehensive epidemiological and viral nanopore sequence data from 574 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by a PCR test in March 2020.

22 Nov 2020

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune globulin produced from convalescent plasma pool has 3-fold antibody neutralizing activity

In a recent study published in the preprint server bioRxiv, researchers from the Grifols Bioscience Research Group reported on the collection of convalescent plasma and production of anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune globulin for use in clinical research.

22 Nov 2020

Assessment tool accurately predicts outcomes for COVID-19 patients

A study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine this month reports on an assessment tool developed by Kaiser Permanente researchers and physicians that helps ensure patients get the right care, when they need it, by accurately predicting the probability that patients with COVID-19 symptoms will experience severe disease or even death.

20 Nov 2020

Scientists investigate how cell membrane and COVID-19 virus impact each other

The cell membrane is the cell's outermost line of defense against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 disease.

20 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 transmission model predicts when schools can be safely reopened

Can schools safely remain open or reopen during periods of significant community spread of COVID-19? According to predictions from a model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the school setting, yes - if appropriate precautions are followed both in school and in the community.

20 Nov 2020

Research reveals T-cell abnormalities in severe COVID-19 cases

There is an idea within the coronavirus research field that there is some kind of T cell abnormality in critically ill COVID-19 patients, but specific details have not yet been clarified.

20 Nov 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Transition troubles mount as COVID spreads

President-elect Joe Biden is still being blocked from launching his official transition while President Donald Trump contests the outcome of the election. That could be particularly dangerous for public health as COVID-19 spreads around the country at an alarming rate.

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

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

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

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

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

High cost of drugs could lead to more than 1.1 million deaths among Medicare recipients

More than 1.1 million Medicare patients could die over the next decade because they cannot afford to pay for their prescription medications, according to a new study released today by the West Health Policy Center, a nonprofit and nonpartisan policy research group and Xcenda, the research arm of the drug distributor AmerisourceBergen.

19 Nov 2020

Texas Biomed awarded $1 million to evaluate MAb therapeutics for COVID-19

Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, was awarded $1 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to test the efficacy of human monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

19 Nov 2020

Swiss data shows COVID-19 three times more deadly than the flu

Despite this, COVID-19 is often downplayed to be only a seasonal flu by many. This may be because both influenza and COVID-19 have a similar initial presentation, and it is tough to distinguish between the two based on just the clinical presentation.

19 Nov 2020