Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

COVID-19 causes significant dilation of lung blood vessels, indicates study

A new pilot study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai suggests that COVID-19 is causing significant dilation of the blood vessels of the lung, specifically the capillaries.

21 Aug 2020

Researchers compare COVID-19 transmission risk when singing, speaking and breathing

Now, a new study* set to determine if singing and playing of woodwind and brass instruments produce more respiratory droplets and aerosols than speaking. Further, they want to know if the size and temperature of the venue will make a difference in the accumulation of aerosol droplets in the air.

21 Aug 2020

Strand-like muscle fibers in the heart tied to heart failure risk

The muscular band of heart tissue called the moderator band or the septomarginal trabecula is found in the right ventricle of the heart and was first described by Leonardo da Vinci in his exploration of human anatomy.

21 Aug 2020

Lack of consistency in COVID-19-related data could harm prevention efforts

Since COVID-19 emerged late last year, there's been an enormous amount of research produced on this novel coronavirus disease.

20 Aug 2020

Influenza A virus can spread by airborne aerosolized fomites, finds study

Viruses like the influenza virus and even the novel coronavirus are capable of spreading from person to person via airborne droplets as well as dust, fibers, and other surfaces. Now, a new study provides evidence of airborne virus transport on microscopic particles called “aerosolized fomites.”

20 Aug 2020

Study evaluates the reliability of new serological assays for detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

Approximately four months after the initial description of cases of atypical pneumonia in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, COVID-19 had become a major pandemic threat.

20 Aug 2020

New hybrid mask allows ENTs to see more patients

An ear, nose, and throat doctor has invented a simple mask design that significantly improves safety during aerosol-generating procedures of the head and neck.

20 Aug 2020

COVID-19 could compromise key element of immune response

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have made the unsettling discovery that infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) might compromise the activation of the CD8+ T-cell responses that would usually ameliorate disease and drive recovery in cases of respiratory disease.

20 Aug 2020

Post-mortem study of dead COVID-19 patients finds lung damage and blood clots

A new post-mortem study of patients who have died from COVID-19 found severe damage to the lungs and signs of blood clotting in major organs.

20 Aug 2020

Defiance and low trust in doctors associated with anti-vaccination attitudes

The results of a study conducted by scientists at the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, and University of Bristol, show that people who tend to react negatively to rules and recommendations have lower trust in medical doctors and a more negative attitude towards vaccines, or reject vaccines for themselves or their children.

20 Aug 2020

Low indoor air humidity increases spread of SARS-CoV-2

The airborne transmission of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 via aerosol particles in indoor environment seems to be strongly influenced by relative humidity.

20 Aug 2020

Children play a larger role in the community spread of COVID-19 than previously thought

In the most comprehensive study of COVID-19 pediatric patients to date, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Mass General Hospital for Children (MGHfC) researchers provide critical data showing that children play a larger role in the community spread of COVID-19 than previously thought

20 Aug 2020

COVID-19 linked to type 1 diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis in children

A team of researchers at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London has found a link between COVID-19 and new-onset type 1 diabetes in children. The research is published in the journal Diabetes Care.

20 Aug 2020

SARS-CoV-2 hijacks antiviral factors to promote infection in human lung cells

Now, a new study published in the preprint server bioRxiv in August 2020 shows that under conditions resembling those in vivo, IFNs may promote efficient viral invasion instead.

20 Aug 2020

Lab-on-a-chip technology detects COVID-19 antibody

A robust, low-cost imaging platform utilizing lab-on-a-chip technology created by University of California, Irvine scientists may be available for rapid coronavirus diagnostic and antibody testing throughout the nation by the end of the year.

20 Aug 2020

Drug used in rheumatoid arthritis and cancer treatment improves survival in critically ill COVID-19 patients

Researchers at Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive health network, have utilized its statewide observational database of more than 5,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients to show that a drug normally used in rheumatoid arthritis and cancer treatments, tocilizumab, improves hospital survival in critically-ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

20 Aug 2020

Honey a better cough remedy than over-the-counter-medicines

Cough has many remedies, but one of the most popular ones is honey, which has been used for centuries. Now, new research claims honey may be a better treatment for cough and colds than over-the-counter medicines.

20 Aug 2020

Researchers use heparin to block co-receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam have conducted a study showing that heparan sulfate proteoglycans are important co-receptors that severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) requires to infect host cells.

19 Aug 2020

Researchers identify drug that improves survival in critically ill COVID-19 patients

19 Aug 2020

Study sheds light on 500-year old mystery about the human heart

Researchers have investigated the function of a complex mesh of muscle fibres that line the inner surface of the heart. The study, published in the journal Nature, sheds light on questions asked by Leonardo da Vinci 500 years ago, and shows how the shape of these muscles impacts heart performance and heart failure.

19 Aug 2020