Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Requirements for people to wear masks in public are similar to smoking bans

Requirements for consumers to wear masks at public places like retail stores and restaurants are very similar to smoking bans, according to three university experts.

16 Jul 2020

Study shows fused lung cells are pervasive in severe COVID-19

In a recent bioRxiv paper, scientists from Institut Pasteur and other research centers in France demonstrated how pathological effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are modulated by cellular proteins that can either inhibit or facilitate cell fusion and subsequent syncytia formation.

16 Jul 2020

NCI funds researchers to investigate how antibody responses affect COVID-19 outcomes

A $328,000 National Cancer Institute grant will enable researchers at Dartmouth's and Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC) to investigate one of the mechanisms that may be responsible for the body's inability to fight COVID-19.

16 Jul 2020

Compelling study shows heparin may protect against COVID-19

A compelling new study conducted by an international team of researchers has demonstrated that the widely used blood-thinning medication - heparin - can block infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

16 Jul 2020

COVID-19 associated with serious blood clots in leg arteries

COVID-19 is associated with life-threatening blood clots in the arteries of the legs, according to a study published in Radiology.

16 Jul 2020

Eosinophil count can aid in early detection of COVID-19 in patients

A rapid laboratory test, the eosinophil count, readily obtained from a routine complete blood cell count (CBC) can aid in the early recognition of COVID-19 in patients, as well as provide prognostic information, according to new research in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

16 Jul 2020

Disease-carrying mosquitoes fly free as health departments focus on coronavirus

The U.S. public health system has been starved for decades and lacks the resources necessary to confront the worst health crisis in a century. Read the investigation from KHN and The Associated Press.

16 Jul 2020

Study shows how parasitic bacteria cause lesions in the skin and internal organs

Bacteria of the genus Bartonella are parasites that can be transmitted to humans via insect bites and animal scratches, resulting in an infection known as "bartonellosis."

16 Jul 2020

Selective statins may reduce SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and inhibit infection

Statins are a class of drugs often used to control high cholesterol levels in obesity. Now, a study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in July 2020 suggests that statins do not aggravate the risk of COVID-19 infection and may have a small beneficial effect in some cases.

16 Jul 2020

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 placental infection in mild COVID-19

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in July 2020 reveals evidence of placental infection and hypoxia, despite the lack of serious symptoms in the mother.

16 Jul 2020

Earlier 'Test, Trace, Isolate' on Isle of Wight reduced COVID-19 incidence and R0

Researchers in the UK report that the incidence of new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases fell in the Isle of Wight following the launch of a new “Test, Trace, Isolate (TTI)” program on May 5th that included the option of using an NHS Smartphone app.

15 Jul 2020

Study explains why fetuses and newborns are mostly spared by COVID-19

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, it has been previously suggested that the most vulnerable individuals to developing severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) include the elderly, those with underlying health conditions, and those who have weakened immune systems.

15 Jul 2020

Buck researchers investigate ketone bodies as possible therapeutic against COVID-19

Given the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has on older adults in terms of death and lasting disability, and the impact of common aging-related comorbidities like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, Buck Institute professor and practicing geriatrician John Newman, MD, PhD, can make a compelling argument that those infected with the SARS-CoV2 virus are suffering from an aging-related disease, no matter how old they are when they get infected.

15 Jul 2020

Obesity and metabolic syndrome increase risk for severe influenza, COVID-19

Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of severe disease from viral infection, according to a review of the literature performed by a team of researchers from St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, both in Memphis.

15 Jul 2020

Common FDA-approved drug may be a powerful tool in fighting COVID-19

A common drug, already approved by the Food and Drug Administration, may also be a powerful tool in fighting COVID-19, according to research published this week in Antiviral Research.

15 Jul 2020

UC study tests efficacy of immune regulating drug in treating patients with COVID-19 pneumonia

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are testing a commonly used drug, called sirolimus, to determine its safety and efficacy in treating hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia in the trial.

15 Jul 2020

Nanotechnology plays major role in COVID-19 vaccine development

From mRNA vaccines entering clinical trials, to peptide-based vaccines and using molecular farming to scale vaccine production, the COVID-19 pandemic is pushing new and emerging nanotechnologies into the frontlines and the headlines.

15 Jul 2020

Anti-inflammatory medication helps fight dangerous immune response in COVID-19 patients

Most patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (coronavirus) pneumonia experienced improvement after receiving a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug normally given for rheumatoid arthritis, according to an observational study at Cedars-Sinai.

15 Jul 2020

Cholesterol-lowering drugs show promise to lower COVID-19's threat

Could a simple drug, that has been on the market for decades, be used to treat COVID-19? A research team led by Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)'s Professor Yaakov Nahmias says that early research looks promising; their findings appear in this week's Cell Press' Sneak Peak.

15 Jul 2020

Quest Diagnostics Health Trends study: HPV screening less likely to detect cervical cancer than cotesting

A Health Trends study from researchers at Quest Diagnostics and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center provides new evidence that the HPV screening test is significantly less likely to detect cervical cancer and precancer than cotesting, a method which combines HPV and Pap testing using the same specimen.

15 Jul 2020