Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

BATM introduces three new diagnostic kits for COVID-19 and other respiratory illness

BATM, a leading provider of real-time technologies for networking solutions and medical laboratory systems, announces the launch of three new diagnostic kits to significantly advance the diagnosis of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

15 Jul 2020

Proportion of healthcare-associated infections is higher than believed

One in four inpatients with influenza in a given season showed signs of having become infected during care. This is clear from a University of Gothenburg thesis about the spread of influenza in hospitals and how this problem can be remedied.

15 Jul 2020

Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 disappear within three months

The question is, does this infection confer lasting immunity? A new study published in the journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection in July 2020 appears to show that it does not, with antibodies to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disappearing within three months of infection.

15 Jul 2020

Certain antibodies may cause the dangerous part of COVID-19 disease

A new study out of the Netherlands and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in July 2020 discusses the commonly observed phenomenon of COVID-19 progression at 1-2 weeks from the onset of the earliest symptoms. This is ascribed to the overactivation of the inflammatory signaling cascade triggered by a hyperactive adaptive immune reaction, commonly called the cytokine storm.

15 Jul 2020

Nix gene can help develop future mosquito control techniques

Virginia Tech researchers have proven that a single gene can convert female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes into fertile male mosquitoes and identified a gene needed for male mosquito flight.

15 Jul 2020

"Winter is coming," warn UK COVID-19 experts

The famous line from "Game of Thrones" about approaching dangers this winter may prove to be accurate, say, scientists in a new report. The researchers state that a second wave of infection could hit the United Kingdom this winter, and this would be worse than the first wave taking as many as 120,000 lives.

14 Jul 2020

A special air filtration system that can "catch and kill" the coronavirus

Now researchers from the University of Houston have come up with a unique air filter system that can catch and kill the novel coronavirus. The air filter can reportedly kill the coronavirus on contact.

14 Jul 2020

Cold sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 could impact vaccine studies

Researchers at Duke University in Durham, USA, have made an important discovery about the spike protein on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that could have a broad impact on vaccine studies.

14 Jul 2020

COVID-19 may have an impact on the central nervous system of patients

Depressed mood or anxiety exhibited in COVID-19 patients may possibly be a sign the virus affects the central nervous system, according to an international study led by a University of Cincinnati College of Medicine researcher.

14 Jul 2020

Keck Medicine of USC participates in clinical trial to evaluate antiviral drug as possible COVID-19 treatment

Keck Medicine of USC physicians are enrolling patients as part of an international clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an antiviral drug, DAS181, as a possible treatment for hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19.

14 Jul 2020

Study shows higher hip replacement operations can yield better results

The higher the proportion of primary hip replacement operations a surgeon performs annually, the better the results are, a thesis at the University of Gothenburg shows.

14 Jul 2020

Cancer drug could help inhibit adenovirus infection

An adenovirus infection can be potentially life-threatening, especially for children after a stem cell transplant.

14 Jul 2020

Researchers review scientific articles on the role of zinc in COVID-19 prevention

Researchers from Sechenov University in collaboration with colleagues from Germany, Greece and Russia reviewed scientific articles on the role of zinc in the prevention and treatment of viral infections and pneumonia, with projections on those caused by SARS-CoV-2. The results were published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine.

14 Jul 2020

People with accelerated biological age at increased risk of COVID-19 symptom severity and mortality

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in July 2020 discusses the explanation in terms of the biological aging markers in patients with severe disease, rather than the chronological age.

13 Jul 2020

Severely injured donor lungs can be successfully recovered outside the body

Respiratory disease is the third leading cause of death worldwide, and lung transplantation is still the only cure for patients with end-stage lung disease.

13 Jul 2020

Coronavirus disease immunity fades within a few months, study finds

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread rapidly across the globe, with more than 13 million people infected. Of these, an estimated 7 million have recovered from the viral infection. However, it was unclear whether being exposed to the virus would provide long-lasting immunity. Now, a new study says that SARS-CoV-2 immunity may only last for months.

13 Jul 2020

Patients with high blood sugar at higher risk of COVID-19 complications

The COVID-19 causes severe disease in patients with underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, severe lung disease, heart disease, and a weakened immune system.

13 Jul 2020

Altimmune announces positive preclinical results of intranasal COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Altimmune, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has announced positive results from the preclinical studies conducted in mice at the University of Alabama at Birmingham of its intranasal COVID-19 vaccine candidate, AdCOVID.

13 Jul 2020

COVID-19 – researchers sum up the “Tsunami” of information

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) infection leading to COVID-19 is a raging pandemic across the world at present. It has infected 13 million and killed 571,000 individuals around the world as of today. The infection was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China in late December 2019.

13 Jul 2020

Clots, COVID-19 and survival

The novel coronavirus, now known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), that causes COVID-19 disease, was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China in late December 2019. Since then, it has infected a large population across the world with the current number of SARS-CoV-2 infections standing at over 13 million and COVID-19 disease having killed over 571,000 individuals.

13 Jul 2020