Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

New initiative to deliver immune support saves lives of frontline NHS staff

The new Frontline Immune Support Team has been founded to provide quality, free immune support to frontline NHS staff risking their lives in the struggle to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

11 May 2020

Study could help inform strategies for coming out of COVID-19 lockdown

Relaxing stay-at-home orders and allowing some types of non-essential businesses such as shops to reopen are the lowest risk measures to get the UK and other European countries out of lockdown – according to research from the University of East Anglia.

11 May 2020

Italy develops vaccine candidate that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 in mice

As the world grapples with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), scientists race to develop treatments and vaccines to combat the viral infection. Though many ongoing trials show promise in fighting the novel coronavirus, Italian researchers claim they have developed a vaccine that can neutralize severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in animal cells.

10 May 2020

No evidence COVID-19 is spread by fecal-oral transmission

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 shows that in patients who test positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in pharyngeal and fecal samples, the virus persists longer in the fecal samples than in the pharyngeal samples. However, fecal-oral transmission does not appear to occur.

10 May 2020

COVID-19 could accelerate activation of dormant tuberculosis (TB)

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has thrown much of the world into disarray, with over 4 million people reported infected and well over 282,000 deaths. A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in May 2020 suggests that the long-term impact of the virus could include activation of dormant bacterial infections like tuberculosis (TB).

10 May 2020

Neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 via S protein

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in May 2020 reports on a method to block severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by destroying its main spike protein, which is responsible for attachment to the host cell membrane.

10 May 2020

Internet search patterns important in tracing and predicting COVID-19 spread

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 has identified a link between Internet search patterns and local disease progression for COVID-19. It recommends the use of search data to track and predict COVID-19 spread as a complementary method to established public health surveillance methods.

10 May 2020

Study demonstrates dynamic and broad-scale immune alterations in COVID-19 patient

A new case report released on the preprint server medRxiv* provides a detailed longitudinal analysis of the immune response associated with a fatal case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). It highlights the need for addressing the source of hyper inflammation in the treatment approach.

10 May 2020

Research reinforces the idea of embracing nonantibiotic approaches to treat bacterial infections

As interest in the application of plasma medicine -- the use of low-temperature plasma created by an electrical discharge to address medical problems -- continues to grow, so does the need for research advancements proving its capabilities and potential impacts on the health care industry.

9 May 2020

Researchers discover new type of antigen-presenting immune cell

With a discovery that could rewrite the immunology textbooks, an international group of scientists, including the teams of Bart Lambrecht, Martin Guilliams, Hamida Hammad, and Charlotte Scott (all from the VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research) identified a new type of antigen-presenting immune cell.

8 May 2020

World's largest CT scan database with COVID-19 features collected in Russia

Earlier, scientists of the Diagnostics and Telemedicine Center already reported that they had collected the first database of CT studies of patients with laboratory-confirmed infection. It had about 50 CT scans of 20 patients.

8 May 2020

New antibiotic guidelines could save more lives in intensive care units

More lives could be saved in intensive care units around the world if new antibiotic guidelines designed by The University of Queensland are adopted.

8 May 2020

Researchers discover molecular mechanism that helps HSV1 infect the brain

Herpes simplex virus (HSV1) infections are initiated at mucosal surfaces where the virus infects epithelial cells.

8 May 2020

Reopening in the COVID era: How to adapt to a new normal

As many states begin to reopen — most without meeting the thresholds recommended by the White House — a new level of COVID-19 risk analysis begins for Americans.

8 May 2020

Looking for a path to reopen, employers weigh COVID testing of workers

Just a few miles from Disney World, Harris Rosen's hotel empire is mostly closed because of the COVID pandemic.

8 May 2020

Trying out LA’s new coronavirus testing regime

Last week, after Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that Los Angeles was offering COVID-19 tests to all city and county residents, I decided to get one myself — and test Garcetti's bold new promise in the bargain.

8 May 2020

Researchers develop vaccine for virus associated with type 1 diabetes

According to many observations, certain virus infections may play a part in the autoimmune attack that leads to type 1 diabetes. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and at the universities of Jyväskylä and Tampere have now produced a vaccine for these viruses in the hope that it could provide protection against the disease. The study is published 6 May 2020 in the scientific journal Science Advances.

8 May 2020

Eerie emptiness of ERs worries doctors as heart attack and stroke patients delay care

The patient described it as the worst headache of her life. She didn’t go to the hospital, though. Instead, the Washington state resident waited almost a week.

8 May 2020

Most COVID-19 patients lose sense of smell by the third day, shows study

A University of Cincinnati researcher says a study of COVID-19 patients shows loss of the sense of smell is most likely to occur by the third day of infection with the novel virus. Most of these patients are also experiencing a loss of the sense of taste.

8 May 2020

Children are immune prepared for SARS-CoV-2

At least 30 new diseases have emerged in the last 20 years and now together threaten the health of hundreds of millions of people. For many of these diseases, there is no treatment, cure, or vaccine. While most of these diseases are dangerous to children, especially those younger than five years old, the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), seems to spare most of them.

8 May 2020