Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Montana State researcher helps develop a better understanding of COVID-19 spread

How many people in the U.S. have had COVID-19? Using a database of information collected after the 2009 H1N1 outbreak, a Montana State University researcher is helping develop a better understanding of the spread of the novel coronavirus.

26 Jun 2020

Pediatric patients more resilient against COVID-19 compared to adults

The majority of children with COVID-19 in 26 countries fared well clinically compared to adults during the first four months of the pandemic, a newly released study shows.

26 Jun 2020

BATM provides business and trading update

BATM, a leading provider of real-time technologies for networking solutions and medical laboratory systems, provides the following business and trading update.

26 Jun 2020

Fatalities are very rare in children with COVID-19

Children with COVID-19 generally experience a mild disease and fatalities are very rare, according to a study of 582 patients from across Europe published today in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal.

26 Jun 2020

Chilblains and COVID-19

The current COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is primarily a respiratory infection, though the majority of cases are asymptomatic or mild disease. However, other manifestations are also being reported, such as gastrointestinal features, neurological signs, and skin symptoms. A new study published online in the journal JAMA Dermatology in June 2020 examines the possibility that chilblains could be a manifestation of COVID-19.

26 Jun 2020

Genes associated with SARS-CoV-2 human lung cell infection

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 attempts to make sense of this data to identify viral genes that are explicitly expressed in the cells infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This could help reveal new therapeutic targets.

26 Jun 2020

Pixatimod is active in lab studies against SARS-CoV-2

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) circulating the world has caused over 9.6 million cases and over 490,000 deaths as of June 26, 2020. With neither an effective vaccine nor therapeutic drug yet available, intensive and widespread research is ongoing to develop a pharmacological intervention that will halt the global pandemic.

25 Jun 2020

Biological therapy may decrease the risk of severe COVID-19

A recent observational study by Spanish researchers, currently available on the medRxiv preprint server, suggests that patients with immune-mediated diseases who receive biological therapy may have a lower risk for severe manifestations of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

25 Jun 2020

Study provides novel insights into how fat cells reduce lipid metabolism with age

Knowledge of how human fat tissue is affected by age has long been defined by numerous mouse-based studies.

25 Jun 2020

Tiny wireless sensors could enable easier, more accurate decontamination of protective masks

Tiny wireless sensors for recycled N95 masks could verify, in real time, whether the respirators are being exposed to proper decontamination conditions.

25 Jun 2020

Novel sensor may be able to test for COVID-19 and influenza simultaneously

The novel coronavirus has been compared to the flu almost from the moment it emerged in late 2019. They share a variety of symptoms, and in many cases, an influenza test is part of the process for diagnosing COVID-19.

25 Jun 2020

Study assesses impact of anti-SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma in COVID-19 disease

The current COVID-19 pandemic is still very much active in most parts of the world. In the absence of effective antiviral drugs or vaccines, scientists are studying the use of blood plasma from convalescent COVID-19 patients, banking on its neutralizing antibody content.

25 Jun 2020

New approaches to manage Canada's national emergency stockpile system

To manage Canada's emergency stockpile of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE), the government could consider several approaches, including a "prime-vendor" model selling directly to health care organizations to minimize financial and equipment waste, according to an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)

25 Jun 2020

A stereo sense of smell subconsciously guides navigation in humans

"If in doubt, always follow your nose," said Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. Despite Gandalf's advice, humans tend to regard themselves as "microsmatic" - having a poor sense of smell.

24 Jun 2020

Effective neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by synthetic nanobodies targeting the spike protein

In their recent bioRxiv paper, a multinational group of researchers reported rapid isolation and characterization of nanobodies from a synthetic library (known as sybodies) that target the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein – with a strikingly high neutralization ability.

24 Jun 2020