Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Coronavirus update: Crucial information about transmission, diagnosis, treatment

The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that has spread from China to more than 25 countries, is more difficult to contain than previously thought. The death toll from the infection soars past 565, with more than 28,256 confirmed cases. Scientists from around the globe are racing to determine the mode of transmission and how the virus spreads at such a rapid pace.

6 Feb 2020

Breathing pattern may help predict 'when' people begin voluntary action

Have you ever gone ahead and eaten that piece of chocolate, despite yourself?

6 Feb 2020

2019-nCoV: Infectious virus can be isolated from nose, throat swabs of patients with mild symptoms

Laboratory testing by Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology and Munich Clinic Schwabing has revealed that infectious virus can be isolated from nose and throat swabs even where these have been obtained from patients with mild symptoms.

6 Feb 2020

Novel tool monitors influenza A virus mutations in real time

A Rutgers-led team has developed a tool to monitor influenza A virus mutations in real time, which could help virologists learn how to stop viruses from replicating.

6 Feb 2020

Key changes to Adult and Child Immunization schedule for 2020

The new Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule and the Adult Immunization Schedule for 2020 are out, just released by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). This is an annual event following its yearly revision.

5 Feb 2020

Coronavirus: CT scans of chest could help in early diagnosis

Researchers have managed to radiologically view the novel coronavirus infected individuals, and this could be a step towards early detection of this virus and diagnosis of those infected by it. The study titled, “CT Imaging Features of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV),” was published this week in the journal Radiology.

5 Feb 2020

Epiglottitis linked to teenager's use of e-cigarettes

A teenage girl with no hint of prior asthma or respiratory illness began to feel hoarseness in her throat and a feeling that she needed to clear her throat frequently.

5 Feb 2020

Study provides key insights into pregnant women's use of marijuana

As the use of marijuana is legalized in an increasing number of U.S. states, the number of people who use the drug daily is on the rise. This upward trend also holds up in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, despite evidence that using marijuana could harm their babies.

4 Feb 2020

High stillbirth rates worldwide linked to gender inequality

In the first comprehensive study mapping global patterns of stillbirth rates, University of Saskatchewan researchers have found that pregnant women who are poor and have lower access to education and employment are more likely to experience a child's death at delivery.

4 Feb 2020

Hendra antibody trial shows promise in a world-first human clinical trial

The Hendra virus is a potent pathogen transmitted to humans from animals that cause a severe and often fatal illness in both infected horses and humans. Originating from fruit bats, the virus caused an outbreak in Australia in 1994.

4 Feb 2020

Unveiling the structure of the influenza virus

The flu season is coming, and the frigid temperatures make it worse. The influenza B virus is the causative agent of the common flu, but over the past years, it has become more potent in causing disease. Now, a team of MIT scientists has found and unveiled the structure of the virus, particularly the key influenza protein, in the hopes to develop new drugs to combat influenza.

4 Feb 2020

FDA-approved OIT product marks major milestone in management of peanut allergies

In February 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Palforzia, the first peanut powder product designed to help reduce the risk of severe peanut-induced allergic reactions through desensitization over time.

4 Feb 2020

Coronavirus could be dangerous for vulnerable populations, says UGA epidemiologist

Wearing a surgical mask is unlikely to protect healthy people from the novel coronavirus that originated in China, and influenza likely poses a much greater threat to Americans, according to José Cordero, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the University of Georgia's College of Public Health.

4 Feb 2020

Communicating effectively about coronavirus outbreak can be tricky

Communicating effectively during an outbreak can be tricky for government agencies charged with protecting the public, according to Glen Nowak, former director of media relations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and professor of advertising and public relations at the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

4 Feb 2020

First responders need to take special precautions to protect themselves from coronavirus

Healthcare personnel working on the front lines to contain and prevent the spread of the new coronavirus that originated in China need to take special, yet common, precautions to keep themselves and others safe.

3 Feb 2020

Coronavirus could spread explosively, tight control needed

The coronavirus may be taking a higher toll of life than we thought, say scientists, in a new study published on January 30, 2020, in The Lancet. But another startling new study based on mathematical modeling, published in the same journal, predicts that almost 76,000 people may have acquired the infection in Wuhan city, and that multiple epidemics in major connected cities inside and outside China may already be brewing. Yet the death rate is markedly low, in this case.

3 Feb 2020

Cigarettes kill even after you put them out

There are more than 5 trillion (that’s 5 thousand billion, or 5 million million or, 5,000,000,000,000) cigarette butts littering the world. These cause dust and dirt to pile up, clutter public places, and may have an adverse influence on ground water and wildlife. But little thought has gone into whether they also pollute the air.

3 Feb 2020