Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Public health officials offer scant details on U.S. coronavirus patients

Disclosure this week of a sixth case in the United States of a new viral infection emerging from China — and the first confirmed case of the virus passing from person to person in this country — is fueling public concerns about how easily the deadly virus can spread.

3 Feb 2020

Coronavirus taking an economic toll on China

The novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV outbreak has negatively impacted the economy of China and other countries worldwide. With China’s isolation from other countries and travel bans imposed, the economic toll is rippling across the world.

3 Feb 2020

China reports H5N1 bird flu in Hunan amid coronavirus crisis

China has reported an outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu in Hunan, which borders the province of Hubei, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

3 Feb 2020

Unilever considers selling tea brands as UK hot tea sales are on a downward trend

Following on from the recent news (30th Jan 2020) of Unilever looking to sell their PG Tips and Lipton brands, Arian Bassari, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data analytics company, offers his view on these developments.

From Unilever PLC 31 Jan 2020

GENOMICA is developing new Wuhan coronavirus diagnostic kit

GENOMICA, a wholly owned company of PharmaMar Group, is developing a kit to reliably detect and identify the new virus known as "Wuhan pneumonia" (coronavirus 2019-nCoV).

31 Jan 2020

No masking the best way to avoid the scary coronavirus: Wash your hands

Americans are watching with alarm as a new coronavirus spreads in China and cases pop up in the United States. They are barraged with information about what kinds of masks are best to prevent viral spread. Students are handing out masks in Seattle. Masks have run out in Brazos County, Texas.

31 Jan 2020

First exposure to influenza virus dictates our lifelong ability to fight flu

Were you born in an H1N1 year or an H3N2 year? The first type of influenza virus we are exposed to in early childhood dictates our ability to fight the flu for the rest of our lives, according to a new study from a team of infectious disease researchers at McMaster University and Université de Montréal.

30 Jan 2020

Coronavirus outbreak now a global health emergency says WHO

The Wuhan coronavirus or 2019-nCoV outbreak continues to spread in mainland China and in more than a dozen countries. In the last 24 hours, 42 had succumbed to the infection, making the death toll hit 213, with 9,692 confirmed cases, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency.

30 Jan 2020

Masks signal cultural disconnect as L.A.’s Chinese community braces for coronavirus

Several staff members of a small community health clinic in L.A.'s historic Chinatown spoke on the phone with patients Tuesday while wearing face masks that muffled their voices.

30 Jan 2020

Do masks protect from Coronavirus?

As the new Wuhan coronavirus, designated 2019-nCoV, spreads around the world, people are increasingly turning to face masks for protection. The question is, are masks really needed?

30 Jan 2020

Scientists reveal clinical features of Wuhan coronavirus patients

The Wuhan coronavirus, or the 2019-nCoV, which originated in Wuhan City in Hubei province infected more than 7,700 people with the death toll topping more than 170. China reports 38 deaths in just 24 hours, making the outbreak one of the deadliest ones the country has faced.

30 Jan 2020

Wuhan coronavirus is genetically different from human SARS, MERS-CoV, study found

The Wuhan coronavirus or the 2019-nCoV or novel coronavirus is a new human-infecting coronavirus genetically different from human SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), and MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), a team of scientists has found.

30 Jan 2020

Rapid weather variability could increase risk of a flu epidemic

New research from a team of Florida State University scientists shows that rapid weather variability as a result of climate change could increase the risk of a flu epidemic in some highly populated regions in the late 21st century.

30 Jan 2020

Even extinguished cigarettes release toxins, shows study

Cigarette butts pile up in parks, beaches, streets and bus stops, places where all types of littering are frowned upon.

30 Jan 2020

Global funding for neglected disease research reaches a record high

For the first time, global funding for neglected disease R&D grew for three consecutive years, reaching a record high of more than US$4.05 billion in 2018.

30 Jan 2020

Novel inhibitor to fight metastatic prostate cancer shows promise

When prostate cancer spreads it is often a deadly disease, but now a Stony Brook University-led research team believes a new approach that inhibits a specific fatty acid binding protein (FABP) may be the key to halting disease progression.

30 Jan 2020

Flight carrying Brits from Wuhan not allowed to take-off

The UK government is trying its best to rescue Britons from Wuhan City in Hubei Province, ground zero for the emergence of the deadly virus, 2019-NCov or the Wuhan coronavirus. Just like other residents trapped in the city, the Britons clamor to escape this unfortunate situation, as the virus continues to spread, taking more than 170 lives, and infecting more than 7,000 people.

30 Jan 2020

UMSOM experts call for influenza vaccinations to prevent outbreaks in U.S. border detention centers

Over the past year, at least seven children have died from diseases including influenza while being detained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection agency. Infectious disease experts at the University of Maryland School of Medicine called for protections like influenza vaccinations to prevent serious outbreaks.

30 Jan 2020

Researchers examine abnormal neuron activity in Rett syndrome

The brain undergoes dramatic change during the first years of life. Its circuits readily rewire as an infant and then child encounters new sights and sounds, taking in the world and learning to understand it. As the child matures and key developmental periods pass, the brain becomes less malleable--but certain experiences create opportunities for parts of the adult brain to rewire and learn again.

29 Jan 2020