Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Pets, the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 disease

Can dogs and other pets play a role in the transmission of the novel coronavirus? The question has surfaced after a Pomeranian in Hong Kong tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 or the novel coronavirus last week.

19 Mar 2020

Lopinavir and ritonavir drug combo tested in severe COVID-19

Researchers from China and the United Kingdom have collaborated to conduct a clinical trial looking at the efficacy of a combination of two anti-HIV drugs lopinavir and ritonavir to combat severe cases of COVID-19. Their study titled, “A Trial of Lopinavir–Ritonavir in Adults Hospitalized with Severe COVID-19,” was published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

19 Mar 2020

Coronavirus can stay in the air for hours and surfaces for days – how to disinfect?

As COVID-19 (coronavirus) spreads across the globe, scientists have found the virus can persist in the air for hours and on surfaces for days.

19 Mar 2020

Some children may become seriously ill with coronavirus, experts warn

Evidence shows that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) most often affects older adults, who are 60 years old or more, and those with underlying medical conditions. But a new study has shown that several children in China had developed severe or critical conditions, with one child dying from COVID-19.

19 Mar 2020

Staying positive and managing stress amid the coronavirus crisis

With all the news about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic circulating online, stress levels are rising. Most countries that are shaken by the virus outbreak have imposed lockdowns, in attempts to curb the disease spread.

19 Mar 2020

Was the novel coronavirus really sneaky in its spread to the U.S.? Experts say no

Unveiling a series of policies meant to mitigate the threat of COVID-19, President Donald Trump also sought to respond to criticism that his administration has been slow to deal with what is now a worldwide pandemic.

19 Mar 2020

Funeral homes, families ponder deaths in the age of COVID-19

As COVID-19 cases spread across the nation, disrupting daily routines for the living, growing numbers of U.S. businesses and families are changing how they deal with the dead.

19 Mar 2020

A view from the front lines of California’s COVID-19 battle

On Tuesday, Dr. Jeanne Noble devoted time between patient visits to hanging clear 2-gallon plastic bags at each of her colleagues' workstations.

18 Mar 2020

How to disinfect your home when someone has COVID-19

The novel coronavirus has continued to infect hundreds of thousands of individuals. The associated disease COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization last week.

18 Mar 2020

Researchers study how changing seasons will affect coronavirus spread

One of the biggest unknowns about the coronavirus is how changing seasons will affect its spread. Physicists from the University of Utah have received the university's first COVID-19-related grant to tackle the question.

18 Mar 2020

Lessons learned from three Singapore COVID-19 clusters

A study published in the journal The Lancet in March 2020 reports on three clusters of COVID-19 that happened in Singapore in February 2020. The first was because of a tour group, the second a company conference, and the third a church gathering.

17 Mar 2020

Who should stay at home due to coronavirus?

COVID-19 is a spreading viral illness, mostly mild but fatal in the sick and elderly. At present, it has affected almost 200,000 people, with nearly 8,000 deaths worldwide. Governments around the world are formulating and executing new guidelines to control the spread of the virus. In the latest guidelines, pregnant women join the list of individuals who must stay away from all social contact for 12 weeks to limit the spread of the virus and deaths due to the illness.

17 Mar 2020

Ibuprofen could increase risk of coronavirus complications

The UK’s National Health Service says that people who have COVID-19 and are self-quarantined should rest and drink plenty of fluids. So far, so good. However, it goes on to advise that they take paracetamol or ibuprofen to keep down fever and pain.

17 Mar 2020

COVID-19 epidemic is the product of natural evolution, study finds

The novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that emerged in the city of Wuhan, China, last year and has since caused a large scale COVID-19 epidemic and spread to more than 70 other countries is the product of natural evolution, according to findings published today in the journal Nature Medicine.

17 Mar 2020

COVID-19 stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces

The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health, CDC, UCLA and Princeton University scientists The New England Journal of Medicine.

17 Mar 2020

As coronavirus testing gears up, specialized swabs running out

The two top makers of the highly specialized swabs used to test patients for the novel coronavirus are straining to keep up with the demand, even as both the Italian and U.S. governments are working with them to increase production, including at a key manufacturing site in the midst of Italy's outbreak.

17 Mar 2020

Can you get the coronavirus twice?

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has rippled across the globe, spanning 155 countries with infections. The virus has touched all continents, except Antarctica, making it a global pandemic. The novel coronavirus has now infected more than 196,000 worldwide, while more than 7,800 have succumbed to the viral infection.

17 Mar 2020

U.S. issues coronavirus guidelines for the next 15 days

To stem the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States, President Donald Trump has issued coronavirus guidelines, which are in place for the next 15 days.

17 Mar 2020

Vaxxas' novel high-density microarray patch can deliver vaccines safely and effectively

Vaxxas, a clinical-stage biotechnology company commercializing a novel vaccination platform, today announced the publication in the journal PLoS Medicine of groundbreaking clinical research indicating the broad immunological and commercial potential of Vaxxas' novel high-density microarray patch.

17 Mar 2020

Experts provide evidence to support the feasibility of coronavirus mobile app for instant contact tracing

A team of medical research and bioethics experts at Oxford University are supporting several European governments to explore the feasibility of a coronavirus mobile app for instant contact tracing.

17 Mar 2020