Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Report calls for refocusing health spending in developing countries to save children's lives

"More than 24,000 infants die daily from preventable diseases in developing countries," and child deaths have fallen in countries where governments "have shown a high level of political leadership on child health," World Vision International said in a new report (.pdf) released on Monday as part of a five-year campaign to reduce child deaths worldwide, the Associated Press/San Francisco Chronicle reports.

17 Nov 2009

China, WHO to collaborate on flu research center

Chinese and WHO officials last week agreed to open a flu research center in Beijing, Bloomberg reports. "The new collaborating center for reference and research on influenza will join a network of WHO-affiliated labs in Atlanta, London, Tokyo and Melbourne that monitor flu strains and make recommendations on vaccines to fight the virus," the news service writes

17 Nov 2009

Also in global health news: Global corruption; HIV vaccine; smoking; DRC aid

A new report from Transparency International says the fight against corruption worldwide is slowing as urgency to address the global economic downturn recedes, Bloomberg reports.

17 Nov 2009

KHN column: Is fear of flu shifting the goal posts?

"If any public health message has alarmed Americans in recent weeks, it is the repeated claim in the media that healthy young people are dying of 2009 H1N1, or swine flu. ... The response has been predictable: frantic parents clogging waiting rooms in pediatricians' offices, lining up for hours to get their kids vaccinated, and rushing to fill prescriptions for anti-viral drugs before the local pharmacy runs out" (11/17).

17 Nov 2009

Bavarian Nordic awarded a new contract for developing a freeze-dried version of its IMVAMUNE smallpox vaccine

Bavarian Nordic A/S announced today that BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority) has awarded a new contract to Bavarian Nordic for the development of a freeze-dried version of its IMVAMUNE(R) smallpox vaccine with a total prospective value of USD 40 million.

17 Nov 2009

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals announces sale of common stock shares

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it is offering to sell, subject to market and other conditions, 5,000,000 shares of its common stock pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement in an underwritten public offering.

17 Nov 2009

Go Travel Insurance urge gap year travellers to take out proper cover for swine flu

As swine flu threatens to make a resurgence, Go Travel Insurance have reinforced the need for gap year students to take out proper cover before they embark on their trip.

17 Nov 2009

Molecular makeup of current H1N1 flu strain strikingly different from previous H1N1 strains

As the number of deaths related to the pandemic H1N1 virus, commonly known as "swine flu," continues to rise, researchers have been scrambling to decipher its inner workings and explain why the incidence is lower than expected in older adults.

17 Nov 2009

VCU and RAA have improved resuscitation and survival rates for cardiac arrest patients

Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and the Richmond Ambulance Authority have improved resuscitation and survival rates dramatically for cardiac arrest patients by training and equipping paramedics to begin lowering a patient's body temperature in the field during resuscitation and following up at the hospital with a host of high-tech strategies to improve the odds of survival.

17 Nov 2009

Economic crisis impacts health department capacity to address rising STD rates

Amid the mounting toll of budget cuts across the country, a new study from the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) shows just how much an impact the economic crisis is having on sexually transmitted disease (STD) programs and in turn, having more broadly on public health infrastructure.

17 Nov 2009

Trustmark Voluntary Benefit Solutions offers coverage for vaccines including H1N1 to its policyholders

Trustmark Voluntary Benefit Solutions, a leading provider of payroll-deducted voluntary benefits, is now covering vaccines including H1N1 (swine flu).

17 Nov 2009

FDA's BPAC renders positive opinion on Phase III clinical trial of INTERCEPT Blood System

Cerus Corporation announced today that the FDA's Blood Products Advisory Committee (BPAC) rendered a positive opinion on the proposed hemostatic efficacy and safety endpoints for a potential U.S. Phase III clinical trial of the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets.

17 Nov 2009

Roche receives EUA from FDA for its RealTime ready Influenza A/H1N1 Detection Set for the 2009 H1N1 virus

Roche`s RealTime ready Influenza A/H1N1 Detection Set for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus has received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Roche kit detects RNA from the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus and allows rapid and accurate identification of patients infected with this virus.

17 Nov 2009

New Web-based application for tracking the H1N1 flu virus across the globe

New methods of studying avian influenza strains and visually mapping their movement around the world will help scientists more quickly learn the behavior of the pandemic H1N1 flu virus, Ohio State University researchers say.

17 Nov 2009

Hospitals should expand quality control guidelines to improve surgical complications in older patients

The elderly are more vulnerable to problems after a major surgical procedure than younger patients, but a team of investigators using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) suggest that one way to improve surgical results in this age group is to have hospitals expand their quality control guidelines to include more types of surgery-related complications.

17 Nov 2009

Cold weather can trigger Raynaud's disease

Cold weather triggers a painful and sometimes debilitating disorder for millions of Americans who suffer from Raynaud's disease (also known as Raynaud's syndrome or phenomenon). Raynaud's is an autoimmune disorder in which spasms in the blood vessels can interrupt blood flow to the fingers, toes, nose and ears. Exposure to cold triggers the spasms, typically causing the affected area to turn white, then blue, then bright red. Emotional stress can also cause an attack.

17 Nov 2009

Healthy adults may have better immunity to 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, says study

A new study shows that molecular similarities exist between the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus and other strains of seasonal H1N1 virus that have been circulating in the population since 1988. These results suggest that healthy adults may have a level of protective immune memory that can blunt the severity of infection caused by the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.

17 Nov 2009

FDA approves CSL's seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines for children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the CSL Limited's seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines to include children ages 6 months and older. These vaccine were previously approved for use in adults, ages 18 years and older

17 Nov 2009

Scientists find major genetic differences between the pandemic H1N1 strain and seasonal strains

17 Nov 2009

Handwashing: A simple, effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases

In this day and age, with the latest in medical equipment and scientific advances adding both quantity and quality to our lives, it is easy to forget that the simplest actions can provide some of the most important results. In fact, your mother's instructions to "wash up before dinner" should be considered some of the soundest medical advice ever offered.

17 Nov 2009

Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Report calls for refocusing health spending in developing countries to save children's lives

China, WHO to collaborate on flu research center

Also in global health news: Global corruption; HIV vaccine; smoking; DRC aid

KHN column: Is fear of flu shifting the goal posts?

Bavarian Nordic awarded a new contract for developing a freeze-dried version of its IMVAMUNE smallpox vaccine

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals announces sale of common stock shares

Go Travel Insurance urge gap year travellers to take out proper cover for swine flu

Molecular makeup of current H1N1 flu strain strikingly different from previous H1N1 strains

VCU and RAA have improved resuscitation and survival rates for cardiac arrest patients

Economic crisis impacts health department capacity to address rising STD rates

Trustmark Voluntary Benefit Solutions offers coverage for vaccines including H1N1 to its policyholders

FDA's BPAC renders positive opinion on Phase III clinical trial of INTERCEPT Blood System

Roche receives EUA from FDA for its RealTime ready Influenza A/H1N1 Detection Set for the 2009 H1N1 virus

New Web-based application for tracking the H1N1 flu virus across the globe

Hospitals should expand quality control guidelines to improve surgical complications in older patients

Cold weather can trigger Raynaud's disease

Healthy adults may have better immunity to 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, says study

FDA approves CSL's seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines for children

Scientists find major genetic differences between the pandemic H1N1 strain and seasonal strains

Handwashing: A simple, effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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