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New report calls for comprehensive smoke-free policies

A new WHO report, Tobacco Control To Improve Child Health And Development, calls for raising awareness among practitioners and policymakers about the importance of strong tobacco control measures for protecting the health and development of children, including banning tobacco advertising, implementing 100% smoke-free environments and raising taxes on tobacco.

16 Mar 2021

Analysis: The Trump health care policies that deserve to stick around

President Joe Biden's goal of providing health care for more Americans advanced this week with his signing of an economic stimulus package that includes subsidies for health insurance premiums and new incentives for states to expand Medicaid, as well as the potential confirmation of Xavier Becerra as secretary of Health and Human Services.

16 Mar 2021

WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund appeals for continued support

One year ago WHO created the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund to respond to the unprecedented show of support by individuals and companies to help WHO in the fight against COVID-19.

16 Mar 2021

Study: Slow walkers have higher risk of contracting severe COVID-19

SLOW walkers are almost four times more likely to die from COVID-19, and have over twice the risk of contracting a severe version of the virus, according to a team of researchers from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre led by Professor Tom Yates at the University of Leicester.

16 Mar 2021

New strategy may change the course of evolving COVID-19 pandemic

Launched in April 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO), European Commission, France and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the ACT Accelerator is a partnership of leading public health agencies with equity at its heart.

16 Mar 2021

Study explores how SARS-CoV-2 mutations produce antibody resistance and enhanced transmissibility

An interesting new study deals with the effects of the natural mutations in the spike antigen of the SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that is responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic.

16 Mar 2021

Backtracking occurs within SARS-CoV-2 replication-transcription complex

Researchers continue to achieve a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One such effort has been reported in a new preprint on the bioRxiv server, dealing with the phenomenon of backtracking.

16 Mar 2021

The role of RNA capping of SARS-CoV-2 in immunity evasion

The SARS-CoV-2 pathogen successfully uses multiple immune evasion mechanisms to achieve infection within its host. An intriguing new study describes one such process, which may help develop drugs to counteract the virus more effectively.

16 Mar 2021

New study tests how mutations in SARS-CoV-2 affect antibody neutralization

Using pseudoviruses with single amino acid substitutions, researchers found that mutations in SARS-CoV-2 reduce monoclonal antibody neutralization differently. However, convalescent sera samples did not lose neutralization potency many and were also effective against the B.1.1.7 (UK-derived) strain.

16 Mar 2021

High-strength nicotine e-cigarettes can help adults with schizophrenia quit smoking

A new study in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, published by Oxford University Press, finds that the use of high-strength nicotine e-cigarettes can help adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders quit smoking.

16 Mar 2021

New approach may lead to novel treatments for renal fibrosis

Ageing is a common factor in many diseases. So, what if it were possible to treat them by acting on the causes of ageing or, more specifically, by acting on the shortening of telomeres, the structures that protect chromosomes?

16 Mar 2021

Use of artificial intelligence to tackle coronavirus must go through ethical checks, say experts

Rapid deployment of artificial intelligence and machine learning to tackle coronavirus must still go through ethical checks and balances, or we risk harming already disadvantaged communities in the rush to defeat the disease.

16 Mar 2021

Online platforms can increase drug overdose

HSE University researchers together with specialists from the Humanitarian Action Charitable Fund (St. Petersburg) and the University of Michigan School of Public Health (USA) studied the specifics of remote work with Russian people who use drugs to reduce the harm of drug use.

16 Mar 2021

COVID-19 pandemic is affecting quality of care given to small and sick newborn babies

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the quality of care given to small and sick newborn babies in all regions of the world and threatening implementation of life-saving interventions, suggests new research published in BMJ Global Health.

16 Mar 2021

Engineered mouse Intestine Chip platform can help study host-microbiome interactions

Trillions of commensal microbes live on the mucosal and epidermal surfaces of the body and it is firmly established that this microbiome affects its host's tolerance and sensitivity of the host to a variety of pathogens.

16 Mar 2021

Study shows 'equivalent' patient satisfaction scores between telemedicine and office-based postoperative visits

After arthroscopic surgery on the meniscus of the knee, patients using telemedicine for postoperative follow-up are just as satisfied with their care as those making in-person visits, reports a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

16 Mar 2021

Non-invasive skin swab samples can rapidly detect COVID-19

Researchers at the University of Surrey have found that non-invasive skin swab samples may be enough to detect COVID-19.

16 Mar 2021

Researchers identify a possible cause of functional neurological disorder

Researchers believe they may have discovered a possible cause of a mystery condition that can leave sufferers suddenly unable to walk, talk or see.

16 Mar 2021

Study suggests daily testing instead of self-isolation for contacts of SARS-CoV-2 cases

In the study, which appeared in the pre-print server medRxiv*, the researchers aimed to evaluate the acceptability and engagement with the daily testing as an alternative to self-isolation. They found that daily testing is acceptable and may help promote adherence to self-isolation.

16 Mar 2021

An increase in the risk of clinical sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new piece of research, published on the medRxiv preprint server, focused on the role of factors such as gender, age, hospitalization, etc., in understanding the risks of clinical sequelae in the post-acute phase of COVID-19, in adults aged between 18 and 65 years.

15 Mar 2021