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Detecting novel SARS-CoV-2 variants via rapid RT-PCR assays

A new study on the medRxiv* preprint server assessed whether a novel assay could detect VOCs without substantial reductions in sensitivity.

6 Feb 2023

The human body develops strategies to prevent the immune response from overshooting its mark

The signaling molecules of the immune system should trigger a response only where necessary. To prevent a life-threatening spread to the rest of the body, connective tissue can absorb these molecules like a sponge.

3 Feb 2023

Health impact of a combination of intermittent fasting and ketogenic diet

Researchers discuss strategies to apply a combination of intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet to manage chronic health conditions.

31 Jan 2023

New EV platform could help streamline the development and delivery of vaccines worldwide

To many, EV stands for "electric vehicle." To researchers at Harvard University and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, it's shorthand for another vehicle -; this one nanoscopic -; that might help streamline the development and delivery of vaccines worldwide.

30 Jan 2023

Machine learning identifies drugs that could be repurposed to help people quit smoking cigarettes

Medications like dextromethorphan, used to treat coughs caused by cold and flu, could potentially be repurposed to help people quit smoking cigarettes, according to a study by Penn State College of Medicine and University of Minnesota researchers.

30 Jan 2023

Novel class of sulfonamides to block malaria transmission

Malaria is a devastating disease, with 247 million cases and 619,000 deaths reported in 2021 alone. Malaria causes fever and a flu-like illness that occurs when people are infected with the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which is spread by mosquitoes.

30 Jan 2023

New NHS plan to provide tailored support at home for elderly, vulnerable people

Tens of thousands of elderly and vulnerable people will receive tailored support at home each month as part of a new NHS plan to curb unnecessary trips to hospital, help at-risk patients receive faster treatment and improve ambulance response times.

30 Jan 2023

A baby spent 36 days in an in-network NICU. Why did the hospital next door send a bill?

Brenna Kearney was seven months pregnant in December 2019 when she experienced what she thought were bad flu symptoms.

30 Jan 2023

Montana pharmacists may get more power to prescribe

Mark Buck, a physician and pharmacist in Helena, Montana, said he's been seeing more patients turn to urgent care clinics when they run out of medication.

27 Jan 2023

FDA experts are still puzzled over who should get which covid shots and when

At a meeting to simplify the nation's covid vaccination policy, the FDA's panel of experts could agree on only one thing: Information is woefully lacking about how often different groups of Americans need to be vaccinated.

27 Jan 2023

Atomic-level computer model of the H1N1 virus reveals new vulnerabilities

According to the World Health Organization, each year there are an estimated 1 billion cases of influenza, between 3-5 million severe cases and up to 650,000 influenza-related respiratory deaths globally.

25 Jan 2023

Breathing and tilting motions of influenza glycoproteins could be exploited to better defend against flu

The potential "tripledemic" of influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) infection continues to be a concern.

25 Jan 2023

Expert panel proposes stringent biosecurity oversight to avert future pandemics

The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) issued draft recommendations to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on January 20, 2023, on the effectiveness of two biosecurity policy frameworks existent in the United States (US).

25 Jan 2023

£150 million government funding to better support people experiencing mental health crises

Anyone experiencing a mental health emergency will benefit from more tailored emergency care and support in the community through specialized mental health ambulances, more crisis services, and improved health-based places of safety.

22 Jan 2023

First known epidemic of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in farmed mink

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) is a strain of the avian influenza virus that primarily affects birds, particularly poultry. HPAI A(H5N1) is a highly contagious and deadly virus that can cause severe illness and death in birds, including chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys.

22 Jan 2023

WHO reports a severe case of avian (bird) flu in Ecuador

In a recent article published in the Disease Outbreak News section of the World Health Organization (WHO) website, they reported severe infection from the current H5 clade of avian influenza A virus in a nine-year-old girl inhabiting a rural province of Bolívar in Ecuador.

20 Jan 2023