Disease/Infection News

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TGen ramps up testing for COVID-19 to combat global health threat

Since mid-January, the Translational Genomics Research Institute has joined the world-wide effort to test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the COVID-19 disease.

31 Mar 2020

FDA nod for first experimental plasma therapy for COVID-19 in the U.S.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic has rapidly spread across the globe, now affecting 180 countries and territories. The United States is the front runner with the highest number of confirmed cases, surpassing both China, Italy, and Spain in the case toll. With the vast spread of the novel coronavirus, scientists and health experts are opting for varied treatments in the hope of helping ailing patients infected with COVID-19.

31 Mar 2020

COVID-19: Ban on eating wild meat deprives some forest communities

As efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic accelerate around the world, wildlife conservationists have welcomed a move by the Chinese government to outlaw the hunting and consumption of all terrestrial wild animals.

31 Mar 2020

Tips to protect your sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of many throughout the UK, most people are unable to go to work, some have seen their hours cut, some have had their job prospects changed, and for the general population their normal routine is upset, which means their sleeping pattern may be compromised too.c

31 Mar 2020

Novel, affordable pneumonia vaccine tested in human patients

A novel vaccine against pneumonia that is less expensive and more effective than those currently used in Brazil is being tested in human patients.

31 Mar 2020

Stellenbosch University and AzarGen Biotechnologies join forces to tackle COVID-19

Stellenbosch University in South Africa and AzarGen Biotechnologies (Pty) Ltd, a South African biotechnology company focused on developing human therapeutic proteins using advanced genetic engineering and synthetic biology techniques in plants, have joined forces in the global fight against the coronavirus.

31 Mar 2020

Virus-scanning tool could identify previously undetected cases of COVID-19 infections

When a virus invades the body, it leaves fingerprints behind. A research tool known as VirScan can detect this evidence - from just a single drop of blood - and identify the viruses that have infected a person in the past. Soon, the new coronavirus will join the VirScan lineup.

31 Mar 2020

Guidelines and best practices to provide care for seniors during COVID-19 pandemic

Older adults are at elevated risk for complications from COVID-19 and are dying at a higher rate than younger patients.

31 Mar 2020

China's control measures during the first 50 days may have limited spread of COVID-19

China's control measures during the first 50 days of the COVID-19 epidemic may have delayed the spread of the virus to cities outside of Wuhan by several days and, by interrupting transmission nationwide, prevented more than 700,000 infections across the country, according to an international team of researchers.

31 Mar 2020

Three Australian experts explain the course of COVID-19

Researchers have been studying the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) closely since its beginning in December 2019. To date, the virus has infected over 850,000 individuals across the globe and killed over 41,000.

31 Mar 2020

Individuals taking glucocorticoids are at high risk if infected with COVID-19

Individuals taking a class of steroid hormones called glucocorticoids for conditions such as asthma, allergies and arthritis on a routine basis may be unable to mount a normal stress response and are at high risk if they are infected with the virus causing COVID-19, according to a new editorial published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

31 Mar 2020

Novel approach to DNA synthesis could help tackle COVID-19 pandemic

Synthetic biology, and particularly DNA synthesis, is transforming diagnosis and treatment of disease, and may yet play a key role in halting the COVID-19 pandemic.

31 Mar 2020

Potential new method of breast cancer treatment using androgen receptor

Scientists may have discovered a new therapeutic approach to treat ER+ breast cancer using androgen receptor-stimulating drugs.

31 Mar 2020

New blood test detects more than 50 types of cancer, including at early, more treatable stages

Researchers have developed a simple blood test that can detect over 50 types of cancer, often before signs or symptoms.

31 Mar 2020

Online coronavirus tests are just the latest iffy products marketed to anxious consumers

Companies with experience in the "at-home" testing market began announcing in mid-March that they would be offering direct-to-consumer test kits for COVID-19.

31 Mar 2020

Exploring how mucus plays a part in transferring coronaviruses

As the lethal COVID-19 coronavirus propagates around the globe, we know a sneeze, a cough or simply touching a surface with the virus can spread the infection.

31 Mar 2020

Should you bring mom home from assisted living during the pandemic?

Dr. Alison Webb took her 81-year-old father out of assisted living, to live.

31 Mar 2020

Understanding the novel coronavirus genome

The novel coronavirus emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, in China, and since then, it has rapidly spread to over 170 countries across the globe. Our knowledge of the virus, now officially named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still in the early stages. However, scientists around the world are racing to better understand the virus, in the hope of shedding light on potential vaccines and therapies.

31 Mar 2020

Fee app helps track onset and progression of COVID-19 symptoms in Americans

As the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic grips the US, a new free app is helping to track the onset and progression of symptoms of millions across the nation. The app will help identify those at risk sooner, and help slow the outbreak of the disease.

31 Mar 2020

New virtual tool to help the world diagnose COVID-19 in the lungs

A new virtual tool helps overstressed and overworked doctors sharpen their skills at making a timely diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia based on the characteristic lung signs on computerized tomography (CT) of the chest.

31 Mar 2020