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Donald Trump’s wrong claim that ‘anybody’ can get tested for coronavirus

To show that his administration has been fast and effective in its response to the new coronavirus, President Donald Trump claimed that anybody who wants to get tested for the respiratory disease caused by the virus can do so.

12 Mar 2020

ZSL scientists call for investment in wildlife health research to prevent future pandemics

The UK should invest in better understanding of diseases in wildlife populations, and the routes to these becoming human diseases to drastically reduce the risk of future - possibly even worse - global pandemics like COVID-19.

12 Mar 2020

Study details first locally-transmitted case of severe SARS-CoV-2 in the USA

Person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurred between two people with prolonged, unprotected exposure while the first patient was symptomatic. Despite active monitoring and testing of 372 contacts of both cases, no further transmission was detected

12 Mar 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Coronavirus goes viral

This was the week the coronavirus hit the U.S. in general and Washington, D.C., in particular in a big way.

12 Mar 2020

Vaccinating both boys and girls can help eliminate HPV infections

The human papillomavirus causes, amongst other diseases, cancer of the cervix and oropharynx. A Swedish-Finnish study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases now shows that the most oncogenic HPV types can be eliminated, but only if both girls and boys are vaccinated.

12 Mar 2020

Robots and AI deployed to fight against coronavirus

Robots and artificial intelligence are being deployed across the globe in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

12 Mar 2020

Could rushing a coronavirus vaccine cause more harm?

Amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that is rapidly spreading worldwide, scientists are becoming more concerned that rushing vaccine production to prevent the infection may do more harm than good to patients.

12 Mar 2020

COVID-19 spares children but they play a crucial role in its spread – What can be done?

The new coronavirus (COVID-19) mysteriously spares children from severe disease, but it does not mean they do not get it. Though children and teens do not appear so far to get sick COVID-19, they play a pivotal role in the spread of the deadly pathogen.

12 Mar 2020

COVID-19 epidemic is now an official pandemic

The spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has reached pandemic status, spanning 114 countries and territories, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared. The novel coronavirus that emerged three months ago has rapidly infected more than 126,000 people, taking the lives of more than 4,600.

12 Mar 2020

Potential targets for immune responses to novel coronavirus identified

Within two months, SARS-CoV-2, a previously unknown coronavirus, has raced around globe, infecting over a 100,000 people with numbers continuing to rise quickly.

11 Mar 2020

Early, coordinated and targeted measures are needed to reduce COVID-19 spread in China

A study by the University of Southampton examining non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in response to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in China shows that a range of early, coordinated and targeted measures are needed to help significantly reduce its spread.

11 Mar 2020

India's Holi Festival subdued amid coronavirus fears, Indonesia reports first death

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has spread to more than 100 countries, and to contain the virus, many festivities, gatherings, and events that draw large crowds have been canceled. However, in India, Holi, a traditional Hindu festival that celebrates the beginning of spring as well as the triumph of good over evil, still went ahead.

11 Mar 2020

Nepal is highly prone to climate-sensitive infectious disease outbreaks

Nepal can greatly reduce its vulnerability to climate-sensitive infectious diseases by improving its public health surveillance and prediction capabilities, says a paper due to be published April in Acta Tropica.

11 Mar 2020

Newer antiretroviral drugs may be the safest, most effective HIV treatment during pregnancy

The antiretroviral drugs dolutegravir and emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (DTG+FTC/TAF) may comprise the safest and most effective HIV treatment regimen currently available during pregnancy, researchers announced today.

11 Mar 2020

Now over 1,200 coronavirus cases in the U.S.

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) started in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, in China in the last month of 2019 and had so far spread to more than 100 countries, including the United States. The country has seen a sharp spike in confirmed cases, which now totals 1,220, trailing behind hotspot countries that have thousands of confirmed cases of the contagious disease.

11 Mar 2020

How to avoid coronavirus? Lessons from people whose lives depend on it

Andrea Amelse knows hand-washing.

11 Mar 2020

UK reports 6th death, Health Minister tests positive for COVID-19

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues to spread across the globe, with more than 100 countries affected. Now, the United Kingdom has reported its sixth death related to the viral infection.

11 Mar 2020

Australia: Coronavirus spreads, drive-through testing, pop up clinics and $2.4 billion

Australia has seen an increase in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, and this will continue for weeks despite strict border control measures, experts say. With 116 confirmed cases and thousands of people waiting to be tested, Australian hospitals could be overwhelmed by thousands of patients.

10 Mar 2020

Researchers discover human protein that potently inhibits coronavirus

A protein produced by the human immune system can potently inhibit several coronaviruses, including the one behind the current COVID-19 outbreak, an international team of investigators reports today. The research reveals that the LY6E protein impairs the coronavirus' ability to initiate infection, which could lead to treatments for the illness.

10 Mar 2020

The second person cured from HIV goes public

In the 1980s and early 1990s, the outbreak of HIV and AIDS swept across the globe. Today, more than 70 million people have been infected with HIV, and about 35 million have died from AIDS since the start of the pandemic. However, scientific advances, such as the development of antiretroviral drugs, have enabled people with access to treatment to live long and healthy lives with HIV. But, there is still no vaccine and cure for it. In history, only two persons have been cleared of the infection, one in Berlin and now the second one in London.

10 Mar 2020