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How do cells protect themselves from viruses?

Amid the coronavirus outbreak that is wreaking havoc across the globe, it is essential to know how the cells of the body evade infection from viruses. A team of scientists has explained the mechanism that takes place in case a virus penetrates the body.

4 Mar 2020

Two genome sequences of coronavirus (COVID-19) show possible internal transmission

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is rapidly spreading around the globe. With the high infection rate and spread of the virus to more than 80 countries, scientists are racing to study the nature of the virus, in the hopes of finding new vaccines and therapeutics.

4 Mar 2020

Indonesia reports first coronavirus cases, World Bank pledges $12 billion

Now, Indonesia has reported its first cases of the coronavirus on Mar. 2, a 31-year-old woman and a 64-year-old woman from Depok, a city in West Java province in Jakarta. The mother and daughter had been in contact with an infected Japanese National who lived in Malaysia and had tested positive after returning from a trip to Indonesia.

4 Mar 2020

Protective gear to fight coronavirus depleting, WHO warns

Amid the global health crisis of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that there is a shortage of protective gear, and this endangers healthcare workers.

4 Mar 2020

Adding travel history to routine medical assessments could help stem pandemics' spread

Integrating travel history information into routine medical assessments could help stem the rapidly widening COVID-19 epidemic, as well as future pandemics, infectious disease specialists recommend in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

4 Mar 2020

Novel compounds show promise as potent new treatment for malaria

A novel class of antimalarial compounds that can effectively kill malaria parasites has been developed by Australian and US researchers.

4 Mar 2020

Novel drug to arrest antibiotic resistance by preventing micro-evolution

Desperate times need desperate measures. Accordingly, scientists, today published a new study in the journal Cell Host and Microbe in March 2020, showing that drugs that prevent the acquisition of DNA-borne antibiotic resistance traits from their surroundings by bacteria can stop mice from becoming resistant to the action of the antibiotics.

3 Mar 2020

Obesity could increase severity of influenza study shows

A new study has revealed that those who are obese or overweight tend to get more severe bouts of influenza than those who are a healthy weight. The reason behind this could be the altered immune system of those who are obese. The study outlining this finding is published in the latest issue of the journal mBio from the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). The study was titled, "Obesity-Related Microenvironment Promotes Emergence of Virulent Influenza Virus Strains."

3 Mar 2020

Coronavirus may threaten 70 percent of human population says epidemiologist

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 is rapidly spreading around the globe, infecting more than 90,000 and killing more than 3,000 people. Now, an epidemiologist says it may eventually threaten about 70 percent of the total population.

3 Mar 2020

Research opens up new prospects for prevention and treatment of bacterial pneumonia

Researchers from the Lille Centre for Infection and Immunity, INRAE and from Brazilian (Belo Horizonte), Scottish (Glasgow) and Danish (Copenhagen) laboratories have shown for the first time in mice that perturbation of the gut microbiota caused by the influenza virus favors secondary bacterial superinfection.

3 Mar 2020

Australia reports first human-to-human coronavirus transmission, total cases now 39

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has started to gain momentum over the past week, spreading to 77 countries, including Australia. The number of confirmed cases in the country has reached 41, with ten new cases reported in Queensland.

3 Mar 2020

NHS doctors say UK not prepared for coronavirus outbreak

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has spread dramatically around the globe, infecting more than 92,000 people and killing more than 3,000.

3 Mar 2020

Analysis: One sure thing about COVID-19: No telling how many people have it

It has been nearly three months since the first cases of a new coronavirus pneumonia appeared in Wuhan, China, and it is now a global outbreak. And yet, despite nearly 90,000 infections worldwide (most of them in China), the world still doesn't have a clear picture of some basic information about this outbreak.

3 Mar 2020

Expert advice about coronavirus in immunocompromised individuals available from CreakyJoints

Recognizing growing concerns about novel coronavirus (COVID-19), CreakyJoints, a Global Healthy Living Foundation digital patient community, developed educational resources for their chronic disease patient community, many of whom are immunocompromised.

3 Mar 2020

Updated USPSTF recommendations on hepatitis C screening

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now recommends the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection screening for adults in the age group 18 to 79 years. This update comes against the background of increasing HCV over the last ten years, primarily due to higher injection drug use, and closer monitoring. The recommendation ensures that this screening will be covered by insurance as well without cost-sharing.

2 Mar 2020

New direct-acting antiviral therapies effectively target Hepatitis C virus

New direct-acting antiviral therapies are highly effective at eliminating the Hepatitis C virus infection, according to a systematic evidence review by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University.

2 Mar 2020

The changing face of the COVID-19 epidemic

The SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) virus, which hit China with the disease now named COVID-19 in December 2019 and has since spread to over 70 countries, has caused over 90,000 cases, and 3,117 fatalities, with 95% or more of both being in China.

2 Mar 2020

Health officials urge India to be on high alert for coronavirus

China has borne the brunt of the coronavirus outbreak with tens of thousands infected and 2,912 deaths related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Now, health officials across the globe are urging India to be on high alert.

2 Mar 2020

Australia's first coronavirus death puts country on alert

The rapid spread of the coronavirus outside China has intensified as the total number of infections globally has topped 90,000, and the number of deaths reached more than 3,000. The sudden surge of cases in Italy, Iran, and South Korea have left health officials concerned about the magnitude of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.

2 Mar 2020

In an exchange about coronavirus, homeland security chief gets flu mortality rate wrong

During a Senate appropriations Feb. 25 subcommittee hearing, Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of Homeland Security, said the U.S. flu mortality rate was about the same as the current estimated global mortality rate of the coronavirus outbreak.

2 Mar 2020