Disease/Infection News

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Asymptomatic spread of SARS-CoV-2 appears to be rare, says WHO

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has taken a toll on many countries, infecting more than 7.35 million people. Previously, scientists claimed that the virus could be transmitted via asymptomatic carriers, or those not showing symptoms of the disease.

10 Jun 2020

EHR data could help avoid pre-term deliveries for pregnant COVID-19 patients

Using electronic health record data to simulate drug trials for pregnant patients could one day offer a solution to the current practice of delivering babies pre-term if an expectant mother contracts COVID-19, according to a position paper published in Nature Medicine.

10 Jun 2020

Rising SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels detected in sewage from several Dutch cities

Scientists have detected RNA from the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, in the feces of people with COVID-19. So it stands to reason that the viral RNA could end up in city sewage, where it could be used to monitor prevalence of the disease.

10 Jun 2020

Study looks at type I diabetes and COVID-19

Researchers from the United States have analyzed the information on type I diabetics and COVID-19. Their study titled, "Type 1 Diabetes and COVID-19: Preliminary Findings From a Multicenter Surveillance Study in the U.S.," is published in the latest issue of the journal Diabetes Care.

10 Jun 2020

Anticardiolipin antibodies and COVID-19

A new study has shown that anticardiolipin antibodies are associated with the novel coronavirus infection or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19.

10 Jun 2020

Unique antiviral action of cholesterol 25-hydroxylase against SARS-CoV-2

A new study by U.S. and Chinese researchers, currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, demonstrates how cholesterol 25-hydroxylase and its enzymatic product 25-hydroxycholesterol can inhibit membrane fus

10 Jun 2020

New guidance for surgeons and clinicians working during COVID-19

Professor Björn Brücher is a cancer surgeon/scientist and the Editor in Chief of the EDP Sciences journal 4open. With 34 colleagues from around the world, he has created a clear guidance document for surgeons and clinicians working in the time of COVID-19, whether they are in a large state-of-the art hospital or a small clinic in a developing country.

10 Jun 2020

COVID-19 mouse model could accelerate the search for treatments, vaccines

The global effort to quickly develop drugs and vaccines for COVID-19 has been hampered by limited numbers of laboratory mice that are susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

10 Jun 2020

Blood type plays role in SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new meta-analysis from Iran, available on the medRxiv preprint server, showed that the blood group A could be considered a partial risk factor for infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), whereas the blood group O may act as a protective factor; conversely, no significant associations were observed between specific blood groups and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) mortality.

10 Jun 2020

Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on sleep quality

Stay-at-home orders and "lockdowns" related to the COVID-19 pandemic have had a major impact on the daily lives of people around the world and that includes the way that people sleep, two studies report June 10 in the journal Current Biology.

10 Jun 2020

Tocilizumab in Critical COVID-19 Patients

A new study by scientists at Metro Infectious Disease Consultants and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 reports that the cytokine blocker tocilizumab is a useful adjunct to supportive medical care in severe COVID-19, with increased survival and a lower requirement for mechanical ventilation.

10 Jun 2020

Seroprevalence of IgM and IgG against SARS-CoV-2 in China

A new study published in the journal Nature Medicine in June 2020 reports the seroprevalence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) across China. This may help to understand the actual prevalence of the virus in the current pandemic.

10 Jun 2020

Specific immune signature identified in COVID-19 patients

Researchers at King’s College London and collaborators have identified an “immune signature” that could help researchers better understand coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and serve as a valuable resource for predicting patient prognosis and informing clinical risk-based stratification.

10 Jun 2020

Expanding flu vaccine coverage could reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing

Up to 76 percent of all outpatient antibiotic prescriptions in the United States may be inappropriate, with peak prescribing associated with the flu season.

10 Jun 2020

Mitigating "second wave" COVID-19 risk to health frontliners and patients

Researchers at University College London have made important discoveries about the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among frontline healthcare workers that could help to inform new policies for protecting staff and patients in the future.

10 Jun 2020

NIH-funded researchers to assess drugs prescribed to treat COVID-19 in children

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have launched an effort to evaluate drugs prescribed to treat COVID-19 in infants, children and adolescents across the country. The study leverages an existing clinical trial that examines drugs that are prescribed off-label to children for a variety of medical conditions.

10 Jun 2020

Reopening UK bars and pubs on June 22 is a risky move, says GlobalData

Following today’s news (8 June) that UK beer gardens in pubs could reopen on 22 June as part of the Save Summer Six drive

10 Jun 2020

GlobalData: Use of hydroxychloroquine as COVID19 treatment continues to be debated

There is no clinical evidence that hydroxychloroquine is effective against COVID19. Some studies using hydroxychloroquine have shown no benefits or even an increase in risk of death, but the number of clinical trials investigating hydroxychloroquine as a primary or secondary intervention continues to expand to determine whether the drug candidate is a key contender as a therapeutic or not, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

10 Jun 2020

G42 and Oxford Nanopore co-develop population-scale technology to detect SARS-CoV-2

Group 42 (G42), a leading AI and Cloud Computing company based in the United Arab Emirates, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies, an advanced sequencing technology company based in the United Kingdom, announced today they have developed an unprecedented population-scale technology that rapidly and accurately detects SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

10 Jun 2020

Internet searches can help track the spread of COVID-19, says UofL researcher

When they're feeling sick, many people turn to the Internet. They Google their symptoms -; headache, chest pain, shortness of breath -; hoping to learn more about what's happening in their bodies.

10 Jun 2020