Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Coronavirus buildup in the lungs is likely behind high mortality rates

A buildup of coronavirus in the lungs is likely behind the steep mortality rates seen in the pandemic, a new study finds.

31 Aug 2021

The tale of mRNA vaccines: Turning calamity into opportunity

In a review paper published in the journal Nature Reviews, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pennsylvania have described the underlying technologies for mRNA vaccines and their future prospects with improved delivery systems and applications in diseases beyond the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

31 Aug 2021

FDA grants seven years of marketing exclusivity for Octapharma’s Octagam 10%

Octapharma USA today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) has awarded seven years of marketing exclusivity for Octagam® 10% [Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)], the first and only intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) to be indicated for the treatment of adult dermatomyositis (DM).

31 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 animal origin: What we know so far

Scientists at the University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in the United Kingdom and the South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, China, have shed light on the animal origin of SARS-CoV-2, tracing back to the first outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), the infectious agent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China in 2002 to 2003.

31 Aug 2021

Researchers identify 55 lingering effects of COVID-19

As COVID-19 hospitalizations once again soar in a fourth surge more than 18 months after the pandemic started, some patients continue to experience symptoms long after recovering from COVID, according to a Houston Methodist study recently published in Nature's Scientific Reports.

30 Aug 2021

COVID-19 vaccine elicits antibody responses in nearly 9 out of 10 people taking immunosuppressants

COVID-19 vaccination elicited antibody responses in nearly nine out of 10 people with weakened immune systems, although their responses were only about one-third as strong as those mounted by healthy people, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

30 Aug 2021

Researchers urge neurologists to actively encourage vaccinations for Parkinson's patients

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are at higher risk for vaccine-preventable respiratory illnesses. However, patients with advanced PD may have less access to vaccinations according to a new study published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease.

30 Aug 2021

Influenza vaccination should become a part of standard hospital care after myocardial infarction

Influenza vaccination reduces the risk of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis at 12 months in hospitalized patients with myocardial infarction or high-risk coronary disease, according to late breaking research presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2021.

30 Aug 2021

Will mRNA vaccine boosters be required for SARS-CoV-2 variants?

A new study shows that the highly effective mRNA Moderna vaccine designed against the original SARS-CoV-2 strain may lose some efficacy as new variants arise.

30 Aug 2021

Can SARS-CoV-2 be transmitted in the food cold chain?

A new study reports that the risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 through such fomites is very low.

30 Aug 2021

Development of extra protective broad-spectrum antimicrobial face shield

In a new study available on the preprint server Preprints*, researchers have innovated a transparent face shield with intrinsic antimicrobial activity.

30 Aug 2021

Researchers conduct an international study of vaccine hesitancy

The health beliefs model is one method of quantifying health behaviors. In a study recently published in the journal Vaccine, this method is utilized to specifically study COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, bearing in mind that hesitancy is highly variable not only between individuals and location but also in regards to the specific medicine in question.

30 Aug 2021

New study analyzes altered gene expression in severe COVID-19

In a paper recently uploaded to the bioRxiv* preprint server, the genetic link between COVID-19 severity and gene expression is investigated, hoping to allow early identification of otherwise healthy individuals that will likely require hospitalization if infected.

30 Aug 2021

Polymeric and lipid nanoparticles in self-amplifying RNA vaccines result in higher protein expression and immunogenicity

Self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) is an advanced platform for nucleic acid vaccine development. The backbone is typically derived from an alphaviral genome and encodes a gene of interest (GOI) and a viral replicase that can amplify the genomic and subgenomic RNA.

30 Aug 2021

Have SARS-CoV-2 symptoms changed in the UK population over time?

A new paper compares changes in the symptoms due to COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

29 Aug 2021

Commonly-used pesticide linked to the global obesity epidemic

A commonly-used pesticide could be partially responsible for the global obesity epidemic, says a study led by McMaster University scientists.

28 Aug 2021

Northwestern researchers continue investigation on all aspects of COVID-19 pandemic

Northwestern Medicine scientists continue to investigate all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic: from molecular mechanisms of infection, to child hospitalization and single-dose vaccine response.

28 Aug 2021

Recognizing viral genomes in quick, ‘CRISP’ ways

Researchers from China recently reviewed the latest advancements, applications, and prospects of virus detection using CRISPR-Cas systems.

27 Aug 2021

New ESC guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of heart failure published

The European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure are published online today in European Heart Journal.

27 Aug 2021

COVID-19 pandemic illuminates the importance of airborne transmission of respiratory viruses

SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind today's global coronavirus pandemic, spreads primarily by inhalation of virus-laden aerosols at both short and long ranges -;and a comprehensive new assessment of respiratory viruses finds that many others probably do as well.

27 Aug 2021