Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Survey findings reveals persistence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

Daily national surveys by Carnegie Mellon University show that while COVID-19 vaccine uptake has increased, the proportion of vaccine-hesitant adults has remained unchanged. The concerns about a side effect remain high, especially among females, Black adults and those with an eligible health condition.

23 Mar 2021

Research identifies ways to prevent coronavirus spread to the nervous system

A number of studies have shown that human coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19, appear to attack neurons and the nervous system in vulnerable populations.

23 Mar 2021

COVID-19 prevention strategies may have led to a decrease in common respiratory infections

Wearing masks and physical distancing - two key infection prevention strategies implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19 - may have led to the dramatic decrease in rates of common respiratory viral infections, such as influenza.

23 Mar 2021

‘Zombie’ cells come to life after the death of the brain

In the hours after we die, certain cells in the human brain are still active. Some cells even increase their activity and grow to gargantuan proportions, according to new research from the University of Illinois Chicago.

23 Mar 2021

A new COVID-19 candidate vaccine induces robust humoral and cellular immune responses in mice

A Korea-based company EyeGene Inc. has recently developed a liposome-based mRNA candidate vaccine against COVID-19, which contains full-length spike protein of the European variant (D614G) of SARS-CoV-2 as a vaccine antigen.

23 Mar 2021

B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant significantly more dangerous

Now, researchers at the University of Exeter, the NHS Foundation Trust, report a significant increase in mortality risk due to the B.1.1.7 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant.

22 Mar 2021

New method could drive down the production cost of antibodies

Antibody injections are a highly desirable treatment for people with chronic diseases such as cancer, psoriasis, Crohn's disease and arthritis. And recently, antibodies have been in the news as a promising treatment for severe cases of COVID-19.

22 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 infection is circadian

An international team of researchers has found that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) levels in lung cells vary over the day, affecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The virus entry and replication in the lung cells also have a rhythmic cycle, suggesting circadian processes can affect the virus's life cycle.

22 Mar 2021

RedHill provides opaganib treatment under compassionate use exemption for Swiss COVID-19 patients

RedHill Biopharma Ltd., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has acted on a request to provide opaganib treatment on an outpatient basis under compassionate use exemption for several Swiss patients suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia.

22 Mar 2021

AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine protects against symptomatic disease

Results from a large clinical trial in the United States and South America indicate that AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, AZD1222, is well-tolerated and protects against symptomatic COVID-19 disease, including severe disease or hospitalization.

22 Mar 2021

Can SARS-CoV-2 still be transmissible once symptoms have subsided?

Researchers based at the University of Missouri, in partnership with U.S. government science facilities in Maryland, have reported that individuals severely infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be able to continue shedding infectious viral RNA for over three weeks after the symptomatic infection has passed.

22 Mar 2021

Male fertility and androgen production may be impacted by COVID-19

An interesting new study has appeared online in the journal Hormones that discusses the effects of COVID-19 on the male and female gonads.

22 Mar 2021

What are the chief predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children?

A new study seeks to explore the factors associated with the diagnosis in children. The ability to rapidly diagnose COVID-19 in this age group is essential not only for monitoring progressive disease in individual children, but to avert further transmission chains.

22 Mar 2021

The hype has faded, but don’t count out convalescent plasma in Covid battle

Six months after it was controversially hailed by Trump administration officials as a "breakthrough" therapy to fight the worst effects of Covid-19, convalescent plasma appears to be on the ropes.

22 Mar 2021

Preventing future pandemics by ending the wildlife trade

In this News-Medical interview, we spoke to Professor Diana Bell about the illegal wildlife trade and how we could prevent future pandemics by stopping it.

22 Mar 2021

Study: 8 out of 10 Spanish health professionals are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19

Approximately 8 out of every 10 health professionals in Spain are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a study led by researchers from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

20 Mar 2021

Study: COVID-19 causes more severe disease and is more lethal than influenza

In a paper published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, physician-researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center assessed the relative impact of COVID-19 on patients hospitalized with the viral infection in March and April 2020, versus patients hospitalized with influenza during the last five flu seasons at the medical center.

19 Mar 2021