Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

Study shows 1 in 15 parents is hesitant about routine childhood vaccines

A national study measuring parental attitudes toward vaccinations found 6.1% were hesitant about routine childhood immunizations while nearly 26% were hesitant about the influenza vaccine.

15 Jun 2020

Effect of human genes on severity and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2

Now, a new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* reports the results of an analysis of the association between the genetic variants in the patients and the clinical progression of the disease. The study included 332 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in a single-center, with widely varying laboratory and clinical features. There were 25, 12, and 17 patients with asymptomatic, mild, and critical disease.

14 Jun 2020

Does COVID-19 injure the placenta of pregnant women?

News-Medical speaks to Dr. Jeffery Goldstein about whether COVID-19 is damaging the placentas of pregnant women and what women can do to protect themselves.

12 Jun 2020

Interferons being tested for COVID-19 may increase susceptibility to bacterial infections

Two separate studies in mice suggest that a class of interferons being evaluated in clinical trials as a therapy for COVID-19 may increase susceptibility to bacterial infections, depending on how long patients are exposed to it, and when they receive it.

12 Jun 2020

Type III interferons can increase risk of bacterial "superinfections" in the lung, research shows

Interferons and other cytokines produced by the immune system are important defenses against viral infections, but as we have seen in COVID-19, they can also contribute to damaging, potentially life-threatening lung inflammation.

12 Jun 2020

A protein that helps treat viruses can later interfere with lung tissue repair

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have found that a protein which is initially helpful in the body’s immune response to a virus, can later interfere with the repair of lung tissue.

12 Jun 2020

New insight could aid in the development of universal vaccines for respiratory viruses

A significant site of damage during COVID-19 infection is the lungs. Understanding how the lungs' immune cells are responding to viral infections could help scientists develop a vaccine.

11 Jun 2020

Hydroxychloroquine suppresses 'trained immunity'

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 shows that the drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) suppresses a form of immunity called ‘trained immunity,’ with repercussions for its potential use to treat COVID-19.

11 Jun 2020

Immune modulation can cure severe and often fatal fungal infection in children

In the June 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, a team of UCLA physicians and scientists describes the first case of immune modulation being used to cure a severe and often fatal fungal infection.

11 Jun 2020

Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection not harmful in first trimester pregnancies

A new Danish study published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 shows that infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in early pregnancy does not carry an increased risk of fetal harm.

10 Jun 2020

Scientists investigate immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike immunogens

The coronavirus pandemic is actively spreading across the globe, with millions of people infected. Amid the global health crisis, scientists race to develop an effective vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

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

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

The 1918 flu pandemic can help mitigate the spread of COVID-19

What can the 1918 flu pandemic teach people about the current COVID-19 pandemic? That's what a group of researchers at the University of Missouri hope to uncover with the help of a recent COVID-19 RAPID grant from the National Science Foundation.

10 Jun 2020

Researchers examine the drying time of virus' droplets on various surfaces

One of the many questions researchers have about COVID-19 is how long the coronavirus causing the disease remains alive after someone infected with it coughs or sneezes.

10 Jun 2020

Pollen contributes to flu and COVID-19 seasonality

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting millions of people around the world and has taken a toll of over 411,000 lives. Yet after five months, there are immense gaps in our knowledge as to the factors that increase or inhibit viral transmission.

10 Jun 2020

Researchers show how warmer weather might shape the spread of COVID-19

An international team of researchers led by McMaster University has found that while higher heat and humidity can slow the spread of COVID-19, longer hours of sunlight are associated with a higher incidence of the disease, in a sign that sunny days can tempt more people out even if this means a higher risk of infection.

9 Jun 2020

A new strategy to combat influenza A and Zika virus

Leuven researchers have deployed synthetic amyloids to trigger protein misfolding as a strategy to combat the influenza A and Zika virus.

9 Jun 2020

SARS-CoV-2 genome variants in India

A new study published online on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 surveys the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 strains in India.

7 Jun 2020

Antiviral effects for COVID-19: Early is better

A new study by an international team of researchers and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 describes the possible reasons for inconsistent or null findings in clinical studies of antiviral drugs to date. It proposes a new approach to decide the sample size in light of its findings.

5 Jun 2020