As the COVID-19 outbreaks continue to skyrocket with new clusters in numerous dark red areas in many provinces across the country, a research team led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sanchai Payungporn, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, has, therefore, accelerated the development of the innovative COVID-19 screening kits – “COVID-19 SCAN” that are convenient, fast, inexpensive, with efficiency, accuracy close to the Real-time PCR standards mandated by the Ministry of Public Health.
Tag: Coronavirus
Scientists repurpose cancer and seizure medications to aid in the fight against COVID-19
Two teams of researchers using the Advanced Photon Source identified existing drugs — one used to treat cancer, the other an anti-seizure medication — that may work as treatments for COVID-19.
Ask an Expert: Have Drivers Gotten Worse Since COVID?
As the restrictions around COVID-19 are lifted, and more and more people hit the road to return to their work spaces and routines, you may have heard a familiar refrain: “People have forgotten how to drive.” Is it true? Are drivers worse now than they were before the coronavirus pandemic took over the world? The answer, according to Dwight A. Hennessy, department chair and professor of psychology at Buffalo State College, is probably not.
Tip Sheet: Disparities in cancer outcomes, catching up on cancer screenings, boosting immunotherapy effectiveness and SARS-CoV-2 origins
SEATTLE — July 7, 2021 — Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch research findings and other news.
International team develops predictive tool to help mitigate COVID-19 in Africa
Penn State researchers are leading a multi-country collaboration to develop a surveillance modeling tool that provides a weekly projection of expected COVID-19 cases in all African countries.
Prevalence of COVID-19 Among Hospitalized Infants Varies with Levels of Community Transmission
How common COVID-19 is among infants may depend on the degree of the pandemic virus circulating in a community, a new study finds.
UC San Diego Health Adopts SMART Health Card for Digital Vaccine Records
UC San Diego Health is now offering a verifiable digital vaccine record to its patients who have or will receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These secure online records, otherwise known as a SMART health card, can be accessed directly from the MyUCSDChart patient portal.
Vaping Increases Susceptibility to Coronavirus in Mice
A new study finds that exposure to e-cigarette vapor leads to higher levels of the coronavirus receptor ACE-2 in lungs of mice, with nicotine enhancing that increase in male mice.
DHS S&T Funds Veteran-Owned Florida Small Business to Develop Longer-Lasting Disinfectant to Fight COVID-19
DHS S&T’s SVIP has awarded $105,877 in Phase 1 funding for Bloodstone Division, LLC’s development of an anti-viral disinfectant under the SVIP Emerging Needs: COVID-19 Response & Future Mitigation solicitation.
Study confirms the low likelihood that SARS-CoV-2 on hospital surfaces is infectious
A new study confirms the low likelihood that coronavirus contamination on hospital surfaces is infectious. The study is the original report on recovering near-complete SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences directly from surface swabs.
Is it a Virus or Bacteria? New Tech Rapidly Tests for COVID-19 and More
S&T is preparing for future outbreaks/pandemics by investing in a new tech that can quickly discriminate between bacterial and viral infections so that the U.S. can triage patients and plan a response without delay.
UCI professor wins Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias award for scientific research
Irvine, Calif., June 24, 2021 — Philip Felgner, Ph.D., professor in residence of physiology & biophysics at the University of California, Irvine, is one of seven scholars worldwide to win Spain’s prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research in recognition of their contributions to designing COVID-19 vaccines.
New protein engineering method could accelerate the discovery of COVID-19 therapeutics
Discovering and engineering nanobodies with properties suitable for treating human diseases ranging from cancer to COVID-19 is a time-consuming, laborious process.
Decoding humans’ survival from coronaviruses
An international team of researchers co-led by the University of Adelaide and the University of Arizona has analysed the genomes of more than 2,500 modern humans from 26 worldwide populations, to better understand how humans have adapted to historical coronavirus outbreaks.
Political variables carried more weight than healthcare in government response to COVID-19
Political institutions such as the timing of elections and presidentialism had a larger influence on COVID-19 strategies than the institutions organizing national healthcare, according to a research team led by a professor at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Higher COVID-19 Mortality Among Black Patients Linked to Unequal Hospital Quality
If Black patients were admitted to the same hospitals that serve a majority of White patients, researchers showed their risk of death would drop by 10 percent
Story Tips from Johns Hopkins Experts on COVID-19
NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE:
– Stressed About “Returning to Normal”? Here Are Tips to Ease Into the Transition
– Be Your Brother’s Keeper: Steps for Faith-Based Communities to Reopen Safely
What makes us sneeze?
What exactly triggers a sneeze? A team led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified, in mice, specific cells and proteins that control the sneeze reflex. Better understanding of what causes us to sneeze — specifically how neurons behave in response to allergens and viruses — may point to treatments capable of slowing the spread of infectious respiratory diseases.
What’s next: The ongoing urban exodus
Many employees have come to prefer working from home after being forced to do so more than a year ago when the pandemic started. By some estimates, at least one-quarter of employees will still be working remotely multiple days a week at the end of 2021. For those whose jobs allow it, being untethered from the office might mean moving farther away from it – by a few miles or a few hundred.
AI Predicts How Patients with Viral Infections, Including COVID-19, Will Fare
UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers discovered gene expression patterns associated with pandemic viral infections, providing a map to help define patients’ immune responses, measure disease severity, predict outcomes and test therapies — for current and future pandemics.
COVID-19 Creates Hearing, Balance Disorders, Aggravates Tinnitus Symptoms
Evidence suggests auditory and vestibular effects should be added to the growing list of physiological impacts of COVID-19. During the 180th Meeting, Colleen Le Prell from the University of Texas at Dallas will talk about hearing and balance disorders associated with coronavirus infection and how pandemic-related stress and anxiety may aggravate tinnitus symptoms. Her presentation, “Hearing disorders secondary to infection with SARS-CoV-2,” will take place Thursday, June 10.
The Medical Minute: Vaccinating kids against COVID-19 protects them, their communities
Is the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine really safe for children ages 12 and up? A Penn State Health expert gives an emphatic yes.
Pandemic Quarantine Acoustically Contributes to Mental, Physical Health Degradation
The prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic created widespread lockdown fatigue and increased social tension in multiunit housing, but small improvements in quality-of-life routines may help people cope. During the 180th ASA Meeting, Braxton Boren from American University will discuss noise prevention techniques and the use of alterative acoustic stimulation to help those who find themselves in pandemic-related lockdowns. The session, “The Soundscape of Quarantine,” will take place Wednesday, June 9.
SARS-CoV-2 Detectable — Though Likely Not Transmissible — on Hospital Surfaces
UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers discovered that SARS-CoV-2, or at least its genetic signature, abounds on hospital surfaces, often co-locating with one particular type of bacteria.
Pandemic Teaching Transitions Back to Classroom with Lessons Learned
The COVID-19 pandemic created numerous changes and challenges for many people. During the 180th ASA Meeting, Andrew Morrison from Joliet Junior College will reveal lessons learned by educators during remote teaching caused by the pandemic and what techniques they can use in the return to classroom instruction. The session, “Lessons learned teaching through a pandemic and looking forward to a post-COVID-19 classroom,” will take place Tuesday, June 8.
Balancing Speech Intelligibility, Face Covering Effectiveness in Classrooms During the Pandemic
A better understanding of the impacts of face masks and shields on acoustic transmission in classrooms could help optimize educational settings. During the 180th ASA Meeting, Laura and Rich Ruhala from Kennesaw State University will talk about how various types of face coverings may affect students’ understanding of their teacher. Their presentation, “Acoustical transmission of face coverings used to reduce coronavirus transmission in a classroom environment,” will take place Tuesday, June 8.
Covid-19 vaccines also protect unvaccinated family members
Researchers at the Helsinki Graduate School of Economics have found that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines protect both vaccinated individuals and their unvaccinated adult household members against SARS-CoV-2 infections. The study, not yet peer-reviewed, used Finnish administrative datasets to examine the link between mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines and infection risk among vaccinated individuals as well as their unvaccinated family members.
Most New Jerseyans Support Fully Reopening Public Schools in Fall, Requiring Vaccinations for Healthcare Workers, Rutgers Poll Shows
As vaccination rates increase and prospects of normal life return more than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, New Jerseyans differ on various aspects of this “new normal” and how comfortable they feel, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.
About One in Six New Jerseyans Say They Won’t Get COVID-19 Vaccine
Seventy-three percent of New Jerseyans say they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and while another 10 percent say they will likely roll up their sleeve for it, 16 percent remain unwilling, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.
Story Tips from Johns Hopkins Experts on COVID-19
NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE:
-Physician and Musician: Johns Hopkins Doctor Brings Passion for Music to Medicine During Pandemic
-Rapid, At-Home Blood Test Could Confirm COVID-19 Vaccination in Minutes
-What to Expect and Prepare for As You Return to Regular Health Care Appointments
-Study Suggests Sudden Hearing Loss Not Associated with COVID-19 Vaccination
-Vaccination May Not Rid COVID-19 Risk for Those with Rheumatic, Musculoskeletal Diseases
Researchers Discover Drug that Blocks Multiple SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Mice
A small molecule STING agonist was highly protective against the virus that causes COVID-19 and likely other coronaviruses
The Medical Minute: Can exercise lessen the severity of COVID-19?
For years, researchers have studied the benefits of exercise in preventing dozens of health conditions. But can regular physical activity also help people lessen the impact of viruses like COVID-19?
Nearly Half of COVID-19 Patients Left Hospital in Worse Physical Condition
Much of the conversation around COVID-19 focuses on death and survival. But 45% of patients hospitalized for the virus at Michigan Medicine during the pandemic’s first wave experienced significant functional decline. Nearly 20% were discharged to a location other than their home. Researchers say this information highlights the true impact of COVID-19.
Maintain Your Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing During Covid Pandemic
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Checkout the strategies for improving your mental health & emotional well-being.
Efforts to treat COVID-19 patients chronicled in UC Health medications data
Irvine, Calif., May 21, 2021 – A record of medicine utilization patterns assembled by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of California, Irvine and the UC San Diego School of Medicine reveals the thought, care and scientific rigor clinicians at UC Health medical centers applied in their treatment of patients with COVID-19 in 2020.
Will COVID-19 Eventually Become Just a Seasonal Nuisance?
Within the next decade, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 could become little more than a nuisance, causing no more than common cold-like coughs and sniffles. That possible future is predicted by mathematical models that incorporate lessons learned from the current pandemic on how our body’s immunity changes over time. Scientists at the University of Utah carried out the research, now published in the journal Viruses.
Penn Medicine to Require All Health System Employees to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine
Philadelphia-Based Top Academic Health System Becomes Nation’s Largest to Mandate Vaccination, Calling for Workforce to Set an Example to End the Pandemic
SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The international journal Risk Analysis has published a timely special issue for May 2021, “Global Systemic Risk and Resilience for Novel Coronavirus and COVID-19.” Featuring 11 papers written for this issue over the past year, the collection represents a sampling of insights and viewpoints from scholars across risk sciences and resilience analytics to guide decision-making and operations related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Severe COVID-19 may be linked to long-haul symptoms
People who experience very severe COVID-19 illness have a higher prevalence of persistent symptoms, according to a new University of Michigan study.
COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines are Immunogenic in Pregnant and Lactating Women, Including Against Viral Variants
In a new study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers evaluated the immunogenicity of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in pregnant and lactating women who received either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. They found that both vaccines triggered immune responses in pregnant and lactating women.
University of Kentucky Study Suggests School Reopenings ‘Substantially’ Increased COVID-19 Spread in Texas
A new study by University of Kentucky researchers estimates the return to in-person learning in Texas last fall led to at least 43,000 additional COVID-19 cases and 800 deaths within the first two months.
Rutgers Pediatric Infectious Disease Expert Available to Discuss Pfizer’s Vaccine Approved by FDA for Children
Pediatric infectious disease expert David Cennimo is available to discuss the Food and Drug Administration approving Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on kids ages 12 to 15. “The Pfizer vaccine had a great track record of safety and success since…
Five benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine
UAB experts explain some of the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
A Crisis of Comfort
In “The Comfort Crisis,” UNLV journalism professor Michael Easter investigates how our modern-day comforts are linked to some of our most pressing problems—obesity, chronic disease, depression—and how by leaving our comfort zone, we can improve our overall mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.
El filtro HEPA reduce las partículas respiratorias transmitidas por el aire que se generan durante el ejercicio intenso
Los aerosoles respiratorios son un componente común de la respiración y constituyen una vía común de propagación de virus respiratorios como la COVID-19 a personas y superficies. Los investigadores que realizan pruebas de esfuerzo físico en pacientes con problemas cardíacos en Mayo Clinic hallaron que el ejercicio a niveles mayores de esfuerzo aumentaba la concentración de aerosoles en el entorno circundante. Además, descubrieron que el filtro recogedor de partículas de alta eficiencia (HEPA, por sus siglas en inglés) descartaba de manera eficaz los aerosoles y disminuía el tiempo necesario para purificar el aire entre los pacientes.
As crianças também enfrentam efeitos de longo prazo da COVID-19
Os efeitos de longo prazo da infecção por COVID-19 estão afetando a saúde de algumas crianças e adolescentes, bem como de adultos. Embora a maioria das crianças com infecção por COVID-19 tenha sintomas leves ou nenhum sintoma, qualquer pessoa que teve COVID-19, mesmo se leve ou sem sintomas, pode ter efeitos de longo prazo.
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Waiving COVID-19 Vaccine Patents to Increase Global Vaccinations
Rutgers global health expert Richard Marlink is available to discuss the waiving of vaccine patents to help increase global vaccination rates in less developed countries — a move the Biden administration recently supported ahead of negotiations with the World Trade…
COVID-19 vaccine is associated with fewer asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital COVID-19 screening and vaccination program for employees offers early evidence that vaccine protects against asymptomatic infection, which has fueled the pandemic.
Assessing the Outbreak Risk of Epidemics Using Fuzzy Evidential Reasoning
While epidemic diseases (EDs) continue to pose a challenging risk that endangers public health, they tend to attract little attention regarding risk assessment in the current literature. Tackling ED risks becomes complicated when the needed advanced techniques designed to assess…
Rutgers Engineers Developing Rapid Breathalyzer Test for COVID-19
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 30, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick engineering professors Edward P. DeMauro, German Drazer, Hao Lin and Mehdi Javanmard are available for interviews on their work to develop a new type of fast-acting COVID-19 sensor that detects the presence…