The FDA has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to Rutgers’ RUCDR Infinite Biologics and its collaborators for a new collection approach that utilizes saliva as the primary test biomaterial for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the first such approval granted by the federal agency. The new saliva collection method, which RUCDR developed in partnership with Spectrum Solutions and Accurate Diagnostic Labs (ADL), will allow for broader population screening than the current method of nose and throat swabs.
Tag: COVID-19
McMaster University researchers closing in on home test for COVID-19
McMaster University researchers are racing to create a home-based COVID-19 testing kit, which could potentially be ready to move forward for approvals and manufacturing within months.
The Case For DIY Masks To Slow Coronavirus’ Spread
A small cluster physicist explains why DIY masks work and why even a bandana is better than nothing to fight the spread of COVID19.
Joint Statement: A Call to Action for America to Fight COVID-19
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, with other healthcare organizations, has released a statement calling upon the government, private sector and all other Americans to “uphold their moral obligation by joining us in fighting the battle against coronavirus and the resulting COVID-19 disease.”
Engineering develop ventilator and mask prototypes using 3D printing to help during coronavirus pandemic
Engineers at Binghamton University, State University of New York are working with healthcare providers in the region to develop technology to help deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Binghamton University Student Builds Ventilator Prototype to Assist During COVID-19 Pandemic
Jacob Goodman, a mechanical engineering student at Binghamton University, State University of New York, built a ventilator prototype using mainly parts he purchased from Walmart, to help during the coronavirus pandemic. Here he breaks down the parts and how the device works.
Intermountain Healthcare COVID-19 Response Teams to Provide Support to New York Hospitals; 100 Caregivers Deploying This Week to Help NY Care for Coronavirus Patients
Intermountain Healthcare has created two COVID-19 Response Teams with 50 caregivers each that will deploy to the New York City area to assist hospitals this week. Intermountain has partnered with New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Northwell Health, both located in the New York City area. These healthcare systems will aim to return the favor by supporting Intermountain as much as they can when Utah faces its own surge with COVID-19 patients.
Rutgers Food Innovation Center Offers Virtual Food Safety Training
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 13, 2020) – Food safety certificate courses offered by Rutgers’ Food Innovation Center are now available via interactive virtual training, including face-to-face video conferencing. Specialty food industry manufacturers, retailers, distributors and individuals across the food supply…
Rutgers Experts Can Discuss Emissions, Climate Change During COVID-19 Crisis
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 13, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick experts are available for interviews on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and efforts to promote a greener economy and lifestyles. “During the 2007…
US approaching peak of ‘active’ COVID-19 cases, strain on medical resources, new modeling shows
A new data-driven mathematical model of the coronavirus pandemic predicts that the United States will peak in the number of “active” COVID-19 cases on or around April 20, marking a critical milestone on the demand for medical resources.
Rutgers Experts Available to Discuss COVID-19 Deaths in African-Americans, Hispanics
Preliminary COVID-19 data has shown that black and brown people have accounted for the most deaths by far in the United States, which has led health experts to demand more racial data on the ongoing crisis. Experts at Rutgers University-New…
BIDMC enrolling patients in clinical trials evaluating existing drug as treatment for severe COVID-19
Physician-scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are now enrolling patients in a clinical trial to evaluate a potential treatment of patients with COVID-19. Part of a multi-site investigation, the trial is evaluating the safety and efficacy of sarilumab, a biologic medication already approved for adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, for the treatment of COVID-19.
Staying home? A geography expert in Buffalo creates a customizable ‘coloring book’ of city neighborhoods
Anyone can use the map. Kids can use the map as a learning activity by identifying their house; drawing in missing features, like cars, dogs or potholes; or color-coding their neighborhood according to themes such as the number of trees on a block.
UofL faculty member provides insight on importance of strengthening mental health in time of physical isolation and uncertainty
Physical isolation and social distancing have become the new normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and strengthening psychological coping is as important as staying physically well.
Hackensack Meridian Health Studying the Blood of COVID-19 Survivors
Convalescent plasma treatments could be a potential treatment method for COVID-19 cases
Professor Makes COVID-19 Acrylic Hoods for Hospital
A human-centered design professor at Northern Michigan University collaborated with an emergency room physician to create an extra shield of COVID-19 protection between patients and health care providers.
FDA Approves COVID-19 Innovations; Ohio State Wexner Medical Center To Share Nationwide
The Food and Drug Administration has approved solutions created by scientists at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center that both expand and accelerate COVID-19 testing across Ohio.
192 UIC medical students graduate early
Today, 192 medical students from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, one of the largest and most diverse medical schools in the country, will graduate early. Among the early grads, one-third have been matched to residency programs in Illinois.
Ask the expert: MSU veterinarian dispels myths about pets and COVID-19
Since first hearing about the COVID-19 outbreak in China, media outlets around the world have reported on strains of the virus originating in animals, on pets testing positive for the virus and most recently, on a tiger testing positive for COVID-19 at the Bronx Zoo. Annette O’Connor – chairperson of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and professor of Epidemiology at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine – says that there are seven different types of coronaviruses and that the Centers for Disease Control doesn’t believe the COVID-19 strain can be transmitted to domestic animals.
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Air Quality During COVID-19
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 9, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Monica Mazurek is available for interviews on air quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are experiencing unusually low levels of gas-phase and particulate air pollutants compared with last year,…
Rutgers Researcher Partners with NYU in Creating Sleep Apnea Machine Alternative to Ventilators and a Virus-Trapping Hood
A Rutgers researcher is testing modified sleep apnea machines intended to help relieve the shortage of mechanical ventilators for COVID-19 patients and is testing a prototype for a second system called the NYU Tandon AirVENT. It is a portable, personal, negative pressure hood that sucks virus particles exhaled by the wearer into a filter and traps them.
Immunizing with plasma to combat COVID-19
Canada institutions are pooling their scientific expertise to develop an extraordinary immunization program using passive plasma to fight COVID-19.
Tulane School of Social Work seeking public input on two COVID-19 surveys
The Tulane School of Social Work hopes the surveys will provide important data on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on mental and behavioral health.
Ad Astra Coalition created to help in the fight against COVID-19
A coalition of businesses and government partners, the Ad Astra Coalition has joined together to answer some of the challenges being created in Wichita and Kansas by the COVID-19 pandemic. The coalition is co-led by Airbus Americas Engineering, Spirit AeroSystems, Textron Aviation, Wichita State University and WSU Tech.
College of American Pathologists launches quality control program for COVID-19
The College of American Pathologists (CAP), in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, released a new proficiency testing (PT) program for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2).
University of Vermont Among First to Offer Early Graduation to Nursing Students to Help During Pandemic
The University of Vermont has given nursing students the option of early graduation so they can enter the nursing workforce and provide support to overstressed healthcare workers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Time to encourage people to wear face masks as a precaution, say experts
It’s time to encourage people to wear face masks as a precautionary measure on the grounds that we have little to lose and potentially something to gain, say experts in The BMJ today.
Mayo Clinic offer guidance on treating COVID-19 patients with signs of acute heart attack
Much remains unknown about COVID-19, but many studies already have indicated that people with cardiovascular disease are at greater risk of COVID-19. There also have been reports of ST-segment elevation (STE), a signal of obstructive coronary artery disease, in patients with COVID-19 who after invasive coronary angiography show no sign of the disease. This false signal of coronary artery disease may cause patients to undergo procedures that present unnecessary risks, especially in the COVID-19 environment, according to a special article published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
False-negative COVID-19 test results may lead to false sense of security
As COVID-19 testing becomes more widely available, it’s vital that health care providers and public health officials understand its limits and the impact false results can have on efforts to curb the pandemic.
A special article published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings calls attention to the risk posed by overreliance on COVID-19 testing to make clinical and public health decisions. The sensitivity of reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing and overall test performance characteristics have not been reported clearly or consistently in medical literature, the article says.
COVID-19 survey: Who is doing best at following the rules?
Young people, heavy news consumers and liberals are engaging in more recommended coronavirus (COVID-19) preventative practices than older people, the less informed and conservatives, according to a new national survey conducted by University of Delaware communication researchers.
Social media can forecast economic impact of disasters including COVID-19 pandemic
Social media should be used to chart the economic impact and recovery of businesses in countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research published in Nature Communications.
People with substance abuse among the most vulnerable during pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic has rattled routines for both urban and rural residents, one group is fighting to gain ground while facing widespread shelter-in-place directives.
Mount Sinai Leading the Way in Innovative Stem Cell Therapy for COVID-19 Patients
Mount Sinai Health System is the first in the country to use an innovative allogeneic stem cell therapy in COVID-19 patients and will play a central role in developing and conducting a rigorous clinical trial for patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, the breathing illness that afflicts people who have severe cases of COVID-19.
Measuring the Risk Among Clinicians Who Intubate Patients with COVID-19
Penn launched the U.S. component of a global registry that aims to help protect health care providers who intubate patients with COVID-19 and quantify their risk of developing the disease. The intubateCOVID registry tracks exposures and outcomes among providers who perform intubations, with the ultimate goal of reducing the transmission of COVID-19 to these providers.
Best Practices for Faith-Based Organizations Amidst Holy Holidays, Rutgers Expert Available
John J. Farmer, Jr., director of Rutgers’ Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience, is available to discuss best practices for faith communities as they adjust holy holiday celebrations to comply with Centers for Disease Control social distancing guidelines. “As…
Faculty Expert: Who gets a ventilator? Why people with disabilities fear medical rationing
In modern and historic times, health care institutions have often wrongly assumed people with disabilities have a poor quality of life, says UB researcher Michael Rembis BUFFALO, N.Y. — Across the United States, many people with disabilities and their loved ones…
FaceTime, Faith and Zoom’ing Through Holy Week; UNH Expert on Worshipping During COVID-19
For most religions, coming together as a community to worship is at the core of their practice, but during this unique and unsettling time of mask wearing and social distancing praying together can be a challenge as many churches remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic. Michele Dillon, a scholar of Catholicism and professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, finds that during one of the most holy periods on the Christian calendar clergy and parishioners are learning to make the liturgy work as online events, while continuing to follow COVID-19 guidelines.
UTEP School of Pharmacy Developing COVID-19 Vaccine, Drug Treatments Using Supercomputing
Research is underway at The University of Texas at El Paso’s School of Pharmacy to develop vaccines and antiviral drugs to combat the novel coronavirus within 15 months to two years.
UPMC Leads Global Effort to Fast Track Testing of Hydroxychloroquine and other COVID-19 Therapies with ‘Learning While Doing’ Clinical Trial
Novel ‘learning while doing’ clinical trial approach called REMAP helps doctors find the optimal trade-off between quickly adopting new therapies during a pandemic, such as the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, and waiting until they are tested in longer clinical trials. The trial announced today at UPMC, called UPMC-REMAP-COVID19 learns from similar trials enrolling around the world and uses artificial intelligence to quickly arrive at answers.
Clinical trial launches to evaluate antimalarial drugs for COVID-19 treatment
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is launching a clinical trial for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The trial will investigate the effectiveness of different combinations of the antimalarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azithromycin in treating ill patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
Mount Sinai Study Finds First Cases of COVID-19 in New York City are Primarily from European and US Sources
First definitive molecular epidemiology study of SARS-CoV-2 in New York City to describe the route by which the virus arrived
University of Utah Health and Intermountain Healthcare Launch Two COVID-19 Clinical Trials to Test Effectiveness of Drugs
Researchers from Intermountain Healthcare and University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City have launched two vital clinical trials to test the effectiveness and safety of two drugs –hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and azithromycin – to treat patients with COVID-19 (infection with the novel coronavirus).
UofL researchers seek new drugs to fight coronavirus using computers in schools across Kentucky
Researchers are using the computing power of thousands of computers in classrooms across Kentucky to identify drugs to treat COVID-19. The desktop computers are part of the DataseamGrid, a network of computers housed in classrooms of 48 Kentucky school districts.
JNCCN: Improving COVID-19 Safety for Cancer Patients and Healthcare Providers
NCCN Best Practices Committee publishes peer-reviewed feature in JNCCN presenting latest insights on how to keep oncology patients and healthcare workers safe during COVID-19 pandemic. Visit NCCN.org/covid-19 for continually-updated resources for patients, providers, and care systems.
University of Redlands Professor Marcia McFee says though we can’t gather, we can still celebrate Easter, Passover, or Ramadan. “In fact, it is perhaps essential to do so, in this moment, this year.”
University of Redlands Professor Marcia McFee says though we can’t gather, we can still celebrate Easter, Passover, or Ramadan. “In fact, it is perhaps essential to do so, in this moment, this year.” “In the Easter story, human pathos meets…
Telemedicine is changing the way healthcare will be done in the future
Telemedicine is changing the way providers connect with patients to maintain social distancing and decrease high risk patients from having to travel to a medical office. The COVID-19 pandemic opens the door for an increase in virtual care and could…
Tips for Homebound Caregivers Coping with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Researchers from FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing provide several coping and care strategies for caregivers to help sustain their health as well as the health of those in their care during the quarantine associated with COVID-19.
COVID-19: Social distancing works — just ask these animals
As social distancing is now being practiced at all levels of human society in order to mitigate a pandemic’s spread, a Virginia Tech expert in disease ecology says we need to look no further than our animal counterparts to understand why…
National Registry Quickly Set Up to Help Doctors Understand Risks COVID-19 Poses to Pregnant Women and Newborns
A new national registry has been launched by specialists in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at UCLA Health and the University of California, San Francisco, to determine COVID-19’s possible effects on pregnant women and newborns.
Maximizing Covid-19 ‘Alone Time’ and Pandemic Public Health Tracking: Maryland Smith Experts Available
Public Health Tracking in a Pandemic Health information researcher and interim dean Ritu Agarwal at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business can expand on her comments below regarding ways public health officials can maximize information technology to effectively monitor and…