Pandemic News and Research

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A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. During a pandemic, transmission can be anticipated in the workplace, not only from patient to workers in health care settings, but also among co-workers in general work settings. A pandemic would cause high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss. Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places become seriously ill at the same time. Impacts could range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation and food delivery.

Study reveals over 20% of Americans suffer from food shortage

More than 18 percent of U.S. adults do not know whether they will have enough to eat from day to day, and the numbers are worse for Hispanics, Blacks, people with obesity, and women, a new report shows.

24 Sep 2020

Druggable pocket in SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein can help eliminate COVID-19

Researchers have identified a druggable pocket in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein that could be utilized to prevent the virus from infecting human cells.

24 Sep 2020

Irisin hormone could have therapeutic effect on COVID-19 patients

A study conducted by researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) suggests that irisin, a hormone secreted from muscles in response to exercise, could have a therapeutic effect on COVID-19 patients.

23 Sep 2020

Mouse model reveals neurons responsible for guiding adaptive behavior

Humans, like other animals, have the ability to constantly adapt to new situations. Researchers at the Brain Research Institute of the University of Zurich have utilized a mouse model to reveal which neurons in the brain are in command in guiding adaptive behavior.

17 Sep 2020

Study pinpoints specific protein involved in the mass production of antibodies

A team of researchers has discovered how a specific protein called JAGN1 plays a crucial role in the production of antibodies.

17 Sep 2020

Researchers examine micromechanical behavior of plant tissues to improve food production

QUT researchers are working to design faster, cheaper, and better ways to store food. Published in journal PLOS ONE, researchers used QUT's supercomputing facilities to examine the micromechanical behavior of plant tissues and how biological cells behave while dehydrated or dried.

15 Sep 2020

New study can help develop effective COVID-19 vaccine

According to a new study, a detailed analysis of antibody responses in patients affected by COVID-19 could help develop an effective vaccine.

14 Sep 2020

Sociological study focuses on perceptions about food purity and impurity

Is an oozing apple with fuzzy white mold better than one that is fresh and green a month after you bought it? Yes, according to a new sociological study of Danes' perceptions about food 'purity' and 'impurity'.

11 Sep 2020

CRISPR in a Box: New educational gene editing tool kit

Introducing CRISPR in a Box™ - it's not a new crunchy cereal or the latest snack - it's an educational tool kit consisting of state-of-the-science gene editing technology that could be coming to a school near you.

10 Sep 2020

Computer-designed proteins protect lab-grown human cells from SARS-CoV-2

Computer-designed small proteins have now been shown to protect lab-grown human cells from SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

10 Sep 2020

Changing what we eat could offset years of climate-warming emissions

Plant protein foods can provide vital nutrients using a small fraction of the land required to produce meat and dairy.

8 Sep 2020

Combined point-of-care nucleic acid and antibody test can speed up COVID-19 detection

A Cambridge hospital has piloted the use of combined rapid point-of-care nucleic acid and antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection after researchers at the University of Cambridge showed that this approach was superior to virus detection alone for diagnosing COVID-19 disease.

3 Sep 2020

New method shows promise for treating diabetes and obesity

Obesity, the leading cause of type 2 diabetes and chronic illnesses, will collectively kill more people around the world in 2020 than COVID-19 coronavirus.

1 Sep 2020

Decisions of small-scale poultry farmers can influence the spread of deadly virus

Small-scale poultry farmers in Vietnam tend to respond to viral outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) by rapidly selling their birds as a way to avoid financial loss, according to a new study by an international team of researchers.

31 Aug 2020

Understanding skin damage caused by rubbing could lead to better topical skin treatments

Understanding the skin damage caused by rubbing could lead to better topical skin treatments and help prevent the formation of new routes for viral and bacterial infection.

31 Aug 2020

New cellular pathway can protect cells from infection by Ebola virus, coronavirus

Discoveries from the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI) have identified a new cellular protection pathway that targets a common vulnerability in several different pandemic viruses, and collaborators at Case Western Reserve University, Boston University School of Medicine and MRIGlobal have shown that this pathway can protect cells from infection by Ebola virus and coronaviruses, like SARS-CoV-2.

28 Aug 2020