Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

New study to accelerate early detection of COVID-19 in healthcare professionals

The West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, WVU Medicine, and smart ring maker Oura Health today (April 8) announced a national study designed to accelerate early detection of the COVID-19 virus symptoms and contagiousness.

8 Apr 2020

Spanish study shows infections in children occur early in COVID-19 epidemics

With the spread of COVID-19, scientists are finding out more about the disease. One major aspect that is being studied is how the virus affects children. A new report from Spain, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics in April 2020, shows that pediatric populations are infected early in the epidemic and that about 10% of those with symptoms suggestive of infection test positive. Severe infection can also occur among children, requiring hospitalization and intensive care.

8 Apr 2020

Research uncovers risk factors associated with pneumococcal carriage in Fiji

New research has uncovered the risk factors for Fijians carrying a pneumonia-causing bacteria.

8 Apr 2020

‘When it starts getting into your local hospital, it becomes real’

The folding chairs outside the windows appeared late last month, after the maintenance staff at St. James Parish Hospital labeled each window with a patient room number so families and friends could at least see their loved ones battling COVID-19.

8 Apr 2020

Loss of smell and taste as symptoms of COVID-19

Professor Carl Philpott speaks to News-Medical about his research into smell loss as a potential early symptom for COVID-19.

8 Apr 2020

Huge asymptomatic pool of coronavirus infected worldwide, say researchers

A startling new report from the University of Göttingen debunks the idea that the official statistics regarding the number of confirmed cases of the pandemic COVID-19 are accurate. It is much more likely, say the researchers, that the official figures which are the basis of government action and of much media analysis represent only about 6% of all infections. If so, they say, there are already tens of millions of infected people worldwide.

8 Apr 2020

New “pop-up tent” could protect NHS workers when treating COVID-19 patients

A disposable plastic 'pop-up tent' which creates a protective barrier between patients and healthcare professionals could be the latest line of defence for frontline NHS workers thanks to a new product developed by a team from the UK.

8 Apr 2020

Smokers need to quit during coronavirus pandemic

Smoking tobacco may aggravate the effects of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Health experts are urging smokers to quit and cigarette companies to stop producing tobacco products to help alleviate the risks of COVID-19. A new study from China highlights the risk of smoking during the coronavirus pandemic.

7 Apr 2020

Common coronaviruses are sharply seasonal and appear to transmit like influenza

Of the seven coronaviruses known to infect people, four cause common respiratory infections that are sharply seasonal and appear to transmit similarly to influenza, according to a new study by University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers.

7 Apr 2020

Suicide attempt survivors found to be less sensitive to bodily signals

People who have survived a suicide attempt are less sensitive to bodily signals related to their heart and breath, and have a higher tolerance for pain, suggest new findings published today in eLife.

7 Apr 2020

Research findings could aid in the recognition and management of COVID-19 pneumonia

Researchers have identified the most common clinical characteristics of 109 patients with COVID-19 related pneumonia who died in Wuhan, China in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

7 Apr 2020

What we know about COVID-19 in children

A new viewpoint article published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics in April 2020 discusses the manifestation and management of the novel coronavirus disease devastating several countries.

7 Apr 2020

To curb coronavirus, What’s behind the wearing of a mask?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday recommended wearing cloth face masks when going out, especially to places like grocery stores and pharmacies.

7 Apr 2020

Nursing homes have thousands of ventilators that hospitals desperately need

As the number of COVID-19 patients climbs and health officials hunt for ventilators to treat them, nursing homes across the United States have a cache - about 8,200 of the lifesaving machines, according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

7 Apr 2020

How do viruses mutate and jump to humans?

Zoonotic spillover events like the current novel coronavirus pandemic present threats to human health. But what is zoonotic spillover and how do they occur?

7 Apr 2020

Research reveals a potential 'chink in the armor' of SARS-CoV-2

The scientists from Scripps Research, reveal a likely vulnerability or weakness of the coronavirus. An antibody, called CR3022, recovered from a survivor of the SARS outbreak in 2002, has shown a potential vulnerability of the novel coronavirus.

6 Apr 2020

Tiger with SARS-CoV-2 infection demostrates reverse zoonosis

Some viruses come from animals and jump to humans to cause disease. In the case of the novel coronavirus, now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it is thought to have come from bats, jumped to an intermediate animal host, and then onto humans. But can the virus leap from humans to other animals?

6 Apr 2020

Brown fat cells can translate energy into heat in an unexpected way

When we are exposed to sufficient cold or exercise, small clusters of brown fat cells in our bodies begin to burn up energy.

6 Apr 2020

Antiparasitic drug Ivermectin kills coronavirus in 48 hours

Around the world, scientists race to develop a vaccine or treatment against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Now, a team of researchers has found that a drug already available around the world can kill the coronavirus in a lab setting in just 48 hours.

6 Apr 2020

Researchers create algorithm to protect surgical team members from COVID-19

Researchers from Stanford University's department of surgery have created an algorithm that aims to protect operating room team members who perform urgent and emergency operations from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and rationally conserve the personal protective equipment they wear.

6 Apr 2020