Every year around this time, public health officials start warning about the approach of flu season. But this year is a little bit different thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, experts are warning about the possibility of a “twindemic,” or the overlap of flu season and an expected surge in COVID-19 cases this fall and […]
N95 respirators, which are widely worn by health care workers treating COVID-19 patients, and are designed to be used only once, can be decontaminated effectively and worn up to three times, according to a new study that could help reuse these scarce resources amidst the pandemic. Researchers, including those from The University of California Los […]
An increasingly common mutation of the novel coronavirus found in Europe, North America and parts of Asia may be more infectious but appears less deadly, according to a prominent infectious diseases doctor. Paul Tambyah, senior consultant at the National University of Singapore and president-elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases, said evidence suggests the […]
Doctors in Brazil, the country with the second-highest number of cases and deaths in the coronavirus pandemic, have a new tool in their fight against COVID-19: artificial intelligence to detect infections. Under-testing remains a huge problem in the sprawling South American country, but AI is helping fill the gap, thanks to a system called RadVid-19 […]
As dengue season sets in across large parts of India with the onset of the monsoon, scientists warn that COVID-19 and the mosquito-borne disease have overlapping symptoms and worry the country’s healthcare infrastructure won’t be able to cope with this double whammy. The impact of a ‘dengue-COVID-19’ season would entail two different diagnostic tests and […]
Scientists have experimented with non-medical grade masks, and found that well-fitted ones made from stitching two layers of quilting cotton fabric are the most effective in stopping the spread of cough and sneeze droplets, whereas bandana-style coverings “had little to no effect.” The study, published in the journal Physics of Fluids, used a laser to […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an important innovation in diagnostics, because it can quickly learn to recognize abnormalities that a doctor would also label as a disease. But the way that these systems work is often opaque, and doctors do have a better ‘overall picture’ when they make the diagnosis. In a new publication, researchers from […]
You’re sick, perhaps very sick, so you head to the local emergency department fearing the onset of COVID-19. But what symptoms most clearly point to a need for urgent care? Based on a review of more than 1,000 patients who’ve already sought care for respiratory illnesses since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic in March, […]
Doctors are being ‘inundated’ with calls about ‘COVID toes’ from people whose only coronavirus symptoms are bruises and rashes on their feet A new symptom of the coronavirus – bruising, rashes and lesions on the feet – has been dubbed ‘COVID toes’ They generally appear in children and teenagers who don’t have any other symptoms […]
Another unusual symptom of the novel coronavirus has surfaced: discolored toes that look swollen and feel painful to the touch. Dubbed “COVID toes,” the rare symptom presents mostly in younger patients. Doctors explain what COVID toes look like, plus when to seek treatment. Doctors have identified another unusual symptom of the novel coronavirus: purple or […]
