Diaries of infection preventionists give inside look at the unsung heroes of the pandemic

Much has been rightfully made of the valiant work of doctors and nurses during the coronavirus pandemic. But what of infection preventionists (IP), whose job was to keep those workers and their facilities safe, and who many Americans do not even know exist? At the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology’s (APIC’s), 48th […]

‘Patient 16’ recovers from COVID-19 infection during Defense Department study

What impact could the COVID-19 pandemic have on mental health? Mental health advocate Dr. Lucy McBride joins ‘Fox News Live’ to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic could impact mental health, and how to shake the symptoms. A military spouse who was hospitalized due to COVID-19 was able to fight off the infection after taking part […]

COVID-19 infection rates high in pregnant women

The COVID-19 infection rate among pregnant women was estimated to be 70% higher than in similarly aged adults in Washington state, according to a new study published today in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Other key findings include: The study also showed that the number of COVID-19 infections in pregnant patients from nearly all […]

COVID patients treated with hepatitis drug cleared infection quickly

Coronavirus patients treated with a experimental hepatitis drug were FOUR times more likely to have cleared the infection within seven days, study finds Peginterferon-lambda is a man-made form of a naturally occurring protein that calls for immune cells to attack a virus and is mainly used to treat hepatitis Receptors for the drug are found […]

Study reveals long-term lung and heart damage in COVID-19 patients can improve with time

COVID-19 patients can suffer long-term lung and heart damage but, for many, this tends to improve over time, according to the first, prospective follow-up of patients infected with the coronavirus, presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. Researchers in the COVID-19 ‘hot spot’ in the Tyrolean region of Austria recruited consecutive coronavirus patients to […]

AI accurately identifies infants with low risk of serious bacterial infection

Artificial intelligence, or “supervised machine learning,” could help identify which well-appearing infants with fever, who are 60 days old or younger, are at low risk for a serious bacterial infection, according to a study published in Pediatrics. Accurate risk determination could reduce unnecessary lumbar puncture, antibiotics and hospitalizations for these infants, as well as decreasing […]

COVID-19 infection may initially present as acute pancreatitis

(HealthDay)—Acute pancreatitis may be a gastrointestinal manifestation of COVID-19, according to research published online Aug. 26 in Gastroenterology. Sumant Inamdar, M.B.B.S., from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, and colleagues assessed the point prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 presenting with acute pancreatitis in a large New […]

Multiple sclerosis drug blocks HIV infection and transmission in human immune cells

An immunomodulatory drug called fingolimod, which is approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, blocks human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and transmission in human immune cells, according to a study published August 13 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Postdoctoral Fellow Rachel Resop and Assistant Professor Alberto Bosque of The George Washington University, and […]

Kids with ‘silent malaria infection’ at risk of cancer

A study has found strong similarities between children withendemic Burkitt lymphoma—an aggressive cancer that attacks the body’s defense system and children with silent malaria infection. Endemic Burkitt lymphoma cases occur in areas with frequent malaria transmissions. Researchers hypothesized that the disease may occur in children with heavy exposure to malaria, says Sam Mbulaiteye, a co-author […]