A study finds that belief in conspiracy theories and its effect upon individual behaviors rose between March and July 2020. While many other countries have managed to control the spread of COVID-19, the death toll from the disease continues to rise in the United States. The Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of […]
New research has identified an association between heavy metal and radioactive soil pollution and the antibacterial resistance of bacteria living in that soil. The research, which appears in the journal Microbial Biotechnology, adds weight to earlier findings. Indeed, previous research suggests that because bacteria adapt to heavy metal and radioactive pollution, they also develop antibacterial […]
Scientists have shown that currents measured in millionths of an amp kill bacteria by disrupting their outer membranes. The finding may inspire new antimicrobial technologies that use electricity to slow the spread of antibiotic resistant infections. Scientists have known since the 1960s that electricity can kill or suppress the growth of bacteria. The increasing threat […]
Compared with hospitalized patients in China, a new study finds higher rates of abnormal liver tests among patients receiving treatment in hospitals in the United States. Higher levels of liver enzymes seem to be associated with an increased risk of admission to intensive care and death. Researchers at the Yale Liver Center in New Haven, […]
An antibody that scientists first identified in a blood sample from a person who recovered from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) strongly inhibits the virus that causes COVID-19. The scientists who discovered the antibody are racing to bring it to clinical trials. There are currently no proven treatments for COVID-19, the respiratory illness that the […]
Virologists from Germany have shown that combining samples and only testing individual samples if there is a positive result for the group could massively increase the capacity for coronavirus testing. Testing has been a major limiting factor in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare systems across the world have been struggling to cope with […]
At Medical News Today, we have been looking at how scientific advances are providing much-needed hope during the COVID-19 pandemic. This Special Feature discusses the recent progress of vaccine clinical trials and other ways in which researchers hope to fight the new coronavirus. What are the shining beacons at this uncertain time? This is a […]
Dealing with the unforeseen challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on people all across the world. Medical News Today has spoken with people from different countries, asking how the pandemic has impacted their lives. At the time of writing this Special Feature, there are over 2,700,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 […]
Scientists have discovered six previously unknown coronaviruses in bats. The animals were in regions of Myanmar where humans come into close contact with wildlife as a result of agriculture, deforestation, and other ecological disruption. Wild bats are generally beneficial for people living in many areas around the world. They pollinate crops, control pest insects, and […]
A new report assessing the effectiveness of China’s emergency response during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak suggests that measures such as the travel ban may have prevented more than 700,000 cases outside Wuhan. “The number of confirmed cases in China by day 50 (February 19) of the epidemic was around 30,000,” notes Prof. […]
