NACHOD, Czech Republic (Reuters) – Jan Mach had coped with his eastern Czech district hospital’s COVID-19 wards filling up – until 22 new arrivals on Monday alone were too much and he had to seek outside help. On Wednesday, ambulances took 15 patients to hospitals as much as 230 km (140 miles) away, as closer […]
Research shows rapid global spread of Southern California COVID-19 strain
A new strain of the coronavirus in Southern California, first reported last month by Cedars-Sinai, is rapidly spreading across the country and around the world as travelers apparently carry the virus with them to a growing list of global destinations, according to new research published today in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association […]
Lung ultrasound helps predict clinical progression of severe COVID-19 patients
Lung ultrasound, considered a simple method for diagnosing lung disease, can also help predict the clinical progression of severe COVID-19 patients, according to a study conducted at the University of São Paulo's Medical School (FM-USP) in São Paulo City, Brazil. The principal investigator for the study was Heraldo Possolo de Souza, a professor at FM-USP […]
Could a SARS-CoV-2 accessory protein be responsible for certain COVID-19 symptoms?
Some people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) develop symptoms, while others do not. In high-risk populations, like the elderly and those with underlying health issues, may experience more severe symptoms. A new study by researchers at the Université de Lyon, France, noted that some COVID-19 symptoms like heart arrhythmias, loss of smell, gastrointestinal problem, and […]
Both mRNA vaccines protect against emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2
Researchers in the United States and Canada have conducted a study showing that just a single dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is likely to protect against emerging variants. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the agent responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that continues […]
New study reveals post-traumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic
A new study suggests that despite considerable adversity, many people have also experienced positive effects in lockdown as a result of a less frenetic life. Results from a new study which draws on survey data collected during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic suggests that being forced to slow down life, as […]
Extract of medicinal plant Artemisia annua interferes with replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro
Researchers in the United States have shown that extracts of an aromatic herb called Artemisia annua inhibit the replication of severe acute respiratory coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Also known as “Sweet wormwood,” Artemisia annua (A. annua) is an herb from Asia that produces the antimalarial […]
Pandemic slows across the world
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed down for the third week in a row and new cases are now at their lowest level since the end of October, with new infections falling by half in South Africa, according to a specialised AFP database. Here is the state of play worldwide: Fewer than half a million per day […]
It's not just you. A lot of us are hitting a pandemic wall right now.
Within the past couple of weeks, many of us have been slammed with major pandemic fatigue. We’re burnt out. We’re expected to be productive at work or to parent (or oftentimes both) as though we haven’t been living in hell for the last year. The winter has been bleak and could potentially get bleaker. And […]
Pandemic unemployment benefits helped keep millions of Americans from going hungry
Expanded unemployment benefits, passed by Congress last spring to ease the economic pain of the pandemic, appear to have held hunger at bay for millions of Americans, new research shows. Called “The CARES Act” when it was put into effect nearly a year ago, the law expanded who is eligible for unemployment benefits and how […]