Researchers unravel two mysteries of COVID-19

A team from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University has made significant steps forward in understanding COVID-19 through two back-to-back studies published this week in Critical Care Explorations. In one study, the team has identified six molecules that can be used as biomarkers to predict how severely ill a patient will become. In the […]

Ebola survivors present severe immune system abnormalities two years after recovery

In the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, more than 28,000 people were infected, causing over 11,000 deaths. While the long-term health impacts on survivors are still poorly understood, an increasing number of studies describe persistent clinical after-effects in these patients, such as generalized fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and eye disorders. To pinpoint these health problems, […]

COVID-19 may spread more than two metres through the air in some indoor areas, say experts

For those worried about the airborne transmission of coronavirus, University of Alberta infectious disease expert Nelson Lee wants to be clear—don’t panic. “We’re not talking about long-range transmission that can cause super-spreading events,” said Lee, one of 239 scientists from around the world who sent an open letter to the World Health Organization warning of […]

Two cats are first U.S. pets to be sickened with COVID-19

The first documented cases of U.S. household cats infected with COVID-19 have emerged in New York state, a new government report shows. Two cats—one in Nassau County, the other in Orange County—appear to have contracted COVID-19 from the humans with whom they lived, a team of veterinarians reported online June 8 in the Morbidity and […]

Here’s how the COVID-19 pandemic could play out over the next two years

Although no one yet knows what the future holds for COVID-19, most experts seem to agree that it isn’t going away anytime soon. Indeed, a new report estimates that the pandemic will likely last about two years. The report, from researchers at the University of Minnesota, draws on information from eight previous flu pandemics going […]

Two novel viruses identified in Brazilian patients with suspected dengue

Two new species of viruses have been identified in blood samples taken from patients in Brazil’s northern region who had similar symptoms to those of dengue or Zika, such as high fever, severe headache, rash and red skin spots. One belongs to the genus Ambidensovirus and was found in a sample collected in the state […]

South Africa extends coronavirus lockdown by two weeks

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday prolonged by a further 14 days a three-week national lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, as infections notched up to 1,934. “After careful consideration of the available evidence, the national coronavirus command council has decided to extend the nationwide lockdown by a further two weeks […]

Pakistan confirms first two cases of coronavirus

Pakistan has detected its first two cases of novel coronavirus, a public health advisor to Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted Wednesday, days after Islamabad closed its land border with Iran, where 19 people have died from the virus. “I can confirm first two cases of corona virus in Pakistan. Both cases are being taken care […]

Two Experimental Drugs Disappoint With Inherited Alzheimer’s

MONDAY, Feb. 10, 2020 — Two experimental drugs do not appear to slow memory loss or mental decline in patients in the early stages of a rare, inherited form of Alzheimer’s disease, according to initial results from a clinical trial. The international phase 2 and 3 clinical trial separately evaluated the two drugs — solanezumab […]

Two million Americans lost health coverage/access in Trump’s first year: study

Over the course of 2017, positive trends in insurance coverage and healthcare access from the Affordable Care Act reversed, particularly for low-income residents of states that did not expand Medicaid. A new Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) study finds that two million more Americans avoided health care because of inability to pay, and/or […]