Data Analysis Tool From Yale Uncovers Important COVID-19 Clues
A new data analysis tool developed by Yale researchers has revealed the specific immune cell types associated with increased risk of death from COVID-19, they…
Infectious Diseases
Social Vulnerability: ZIP Codes Matter When It Comes to Severe COVID-19
Patients from more socially vulnerable areas were sicker when they got to hospitals, but did just as well by the time they left – suggesting…
Cloth COVID Masks Filter Less Than 10% of Particles – Inferior for Protection Against Airborne Viral Spread
Simulations reveal low filtration efficiency in woven fabric. Like many other viruses, COVID-19 is transmitted primarily via particles carried in the air. An infected person…
Common Medications Are Affecting Our Immune Response to Infections Like COVID-19
Some common drugs can help and others hinder immune responses. The largest clinical review of immune responses to paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opioid…
Safely Studying Dangerous Infections – Like COVID – Just Got a Lot Easier
An extremely fast new 3D imaging method can show how cells respond to infection and to possible treatments. To combat a pandemic, science needs to…
Climate Change and Extreme Weather Will Have Complex Effects on Infectious Disease Transmission
Temperature variation affects pathogens and their hosts in distinct ways, and these organisms are influenced by the type of variation and the average background temperature…
Repurposing FDA-Approved Drugs To Combat All COVID-19 Variants – Including Delta and Omicron
Several FDA-approved drugs — including for type 2 diabetes, hepatitis C and HIV — significantly reduce the ability of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 to…
Bizarre Bacterial Superpower: How Some Gut Microbes Awaken Zombie Viruses in Their Neighbors
Gut bacteria brew all sorts of chemicals, but we don’t know what most of them do. A new study suggests that one such compound, previously…
Study Finds Vitamin D3 Important for Fighting Infections – Helps Strengthen Defenses Against COVID-19
Study questions the role of vitamin D2 in human health but its sibling, vitamin D3, could be important for fighting infections. New research has found…
Research Shows Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Is Not As Strong Against Omicron Variant
Kaiser Permanente study shows 3 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine highly effective against hospitalization from omicron or delta. New Kaiser Permanente research published on February…
Blood Clots in COVID-19 Patients Triggered by “Rogue” Antibodies
The finding brings researchers closer to finding the exact cause of inflammation and clotting in severe COVID-19 patients. Scientists have discovered that “rogue” antibodies found…
Menacing Fallout From COVID-19: Dangerous and Enduring Consequences Include Mental Health Disorders
The most menacing fallout from COVID-19 often shows itself only after the initial “acute” infection passes. A team of VA researchers has been shining a…
COVID-19 Virus Can Cause Severe Testicular Damage – Possible Low Sex Drive and Infertility
Researchers at the Department of Microbiology of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have found that the COVID19 virus can cause acute testicular damage, chronic…
COVID-19 Survivors Face Increased Mental Health Risks Up to a Year Later – “It’s So Much More Serious”
Data point to rise in anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, suicidal thoughts. As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into its third year, countless people have experienced…
COVID-19 Genetic Risk Variant Inherited From Neanderthals Protects Against HIV
A COVID-19 risk variant inherited from Neanderthals reduces a person’s risk of contracting HIV by 27 percent. Some people become seriously ill when infected with…
COVID Spike Protein Binds to Heart’s Vascular Cells – May Contribute to Severe Microvascular Damage
A new study has shown how SARS-CoV-2 may contribute to severe microvascular damage seen in severely-ill COVID-19 patients by transforming human heart vascular cells into…
Increased Infectivity Drives COVID Evolution – Mutations That Allow the Virus To Escape Vaccines Become Dominant
First announced by the World Health Organization on November 26, 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant spread rapidly around the world, becoming the dominant variant in…
Scientists Uncover First Evidence of Respiratory Infection in a Dinosaur
The fossilized remains of a young diplodocid – a large, long-necked herbivorous sauropod – may provide the first evidence of a respiratory infection in a…
