Pandemic News and Research

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A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. During a pandemic, transmission can be anticipated in the workplace, not only from patient to workers in health care settings, but also among co-workers in general work settings. A pandemic would cause high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss. Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places become seriously ill at the same time. Impacts could range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation and food delivery.

Legal wildlife trade needs monitoring to reduce emerging zoonotic diseases

With three out of four newly emerging infectious human diseases originating in animals, there is an urgent need to monitor the legal trade in wildlife, according to new research by Vincent Nijman, Professor in Anthropology at Oxford Brookes University.

5 Mar 2021

New ways proposed to overcome barriers in COVID-19 response

An international research team is calling for better consolidation of bioinformatics, viral genetics, and public health to allow for better pandemic responses.

5 Mar 2021

Climate models may overestimate energy and emission savings from improved energy efficiency

The models used to produce global climate scenarios may overestimate the energy and emission savings from improved energy efficiency, warns new research led by academics at the University of Sussex Business School and the University of Leeds.

4 Mar 2021

Ultrasonic cleaning can clean food more effectively than current washing methods

New research has demonstrated that mild streams of water transporting sound and tiny air bubbles can remove bacteria from salad leaves more effectively.

3 Mar 2021

Automated next generation sequencing platform can accurately screen thousands for COVID-19

A robotics platform designed by researchers to screen many COVID-19 samples at once has the potential to revolutionize how labs track the spread of viruses.

From University of Toronto 3 Mar 2021

Scientists gain new insights into ribosome formation to identify potential drug targets

Ribosome formation is viewed as a promising potential target for new antibacterial agents. Researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have gained new insights into this multifaceted process.

2 Mar 2021

Increased levels of OAS1 protein may reduce the severity of COVID-19

Researchers at the Lady Davis Institute (LDI) at the Jewish General Hospital have discovered that increased levels of the protein OAS1 are associated with reduced mortality and less severe disease requiring ventilation among patients with COVID-19.

1 Mar 2021

Study reveals new therapeutic targets on SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein

Considering the recent COVID-19 pandemic, significant investigations are being made to find out how the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein binds to a human cell.

From Penn State University 23 Feb 2021

Elevated outdoor air pollution events claw their way into indoor spaces

Just when you thought you could head indoors to be safe from the air pollution that plagues the Salt Lake Valley, new research shows that elevated air pollution events, like horror movie villains, claw their way into indoor spaces.

23 Feb 2021

Machine learning approach to identify drugs that could be repurposed to fight Covid-19

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, doctors and researchers rushed to find effective treatments.

16 Feb 2021

Researchers identify protein sequences that might be used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells

Researchers at EMBL Heidelberg have identified sequences in human proteins that might be used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells. They have discovered that the virus might hijack certain cellular processes, and they discuss potentially relevant drugs for treating COVID-19.

12 Feb 2021

New tool reveals potentially risky DNA alterations at site of CRISPR gene repair

Scientists have developed an affordable, downloadable app that scans for potential unintended mistakes when CRISPR is used to repair mutations that cause disease.

12 Feb 2021

Seasonal human coronavirus antibodies not associated with protection against SARS-CoV-2

Past exposure to seasonal coronaviruses (CoVs), which cause the common cold, does not result in the production of antibodies that protect against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, according to a study led by Scott Hensley, PhD, an associate professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

11 Feb 2021

Traffic reductions caused by COVID-19 shutdowns improved air quality in some states

Dramatic decreases in traffic caused by COVID-19 shutdowns improved air quality in car-dependent states but didn't offset additional forms of pollution in other parts of the country.

11 Feb 2021

Climate change may have played a direct role in the emergence of SARS-CoV-2

Global greenhouse gas emissions over the last century have made southern China a hotspot for bat-borne coronaviruses, by driving growth of forest habitat favored by bats.

8 Feb 2021

New technology could improve antibody testing in a broad range of diseases

A global team of researchers has developed a new strategy for fast and reliable antibody tests, which can quantify the immune response induced by vaccination and reveal the timeline and stage of pathogen infection.

5 Feb 2021

Researchers propose new technique to detect SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 infects human beings by attaching its surface-exposed spike proteins to ACE2 receptors, which in turn, are exposed on the cell membranes.

5 Feb 2021

Trade restrictions by a few countries could create global food price spikes

Recent events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, locust infestations, drought and labour shortages have disrupted food supply chains, endangering food security in the process.

29 Jan 2021

Tel Aviv University professor receives Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in Israel

Professor Yossi Yovel, Associate Professor of Zoology at Tel Aviv University (TAU), is one of three Laureates to be awarded 2021 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

27 Jan 2021

New transformative pathways to build a more resilient and sustainable future

It is clear that COVID-19 has drastically changed our world, but how can we use the lessons learnt to build a more resilient and sustainable future? The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the International Science Council (ISC) have drawn on the combined strengths and expertise of the two organizations to help find a way forward.