2021

Considerable gap in evidence around whether portable air filters reduce the incidence of COVID-19

Considerable gap in evidence around whether portable air filters reduce the incidence of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections There is an important absence of evidence regarding the effectiveness of a potentially cost-efficient intervention to prevent indoor transmission of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, warns a study by researchers at the University of Bristol. Respiratory infections such…

New cell atlas of COVID lungs reveals why SARS-CoV-2 is deadly and different

NEW YORK, NY (April 29, 2021)–A new study is drawing the most detailed picture yet of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the lung, revealing mechanisms that result in lethal COVID-19, and may explain long-term complications and show how COVID-19 differs from other infectious diseases. Led by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and…

Fasting lowers blood pressure by reshaping the gut microbiota

Nearly half of adults in the United States have hypertension, a condition that raises the risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the U. S. At Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. David J. Durgan and his colleagues are dedicated to better understand hypertension, in particular the emerging evidence…

Suppressing the impact of COVID-19 using controlled testing and isolation

The outbreak of COVID-19 has revealed the widespread effects a pandemic can have on all spheres of life from health, to social life, to the economy. The main thrust of efforts to control the spread has been to decrease the reproduction rate to flatten the curve of the total number of infected individuals per day…

Alzheimer’s disease is composed of four distinct subtypes

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the abnormal accumulation and spread of the tau protein in the brain. An international study can now show how tau spreads according to four distinct patterns that lead to different symptoms with different prognoses of the affected individuals. The study was published in Nature Medicine. “In contrast to how we…

More stringent public health measures associated with lower COVID-19 cases, deaths

As state and local policymakers and politicians made the decision to enact stay-at-home orders last March in response to the coronavirus pandemic, a recent study found that more stringent public health measures put in place directly correlated with lower virus case numbers during the first two months of the pandemic. The study, “More Stringent Measures…

High vaccination rate is key to course of COVID-19 pandemic, modeling shows

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Mayo Clinic data scientists who developed highly accurate computer modeling to predict trends for COVID-19 cases nationwide have new research that shows how important a high rate of vaccination is to reducing case numbers and controlling the pandemic. Vaccination is making a striking difference in Minnesota and keeping the current level…

Lateral flow testing should not be used as a green light for activities

The United Kingdom government plans to implement mass scale population testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection using Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs), yet the devices’ sensitivity is unknown. A study published in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Alan McNally at University of Birmingham, UK, and colleagues suggests while LFDs are highly effective in identifying SARS-CoV-2 in…

Battling public health misinformation online

In a novel effort to combat COVID-19 misinformation, a group of women researchers, including nurse scientists from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing), launched the Dear Pandemic social media campaign in March 2020. It delivers curated, comprehensive, and timely information about the COVID-19 pandemic in a question-and-answer format. Complex topics such as…

Nearly $500M a year in Medicare costs goes to 7 services with no net health benefits

FINDINGS A UCLA-led study shows that physicians frequently order preventive medical services for adult Medicare beneficiaries that are considered unnecessary and of “low value” by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — at a cost of $478 million per year. The researchers analyzed national survey data over a 10-year period, looking specifically at seven preventive…