Fear of coronavirus infection has led to a massive increase in sales of surgical face masks and respirators. While the evidence is conflicting, some studies suggest healthy people do limit their chances of infection if wearing a face mask, especially properly fitted N95 or N100 respirators. With 663,828 reported COVID-19 cases across 177 countries and territories as […]
Lab team spins ginger into nanoparticles to heal inflammatory bowel disease
A recent study by researchers at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center took them to a not-so-likely destination: local farmers markets. They went in search of fresh ginger root. Back at the lab, the scientists turned the ginger into what they are calling GDNPs, or ginger-derived nanoparticles. The process started simply enough, with your basic […]
Commonly used mouthwash could make saliva significantly more acidic, change microbes
The first study looking at the effect of chlorhexidine mouthwash on the entire oral microbiome has found its use significantly increases the abundance of lactate-producing bacteria that lower saliva pH, and may increase the risk of tooth damage. A team led by Dr Raul Bescos from the University of Plymouth’s Faculty of Health gave a […]
Wuhan study shows lying face down improves breathing in severe COVID-19
In a new study of patients with severe COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) hospitalized on ventilators, researchers found that lying face down was better for the lungs. The research letter was published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. In “Lung Recruitability in SARS — CoV-2 Associated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A […]
Glucose: Potential new target for combating annual seasonal flu
Reducing glucose metabolism dials down influenza viral infection in laboratory cell cultures, providing an entirely new approach for combating seasonal flu, according to research that will be presented on Sunday, Dec. 15, at the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) annual meeting in New Orleans. While annual flu shots are based on the U.S. Centers […]
Possible Role Of Melatonin In The Management Of Viral Infections
Besides playing an important role in various functions of the body, including sleep and circadian rhythm regulation, melatonin also shows immunoregulatory, free radical scavenger and antioxidant functions. Because of these latter characteristics melatonin has also been found to be effective in fighting viral infections in a variety of experimental animal and in vitro studies. These data suggest […]
Coronavirus spreads quickly and sometimes before people have symptoms, study finds
Infectious disease researchers at The University of Texas at Austin studying the novel coronavirus were able to identify how quickly the virus can spread, a factor that may help public health officials in their efforts at containment. They found that time between cases in a chain of transmission is less than a week and that […]
New coronavirus stable for hours on surfaces
The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health, CDC, UCLA and Princeton University scientists in The New England Journal of Medicine. The scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable […]
To Remove Germs, Hand Sanitizer Doesn’t Work As Well As Soap And Water
Actress Kristen Bell posted a photo on Instagram of her mom’s hands, lit up with UV-light to show the germs. The photos showed how much of a difference it makes to rinse your hands for six seconds, or to scrub them with soap and water for 30 seconds. All of us (hopefully) wash our hands daily, […]
Drug Blocks Two Of World’s Deadliest Emerging Viruses
From March 8, 2009 article: Two highly lethal viruses that have emerged in recent outbreaks are susceptible to chloroquine, an established drug used to prevent and treat malaria, according to a new basic science study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the Journal of Virology.* The two henipaviruses that are the subject of the […]