Category: Features
New COVID-19 test kit developed by Singapore can detect virus infection in just an hour
Singapore-based Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS) has developed a new COVID-19 test kit, cPass that takes just an hour to detect if someone has been infected before, instead of the usual several days. Besides checking what proportion of the population has already been infected and maintaining contact tracing, a critical measure employed by Singapore, the new […]
Protein cross-links make mucus thicker in respiratory illness patients
Sufferers of chronic respiratory illness like asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) tend to have thicker and excessive mucus – the slimy substance which is normally produced in our bodies. Australian researchers investigating the makeup up of especially thick mucus in these people have found one of the key reasons of viscous […]
Far-UVC lamps found to kill coronavirus but do not harm humans
A new type of ultraviolet (UV) lamp – with low-frequency radiation – has been found to destroy viruses within minutes of surface contact and does not harm human skin. Researchers at the University of Columbia’s Center for Radiological Research (CRR), in New York, are currently experimenting with such lamps for use against SARS-CoV-2 and other […]
Stomach acid-withstanding peptide pills could be a new type of oral drug
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) have recently developed a novel method of testing and creating peptides that can survive degradation by stomach acids – these could potentially make up oral drugs for chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, unlike current medications that must be injected or administered in […]
COVID-19 drug trial: three-drug combo may treat mild-to-moderate cases
A combination of three antiviral drugs — interferon beta-1b, lopinavir-ritonavir, and ribavirin – and standard care has been found to shorten the duration of viral shedding associated with COVID-19. This relates to the dangerous period when the virus is detectable in a person’s body and potentially transmissible to others. Researchers at the University of Hong […]
Severely ill COVID-19 patients can survive with standard treatment, according to US study
American clinicians have noted that COVID-19 patients who require treatment for respiratory failure – they need ventilators in intensive care units – can get better after receiving existing guideline-supported treatment. Dr. C. Corey Hardin, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School, and investigators found that the most severe […]
Intraday hunger because of fasting may strengthen immune system against COVID-19 virus
A Turkish internal medicine and gastroenterologist specialist claimed that time-restricted eating practices such as fasting, strengthens the body’s immune system, and therefore facilitates the first line of defense against COVID-19. Specialist Dr. Yusuf Uzun said that hunger triggers autophagy or “protective cell care” in healthy people who do not have any additional diseases that preclude […]
Eyes could be a window to let COVID-19 virus into the body
It has been discovered that the eyes can allow the coronavirus strain responsible for COVID-19 to enter into the human body. The strain was apparently up to 100 times more infectious than the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus and bird flu (H5N1) virus in two facial orifices tested, according to researchers from the University […]
New COVID-19 study finds significant link between vitamin D and virus death rate
Researchers have found something unexpected: low virus mortality rates for those afflicted with COVID-19 is likely linked to high levels of vitamin D, based on data from at least 20 European countries. In our bodies, vitamin D modulates the action of white blood cells, preventing them from releasing too many inflammatory cytokines. Previous studies have […]
Necklace ECG enables fast and easy monitoring for a trial fibrillation
A trial fibrillation – essentially an abnormal heart rhythm – is a major, often symptomless cause of strokes. An experimental new necklace designed by scientists at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) could greatly help people most at risk of atrial fibrillation by ensuring fast, simple and periodic checks of their heart. Just like a […]
