Tag: COVID-19
IBD patients show effective COVID-19 vaccine response, despite fears
Patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are more susceptible to infection than the general population because of their treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. Nevertheless, these patients have been encouraged to take the COVID-19 vaccine, which has proven safe and effective […]
Fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose authorised for Americans over 50
The Head of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Peter Marks, has encouraged getting a second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for increased protection for high-risk persons. The […]
How to live with COVID, as explained by a UCL professor
The truth is out: the world pre-2020 no longer exists. Although most of us want it to, for reasons of comfort, COVID-19 (COVID) has clearly upended the “normal” way of life. International governments are now attempting to introduce public health […]
MSD announces new regional president amid COVID-19 research
MSD, a trade name of US-based biopharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc., have revealed a new President for its Human Health Division in Asia Pacific: David Peacock, appointed from February 1, 2022. David brings a broad range of experience and […]
Oestrogen levels linked to severity of COVID-19 infection and risk of death in women
An observational study based on Swedish public health records has revealed that increased levels of the hormone oestrogen play a protective role in older women, against severe infection and risk of death from COVID-19. Women seem to suffer less from […]
Malaysia’s first virtual COVID-19 screening made easy with CLEA app
To ease the COVID-19 screening processes in the country, especially for travellers who find it difficult to slot in last-minute testing into their travel schedule, a team of Malaysian healthcare workers have come up with CLEA, a virtual screening platform […]
Placenta protects itself and foetus from coronavirus infection
Researchers can now better explain how the placenta protects itself and the foetus within from the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The placenta appears to “shed” a surface protein that the virus uses to break into and infect healthy cells, […]
New COVID-19 test delivers accurate results in just 4 minutes
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are considered the gold standard for accurate COVID-19 diagnosis but takes time and trained laboratory personnel to process. Chinese scientists at Fudan University have developed an equally accurate testing device for COVID-19, one that uses […]
Gene determines the risk of developing severe COVID-19
A new gene may be responsible for people becoming severely ill with COVID-19, say Polish scientists from the Medical University of Bialystok. The gene was the fourth most important factor determining how seriously a person suffers from COVID-19, after age, […]