#coronavirus research

[reality-detective]

A medical textbook from 1989 explains that coronavirus is, in fact, the common cold. 🤔

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Alec Tyson, Michael Lipka, and Claudia Deane at Pew Research Center:

The most significant pandemic of our lifetime arrived as the United States was experiencing three major societal trends: a growing divide between partisans of the left and right, decreasing trust in many institutions, and a massive splintering of the information environment. COVID-19 did not cause any of this, but these forces fueled the country’s divided response. Looking back, nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults (72%) say the pandemic did more to drive the country apart than to bring it together.

Fundamental differences arose between Americans over what we expect from our government, how much tolerance we have for health risks, and which groups and sectors to prioritize in a pandemic. Many of these divides continue to play out in the nation’s politics today. The pandemic left few aspects of daily life in America untouched. Looking back on it nearly five years later, three-quarters of Americans say the COVID-19 pandemic took some sort of toll on their own lives. This includes 27% who say it had a major toll on them and 47% who say it took a minor toll. The virus itself also had a staggering impact. A large majority of U.S. adults have had COVID-19 at some point, and more than 1 million Americans died from it. Millions continue to struggle with long COVID. And most say they know someone who was hospitalized or died from the virus. But most Americans have moved on. The vast majority of those who say their lives were impacted report having recovered at least somewhat. Among U.S. adults overall, about one-in-five (21%) now say the coronavirus is a major threat to the health of the U.S. population as a whole. And a majority (56%) think it’s no longer something we really need to worry about much. This is reflected in Americans’ behavior: Just 4% regularly wear a mask, while most never do. And fewer than half of U.S. adults said they planned to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine last fall, a stark contrast to the long lines and widespread demand that met the initial rollout of vaccines. At the five-year anniversary of the coronavirus outbreak, a major Pew Research Center survey conducted in late October 2024 provides insight into how Americans assess the nation’s pandemic response. These findings are paired with an analysis of trends dating to early 2020. The report sections take a closer look at COVID-19’s impact in four specific areas of American life: health, work, religion and technology.

1. Personal health and policy

2. The workplace

3. Religious life

4. Technology use

Massive gaps remain between Republicans and Democrats in views toward COVID-19, including vaccines Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans were personally impacted by the pandemic: Eight-in-ten Democrats (including independents who lean to the Democratic Party) say COVID-19 took at least a minor toll on them, while 69% of Republicans and GOP leaners say the same. And virtually identical shares of Republicans and Democrats say they have tested positive for COVID-19 or been pretty sure they had it. But the pandemic highlighted the different values and priorities of America’s two major political parties.

Pew Research Center takes a look at how COVID impacted American lives, 5 years later. Almost ¾ths of Americans (72%) said the COVID-19 pandemic drove the country further apart. The poll was conducted between October 21st and 27th, 2024.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Not only is this a great resource, It's sooooo cute!

[bandedperiwinkle]

I know this is a wild thing to think but I hope bird flu remains minor for just a year or two so it can line up well enough that I can do my pathology masters or PhD on it... my university specialises in lung diseases, if that's combined with the power of bird autism I will be unstoppable.

[learnwithmearticles]

GUV

Can GUV revolutionize the world of public health?

Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) is a range of light wavelengths capable of killing pathogens. Recent research indicates that implementing GUV in public spaces could reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses by 30% to 75% - a wide range but, overall, effective, especially with the many potential benefits.

Benefits

As ultraviolet light, GUV works through radiation; therefore, it is unintrusive and passive.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant portion of adults in the U.S.A. did not wear masks to reduce the spread of the virus. This resulted in many deaths and an acceleration of the virus’s mutation process. GUV does not require any action from the individual, reducing the harmful effects of disinformation and ignorance.

The COVID-19 pandemic also endured a period of rationing personal protective equipment (PPE), which increased health risks to medical personnel and patients around the world. Researchers have found GUV to be effective in killing the coronavirus and making PPE resusable.

GUV can also be used in addition to PPE to increase the sterility of medical rooms. In a study of a burn intensive care unit, GUV implementation led to an 89% decrease in airborne bacteria and a 69% decrease in surface-borne bacteria.

GUV targets a wide range of pathogens, both bacterial and viral, such as the multiple iterations of coronaviruses. Through mutation, many bacteria become drug resistant. By damaging nucleic acids, cellular building blocks, GUV is effective on even drug-resistant pathogens.

The ‘passive action’ of GUV makes it ideal for handling pandemics. While other interventions require development time, societal response, and ongoing maintenance when a new pathogen is identified, GUV can continually work in the background without continued interference.

This comes on the condition, of course, that we figure out a healthy way to use GUV.

Types of GUV

Because ultraviolet light can also have negative health effects, different forms of GUV are being studied for effectiveness and potential harm. The primary three investigated are full-room systems, upper-room systems, and in-duct systems.

Full-room GUV 

A straightforward name, full-room GUV has UV-C lights on a ceiling or wall irradiating an entire room. When the room is unoccupied, this is an easy way to make the room safer from pathogens. This study gives the example of a surgery room after the surgeons and patient have left.

This variety does not work when the room is occupied. Continuous exposure to UV-C lights is harmful to the skin and eyes, making full-room GUV limited in its potential use.

Within this variety, far-UVC light might be the solution. The wavelength of far-UVC light can deactivate bacteria and viruses but cannot pass far enough into skin and eyes to cause damage.

Upper-room GUV

Upper-room GUV is also a complicated option. It sticks to the upper sections of a room, and thus doesn’t expose human skin to UV light. This also means it is less effective, because it isn’t targeting the areas of the room where transmission occurs.

Perhaps with additional airflow that directs airborne pathogens upwards, this method could be more effective.

In-duct GUV

Due to its removal from main occupied areas, in-duct GUV permits the use of stronger UV wavelengths against pathogens. This variety also requires good airflow and is even farther from transmission areas. It is considered inferior to the above two varieties. 

Researchers are continuing to investigate the most effective and safe forms of GUV. Being able to widely implement this anti-bacterial and anti-viral strategy could immensely benefit public health and decrease the spread of an abundance of ailments. It could be useful in many ways in hospitals, doctors’ offices, and many public spaces as an unobtrusive aid.

Additional Resources

1. GUV in  Medical Centers 

2. GUV for a Pandemic

3. Founders Pledge Study

4. GUV on PPE

5. GUV Overview

[romythe]

The reason for the extreme fatigue associated with long covid has been discovered by Dutch scientists.

Turns out the mitochondria (energy centres) in the muscles are not working properly and muscle tissue wastes away.

I sincerely hope this will be a step towards something that can actually help people with long covid and definitely the stigma attached to it.

[pandemic-info]

Vaccines currently in development

(I did not create this list and I'm sorry I don't know the original OP who compiled it.)

These are all currently in development to come to market in the next 2 years. If just one really works it will be a game changer

MT-001 a novel protein component vaccine candidate, MT-001, based on a fragment of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that encompasses the receptor binding domain (RBD) | A SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Designed for Manufacturability Results in Unexpected Potency and Non-Waning Humoral Response - https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/11/4/832 Mice and hamsters immunized with a prime-boost regimen of MT-001 demonstrated extremely high anti-spike IgG titers, and remarkably this humoral response did not appreciably wane for up to 12 months following vaccination. Further, virus neutralization titers, including titers against variants such as Delta and Omicron BA.1, remained high without the requirement for subsequent boosting.

DCFHP a ferritin-based, protein-nanoparticle vaccine candidate that, when formulated with aluminum hydroxide as the sole adjuvant (DCFHP-alum), elicits potent and durable neutralizing antisera in non-human primates against known VOCs, including Omicron BQ.1, as well as against SARS-CoV-1. | A ferritin-based COVID-19 nanoparticle vaccine that elicits robust, durable, broad-spectrum neutralizing antisera in non-human primates https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10110616/#MOESM3

ISM3312 a COVID-19 drug entirely designed by generative AI works by inhibiting a protein called 3CL protease — a critical factor in viral replication and a popular target for anti-COVID drugs. Unlike similar therapeutics, it works on a very broad spectrum — showing efficacy not only against all current COVID variants, but also coronaviruses other than SARS-CoV-2. As such, it may possess the ability to resist future mutations, providing a solution to drug-resistant strains. | ‘It’s perfect’: World’s first generative AI-designed COVID drug to start clinical trials https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/02/23/its-perfect-worlds-first-generative-ai-designed-covid-drug-to-start-clinical-trials.html

BNT162b4, composed of a T cell antigen mRNA encoding for SARS-CoV-2 non-spike proteins that are highly conserved across a broad range of SARS-CoV-2 variants and will be evaluated in combination with the Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent COVID-19 vaccine | Pfizer and BioNTech Advance Next-Generation COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy with Study Start of Candidate Aimed at Enhancing Breadth of T cell Responses and Duration of Protection https://investors.biontech.de/news-releases/news-release-details/pfizer-and-biontech-advance-next-generation-covid-19-vaccine

25F9 and 20A7 identified as two highly potent broadly neutralizing antibodies, making them promising prophylactic candidates against sarbecovirus infection |Broadly neutralizing antibodies against sarbecoviruses generated by immunization of macaques with an AS03-adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine – Science Translational Medicine – https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adg7404

ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-BA.5-S, which encodes for a pre- fusion and surface-stabilized S protein of the BA.5 strain. | A bivalent ChAd nasal vaccine protects against SARS-CoV-2 BQ.1.1 and XBB.1.5 infection and disease in mice and hamsters https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.04.539332v1

[omg-erika]

Taiwan annexed – but differently.

by Dr.Harald Wiesendanger– Klartext What the mainstream media is hiding Wird die Volksrepublik China ihre Drohungen wahrmachen und Taiwan annektieren? Ein geleaktes Geheimpapier aus der Zukunft bestätigt: Dazu wird es in Kürze kommen – allerdings ganz anders als gedacht. New York, September 13, 2031: Before the 86th UN General Assembly, Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China,…

[indecisiveavocado]

uh...okay?

Not quite the 2020 update I was expecting on an article about the potential for human spillover from bat coronaviruses published in 2015, but good to know, I guess?

(image from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7242891/)

[enterprisechronicles]

The Evolution and Impact of Public Health: A Comprehensive Overview

https://enterprisechronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/3-The-Evolution-and-Impact-of-Public-Health_-A-Comprehensive-Overview.jpg

In today’s world, the importance of public health(PH) cannot be overstated. As a cornerstone of community well-being and disease prevention, the health sector encompasses a broad range of activities aimed at improving and safeguarding the health of populations. This comprehensive guide explores the evolution of PH, its key components, current challenges, and future directions, highlighting its critical role in enhancing quality of life.

Understanding Public Health

Public health is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to improving health at the community or population level. Unlike clinical medicine, which focuses on treating individuals, it addresses health issues through broad strategies and policies designed to benefit entire populations.

Historical Context

The concept of public health has evolved significantly over the centuries. Early efforts, such as sanitation improvements and quarantine practices, set the stage for modern health initiatives. The establishment of dedicated health departments in the 19th and 20th centuries marked a significant advancement in focusing on disease control and health promotion.

Core Components

Epidemiology: This area studies the patterns, causes, and effects of diseases within populations. Epidemiologists use statistical methods to track health trends and develop strategies to combat diseases.

Environmental Health: Focused on the impact of environmental factors on health, this component aims to improve living conditions and reduce health risks associated with pollution, climate change, and other environmental issues.

Health Education and Promotion: This involves educating communities about healthy behaviors and lifestyle choices. PH campaigns often address issues like smoking cessation, nutrition, and physical activity.

Health Policy and Management: This area deals with developing and implementing policies and programs to improve the efficiency of diagnosis. It includes managing healthcare systems, funding, and regulations to ensure effective delivery of healthcare services.

Biostatistics: This field applies statistical techniques to analyze data related to healthcare. Biostatisticians help interpret data from research studies and health reports to guide decisions.

Current Challenges 

Despite advancements, PH faces several challenges that impact its effectiveness:

1. Emerging Infectious Diseases

The emergence of new infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, underscores the need for robust healthcare responses. Effective monitoring, vaccine development, and treatment are essential to managing these threats.

2. Health Disparities

Health disparities among different populations remain a significant concern. Socioeconomic factors, racial and ethnic inequalities, and access to healthcare services contribute to variations in health outcomes. Addressing these disparities is crucial for achieving equity.

3. Chronic Disease Management

Chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease pose substantial challenges. To overcome these challenges, the efforts focus on prevention, education, and early intervention to manage these conditions effectively.

4. Environmental and Climate Change

Changes in the environment and climate impact public health by altering disease patterns and affecting air and water quality. Addressing these issues is vital for maintaining and improving community health.

5. Health Behavior and Lifestyle

Promoting healthy behaviors and lifestyles remains a key focus in PH. Strategies to address issues such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and substance abuse are essential for improving overall health.

Innovations and Strategies 

To address current challenges, healthcare professionals are developing innovative strategies:

1. Advanced Surveillance Systems

Modern surveillance systems enhance PH by monitoring health trends and tracking disease outbreaks. These systems enable timely responses and guide interventions.

2. Precision 

Precision uses data analytics and genomics to tailor interventions to specific populations. This approach aims to improve the effectiveness of public health strategies by considering individual and community-level factors.

3. Global Health Initiatives

Global health initiatives address health issues on an international scale. Organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) work to improve health outcomes and strengthen health systems globally.

4. Community-Based Interventions

Community-based interventions involve collaborating with local organizations to address health needs. This approach ensures that PH programs are culturally relevant and effective.

5. Digital Health Technologies

Digital health technologies, including mobile apps and telemedicine, are transforming the healthcare sector by improving access to healthcare services and enhancing patient engagement.

The Future 

As we look to the future, several key areas will shape the evolution of PH:

1. Strengthening Global Health Security

Building global health security involves improving preparedness and response capabilities for health emergencies. International collaboration and investment in health infrastructure are critical for resilience.

2. Promoting Health Equity

Reducing health disparities and promoting equity will remain as central efforts. Strategies to address inequalities in healthcare access and outcomes are essential for achieving fairness in health.

3. Embracing Innovation and Technology

Future advancements will likely be driven by innovation and technology. Embracing new tools, such as artificial intelligence and big data, will enhance public health research and interventions.

4. Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Effective public health requires collaboration across various disciplines. Partnerships between healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and communities will be vital for addressing complex health issues.

Conclusion

Public health plays a critical role in enhancing the well-being of communities worldwide. By understanding its core components, addressing current challenges, and embracing innovative strategies, professionals can drive positive change and improve health outcomes.

The ongoing evolution of public health reflects its adaptability and resilience in facing new health threats and opportunities. Prioritizing the health of society is essential for achieving a healthier, more equitable world. Investing in the healthcare sector is not just about managing diseases; it’s about fostering healthier communities and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to lead a healthy life.

[iakshaysrivastav]

India's COVID-19 Vaccination Success: A Global Leader

India’s COVID-19 vaccination journey is a testament to resilience and innovation, propelling it to the forefront of global healthcare. With over 2.2 billion doses administered as of 2024, India’s campaign stands among the largest and most complex vaccination efforts worldwide. Significant progress has been made. However, the road to achieving full immunization has been riddled with challenges.…

[sophsweet]

Quotes from Coronavirus Vaccine Designers and Researchers since SARS-COV1

Coronavirus Vaccine History Back in 2004, SARS vaccine trial spotlights continued peril by Helen Pearson was published in the science press. But public-health experts remain concerned that a second wave of infections could erupt, either from human contact with infected animals or by the virus escaping from laboratory samples.Pearson, Helen SARS vaccine trial spotlights continued peril. Nature…

[longhaulerbear]

Where Are the Treatments for Long COVID?

We don’t know why the virus can lead to persistent symptoms. We urgently need more research on therapies anyway.