Viruses, Infections & Disease, features and articles | Educational Science

Sep 30, 2020

A virus and bacteria may 'team up' to harm babies' brains

A newly discovered bacteria may be working with a common virus to cause a serious brain condition in infants in Uganda, according to a new study. This brain disorder, called hydrocephalus, involves an abnormal buildup of fluid in the cavities of the brain and is the most common reason for...

Sep 30, 2020

Mysterious inflammatory syndrome tied to COVID-19 strikes adults as well as kids

Months after the discovery of a multisystem inflammatory syndrome tied to COVID-19 in children, health officials are warning that a similar condition can strike adults as well. On Friday (Oct. 2), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report describing a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or...

Sep 30, 2020

1 in 4 Americans aren't washing their hands regularly

More Americans are washing their hands amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but 1 in 4 don't lather up when they need to, such as after blowing their nose, according to a new report. The report, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), examined Americans' hand washing behaviors before and...

Sep 30, 2020

Masks and closures in Arizona led to a 75% decrease in coronavirus cases

Mask mandates, closures of certain businesses and other COVID-19 mitigation strategies implemented over the summer led to a 75% drop in new coronavirus cases in Arizona, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In stark contrast, when the state's stay-at-home order was lifted...

Sep 30, 2020

Experts: Herd immunity is 'dangerous' and 'flawed' approach

The idea of using herd immunity to manage the COVID-19 pandemic — by allowing low-risk people to acquire the infection naturally as they resume their normal lives — is a dangerous and flawed approach, according to a new letter signed by 80 international researchers. The letter, published Wednesday (Oct. 14)...

Sep 30, 2020

COVID-19 is at least 5 times deadlier than flu for hospitalized patients

COVID-19 truly is more deadly than the flu — patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were five times more likely to die than those with the flu, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What's more, the study found COVID-19 patients were at higher risk...

Sep 30, 2020

US is a week away from 'rapid acceleration' of COVID-19 cases

The U.S. is bracing for a third wave of COVID-19 infections as it moves into the frigid winter months. The country is only about a week away from a rapid acceleration in COVID-19 cases, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration said on CNBC on Monday...

Sep 30, 2020

All seniors could get COVID-19 vaccine by end of January, HHS head says

All seniors, health care workers, first responders and vulnerable individuals could be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar told reporters Wednesday (Oct. 21) during a news briefing. But this ambitious timeline rests on a critical factor:...

Sep 30, 2020

FDA approves first COVID-19 drug. But it's 'not a blockbuster.'

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has fully approved remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19. The drug is now approved for use in hospitalized COVID-19 patients 12 years old and up, and weighing at least 88 pounds (40 kilograms), according to a statement from the FDA. Previously, the agency...

Sep 30, 2020

SARS-CoV-2 uses a second secret doorway into cells

When it comes to how the coronavirus invades a cell, it takes three to tango. The dance began with the ACE2 receptor, a protein on human cells that allows SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to enter and infect the cell. But now enter a new dance partner – another...

Sep 30, 2020

COVID-19 household transmission is way higher than we thought

COVID-19 spreads in U.S. households more often than previously thought, according to a new study. The study, published Friday (Oct. 30) in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, involved 191 people in Tennessee and Wisconsin who lived with someone recently diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these, 102 people become infected...

Aug 31, 2020

Creepy images show airway cells teeming with SARS-CoV-2

Striking new images show a close-up view of the novel coronavirus as it invades cells that line the human airway. The images provide a glimpse of the staggering number of virus particles that are produced during an infection — indeed, infected cells can churn out virus particles by the thousands....

Aug 31, 2020

Seven lineages of SARS-CoV-2 identified in Nigeria: Why that matters

By the first week of August 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic had caused about 654,000 deaths worldwide. In Nigeria, as of July 28, there were 38,945 confirmed cases recorded with 813 deaths. The pandemic hit the African continent last, and the numbers remain comparatively low for most countries. But there is...

Aug 31, 2020

Why AstraZeneca just paused its coronavirus vaccine trial

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 5:30 p.m. E.D.T. to include new information on the serious event that paused the trial. Clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University have been put on hold after a participant developed a suspected adverse reaction, Stat News first...

Aug 31, 2020

Flu season may be very mild this year, thanks to COVID-19 precautions

Flu season may be pretty mild this year thanks to measures taken to stop the spread of COVID-19, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the report, published Thursday (Sept. 17) in the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the researchers...