News • Pathogen Analyzer
Researchers develop cost-effective PCR test alternative
Speed or accuracy? As far as Covid-19 tests go, this was the choice you had to make. In the future, this dilemma could be a thing of the past.
Coronavirus
News • Cardiology research
Are hearts from Covid-19 positive donors safe for transplantation?
Donor hearts from people who were Covid-19-positive appear to be as safe for transplantation as those from people without Covid-19, according to a new short-term analysis.
Sponsored • POCT
Pluslife Biotech – Mini Dock POC Molecular System
The Pluslife Mini Dock System is a Next-Generation POC molecular diagnostic tool that can be used in different application scenarios, which aims to help the decentralization of MDx in diagnosing facilities.
Lab-on-a-chip
Multiplexed lab-on-a-chip bioassays for testing antibodies against SARS-CoV 2 and its variants in multiple individuals
The coronavirus pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 and its variants is still a major public safety issue worldwide. The “alpha” variant B.1.1.7, the “gamma” variant P.1, the “beta” variant B.1.351, and the “delta” variant B.1.617 are of particular concern because of their high prevalence. Large-scale vaccination and sensitive detection are vital for preventing the spread of Covid-19.
Sponsored • Diagnostics Alliance against SARS-CoV-2
The Global Alliance for Diagnostics Sets Next-Generation POC Molecular Testing Collaboration
The coronavirus pandemic is a huge challenge for global public health and welfare. Decentralized, affordable POC MDx platforms would allow more effective control of SARS-CoV-2 and other infections.
Article • LTX overview
Lung transplant surgery: last hope for patients with advanced lung diseases
Despite treatment, chronic lung diseases such as COPD or cystic fibrosis can become so severe that a lung transplant is necessary. Dr Urte Sommerwerck explains which patients might be considered for transplantation and why follow-up is as important as the surgery itself.
News • 'Synthetic origin' theory of SARS-CoV-2 debunked
Was the coronavirus engineered in a lab? Experts cast doubt on new analysis
Research presented in a new preprint suggests that SARS-CoV-2 might have been artificially created in a laboratory. Experts from Würzburg have reviewed the paper – and remain unconvinced.
News • Answer to SARS-CoV-2 mutations
One step closer to 'variant-proof' Covid-19 vaccine
A vaccine design approach that could protect against new variants of SARS-CoV-2 but also potentially protects against other coronaviruses is one step closer to reality as a result of new research.
News • Coronavirus consequences
Covid-19 continues to reduce life expectancy (in some countries more than others)
Covid-19 has led to global mortality changes unprecedented in the last 70 years, according to new research. However, the drop in life expectancy is not equally high in all countries.
News • SARS-Cov-2 case study
Does time of day matter for Covid-19 vaccination? Probably not, study finds
A study in Japan finds antibody response to the Moderna Covid-19 mRNA vaccine does not vary depending on the time of day when the dose was received.
News • Coronavirus countermeasures
Long Covid: referral drop suggests vaccine effectiveness
Referrals to Cambridge’s long Covid clinic fell dramatically in the period August 2021 to June 2022, which researchers say is likely due to the successful rollout of the vaccine.
News • Disrupted neurogenesis
Covid-19 delirium: new study reveals possible brain mechanisms
Researchers have shown that when brain cells are directly exposed to blood taken from Covid-19 patients with delirium, there is an increase in cell death and a decrease in the generation of new brain cells.
Sponsored • Earlier disease prediction and identification
The potential of AI in routine blood testing
It’s widely known that more than 70% of today’s medical decisions involve the results of laboratory tests, but the insights clinicians derive from these tests today may only be scratching the surface of their potential.
News • Coronavirus mechanism discovered
Organ-on-a-chip reveals how SARS-CoV-2 invades blood vessels
A research group has revealed that SARS-CoV-2 disrupts the vascular endothelial barrier by suppressing the expression of Claudin-5 (CLDN5) to invade the blood vessels.
News • Covid-19
Preparing for another outbreak
What will the next pandemic look like? Health officials from across the globe gathered in Geneva in late August at a World Health Organization meeting to focus on how lessons learned from Covid-19 might best prepare civilization for the "next one."
News • Deep mutational scanning for SARS-CoV-2
Preparing rapid tests for future coronavirus variants
How can rapid antigen tests be adjusted to reliably detect future variants of SARS-CoV-2? A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health is currently working on finding an answer.
News • Healtchare devices
Hearing aids could read lips through masks
A new system capable of reading lips with remarkable accuracy even when speakers are wearing face masks could help create a new generation of hearing aids.
News • mhealth
App accurately detects COVID-19 infection in people’s voices
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to detect COVID-19 infection in people’s voices by means of a mobile phone app, according to research to be presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress.
Article • Infection prevention
Vaccination: why ‘positive consensus’ is crucial
Vaccination projects across the world are at a pivotal post-Covid moment, according to one of the leading experts in the field. Speaking to Healthcare in Europe ahead of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) congress in Qatar – where vaccination will be a central topic – Dr Jerome Kim said there is an urgent need to regain a ‘positive consensus’ around the value of vaccines. He…
News • Surprising results
Experts expected smoking to increase during the pandemic – but the opposite happened
Danish smokers bought less tobacco and more quit smoking during the Covid pandemic, new research finds. This comes as a surprise given that mental health and exercise habits waned during the lockdown.
News • Heart muscle inflammation
Covid-19 infection increases myocarditis risk (a lot more than the vaccine does)
The overall risk of myocarditis is substantially higher immediately after being infected with Covid-19 than it is in the weeks following vaccination for the coronavirus, a large new study shows.
News • Neurological and psychiatric complications
Increased risk of 'brain fog' and other disorders two years after Covid-19 infection
New diagnoses of disorders including psychosis, dementia, seizures and ‘brain fog’ remain commoner two years after Covid-19 than after other respiratory infections, new research finds.
News • Blood sample
Paper test may predict Covid-19 immunity
The new test measures the level of neutralizing antibodies in a blood sample and could help people decide what protections they should take against infection.
News • Spit take
Portable diagnostic detects SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antibodies
The prototype device combines eRapid and SHERLOCK technologies into a single, postcard-sized system that can simultaneously detect the presence of both SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antibodies in a patient’s saliva.
News • Hashtag hygiene
Covid-19 disinformation: experts explain "infodemic"
More than 225,000 tweets with the hashtags #scamdemic and #plandemic led to an “infodemic” of misinformation and disinformation on Twitter during the first year of the pandemic, a new study finds.
