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.
Coronavirus
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.
Article • Outbreak prevention and management efforts
Infectious diseases: new challenges for EU monitoring
Avian flu, MERS, Covid-19, monkeypox: outbreaks of infectious diseases are getting more common in Europe. As a result, the EU must adapt its surveillance strategies and introduce more data-driven, interdisciplinary countermeasues.
News • Underrated helper
T-cells: key for a new type of Covid-19 vaccine?
Researchers propose a new Covid-19 vaccine that specifically instructs the immune system to produce T-cells rather than antibodies - a promising alternative for people with a weakened immune system.
News • Coronavirus infection
Hair and libido loss: list of 'Long Covid' symptoms grows
Long Covid sufferers have experienced a wider set of symptoms than previously thought including hair loss and sexual dysfunction, new research has found.
Article • Imaging biomarkers, AI support and beyond
New tools for Covid-19 assessment
As knowledge about Covid-19 advances, so does the arsenal of techniques to predict, diagnose and follow up on the disease. At ECR, researchers presented a range of promising imaging modalities to keep track of Covid-19 symptoms, severity, and mortality, often including AI support to enhance or accelerate diagnostics.
News • Coronavirus diagnostic distribution
Drones as a delivery system for Covid-19 tests?
Researchers have developed a new Covid-19 test distribution method that uses drones to quickly deliver at-home diagnostic tests to individuals who suspect they have Covid-19.
News • Protective coating
Researchers develop spray-on 'Covid shield'
A sprayable coating that can prevent the surface spread of infection from bacteria and viruses – including Covid-19 – over a sustained period has been developed by Australian researchers.
News • Sebum analysis
Are skin swabs the future of Covid-19 testing?
Skin swabs are "surprisingly effective" at identifying Covid-19 infection, according to new research, offering a route to a non-invasive future for Covid-19 testing.
Sponsored • Covid-19 management
Rapid and robust PCR testing for infectious diseases at Innklinikum Altötting and Mühldorf
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the fast and accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases in clinical settings. Harald Maier discusses the implementation of rapid molecular diagnostics in the central clinical diagnostics laboratory at Innklinikum Altötting and Mühldorf, highlighting how the use of PCR testing has benefitted the hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic.
News • Promising approach
Producing Covid-19 antibodies from chicken eggs
Researchers have been able to produce antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in hen eggs. Antibodies harvested from eggs might be used to treat Covid-19 or as a preventative measure.
News • Coronavirus research
How the Omicron variant dodges the immune system
By comparing the neutralisation capacity induced by the different variants of SARS-CoV-2, a team from Geneva reveals the exceptional capacity of Omicron to evade our immunity.
News • Betacoronavirus protection
Nanoparticle vaccine protects against Covid-19 variants and related viruses
A new type of vaccine provides protection against a variety of SARS-like betacoronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 variants, in mice and monkeys, according to a new study.
News • Targeted treatment
Lung-imaging shows cause of long COVID symptoms
Using functional MRI with inhaled xenon gas, researchers have identified that long COVID symptoms are related to microscopic abnormalities that affect how oxygen is exchanged from the lungs to the red blood cells.
News • During pandemic
Extent of moral injuries faced by healthcare workers
Staff across all levels of UK health and social care reported feeling betrayed, morally violated and being treated unjustly and unfairly at work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
News • Unifying disease dynamics
Covid-19: New insights into recovery after severe disease
Recovery from severe Covid-19 is characterized by a reduction of certain white blood cells and changes in the molecular regulation of the immune system, an international research team found.
Sponsored • Handheld diagnostics
Veros™ COVID-19 test now available in Europe
Handheld, instrument-free test delivers lab-quality molecular results – 97.9% accuracy – in about 15 minutes, right at the point of care.
News • Infectious disease screening
Bronchial organoids and drug discovery applications advance Covid-19 research
A research group from Kyoto developed two in vitro models to study SARS-CoV-2, and showed that they can be used for drug screening for infectious diseases including Covid-19.
