Health News

The origin of SARS-CoV-2 furin cleavage site remains a mystery

The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has largely defied attempts to contain its spread by non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). With the massive loss of life and economic damage, the only way out, in the absence of specific antiviral therapeutics, has been the development of […]

Health News

Rethinking classical epidemiological modeling in light of COVID-19 pandemic

Epidemiological models have been indispensable in aiding our understanding of the unfolding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A team of international scientists has recently developed an epidemiological model to explore the impact of individual variation in susceptibility and infectivity on transmission dynamics of an infectious disease across inhomogeneous populations. The study is currently available on […]

Health News

Study offers new protocols for high-quality SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequencing

In late-December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first detected in Wuhan City, China, causing an easily transmissible respiratory illness. By March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared its outbreak a global pandemic. Caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), COVID-19 has infected over 107.48 million people globally. To date, […]

Health News

Probiotics as adjuvant therapy for COVID-19 patients

Back in 1892, Doderlein first established the beneficial association of microorganisms in the human body. Therefore, under the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be beneficial to assess microorganisms' role in the human body and the use of probiotics as therapy for COVID-19 patients. While the term "microbiome" (coined by the Nobel laureate Joshua Lederberg, 2001) includes […]

Health News

Study underscores value of Down Syndrome Clinic to You program

A new software program effectively brings the expertise of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) specialists to many more patients with Down syndrome (DS), according to a study published today in Genetics in Medicine. Down Syndrome Clinic to You (DSC2U) is a first-of-its kind online health tool aimed at improving adherence to US national Down syndrome guidelines. […]

Health Problems

Drug trial seeking first ever treatment for dangerous side effect of Prader-Willi syndrome

One in every 15,000 children is affected by Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a complex, genetic endocrine condition caused by a disorder of chromosome 15. It’s non-inheritable, meaning the condition isn’t passed down from a family member. Among the regular side effects like growth hormone deficiency, hypothyroidism, delayed puberty, behavioral problems and learning difficulties, but hyperphagia is […]