The best ways to stop the spread of coronavirus, as we know, are following the safety precautions including wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and following social distancing. According to a study conducted by researchers at Yale University and New York University, it is discovered that women are better than men in following these coronavirus safety precautions.

The researchers surveyed 800 people by using smartphone movement analysis and street observations. They said that men are less likely than women to say that they stayed at home, met less with friends and family, followed social distancing, and washed hands regularly. The only factor at which there was no difference between men and women was the frequency of meeting with people who were other than family or friends.

Also Read: Coronavirus Cases in the US in a Day Reach the ‘Highest in Months’

According to the study published in the journal Behavioral Science and Policy women are not only better at taking coronavirus safety precautions but that they were also more likely to heed the advice given to them by the experts. However, self-reports cannot always be trusted so in several different locations in the US including New Haven, Connecticut and New Brunswick, New York City, and New Jersey the researchers looked at people walking the streets to observe it first hand that how many people do actually wear masks. The researchers observed 173 men and 127 women and discovered that around 38% of men and 55% of women properly wore face masks or face shields.

To observe the population of the US in more detail the researchers tracked the movement of individuals and them visiting unessential places like fitness facilities, florists, and spas by using GPS data from the smartphones of nearly 15 million US people. It was found by the results that counties in which males were in higher percentages followed less social distancing.

According to the researchers, the discoveries made by this research were not surprising as it’s a long-known fact that women are better at handwashing than men. A review conducted in 2016 that observed researches from different countries discovered that men were 50% less likely than women to adhere to safety behavior like wearing masks, cleaning of surfaces, and handwashing in order to protect themselves from an epidemic.

A researcher at the New York University and lead author of the paper Irmak Olcaysoy Okten said that a study conducted before the coronavirus pandemic confirmed that women were more likely to follow the recommendation of doctors and also visit them more regularly in their day to day basis than men. She added that women are also more attentive to other people’s health-related needs. So Okten believes it is not surprising that women are better at following the coronavirus safety precautions and also in stopping the spread of the virus than men.

Okten believes that an effective strategy to combat the spread of the coronavirus could be the deliverance of health messages that are finely tuned to target men. Moreover, the researchers wrote in the study that policymakers should try to target the illusions of invincibility that men have and also make men remind that they have responsibilities towards other people and towards themselves in these difficult times. They added that an effective strategy could be to distribute prevention messages in non-essential places where men gather frequently.

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The number of coronavirus cases in the US has already hit 7.6 million, which is the highest number in the world and makes 20% of the total cases worldwide, however the population of the US is only 4% of the global population. The initial spike was observed in the US in late March, but social distancing and other safety measures brought the number of cases down and stabilized the country by May. Now as the lockdown measures are eased, the coronavirus cases in the US are piling up again.

More than 56000 new coronavirus cases in the US were reported on Thursday according to data from Johns Hopkins, and the country is now averaging nearly 45000 cases of the virus daily. This is the highest daily number of cases the country has seen since August and twice of the number of daily cases in June, and the number of deaths from the virus in the country has already crossed 213,000.

Also Read: Coronavirus in the US could kill 400,000 people by the year-end, warns Dr. Fauci

The experts believe that the number of coronavirus cases in the US is very high ahead of the winter season which could be more challenging and deadly. According to the latest prediction by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the deaths from Covid19 in the US could reach around 233,000 by the end of October. The prediction made by the CDC was done by combining data using dozens of different models. They say on their website that there is an indication of an uncertain trend in the new coronavirus deaths in the country over the next month and they predict that around 2800 to 6800 more people could die from the virus in the country by the end of October. Previously they predicted that by the end of this week the deaths by the virus would reach 207000 to 218000.

Florida, California, and Arizona which were the hotspots of the virus in the summer season are now stabilized but the cases are surging in the other states including Wisconsin and North and South Dakota. Only Hawaii and Alabama are reporting a decline in cases. Moreover, the number of infections has surged in the whole country steadily for a consecutive of three weeks. However, the number of cases still haven’t reached the peak of July and August, when the country was averaging around 63000 cases a day. The number of people being hospitalized is also increasing as for the first time the number of hospitalizations has risen in the country since July with more than 33000 patients hospitalized.

As the winter season is nearing people with move their gatherings indoors, where the coronavirus is more likely to spread. Moreover, in flu season experts are worried that there could be a ‘twin-demic’. However, health experts believe that by adhering to safety measures of social distancing and wearing masks, and by getting the flu shots people can protect themselves.

So, why are the coronavirus cases in the US surging? The returning of students in schools could be one of the contributing factors. Almost 100,000 new infections were reported in the period when the students began returning to schools, and in that period the number of cases in a week in people aged between 18 and 22 rose by nearly 55% in the country. More than 130,000 new cases of the virus have been found at around 1300 colleges in America since the reopening.

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The researchers from Malaysia have discovered two new strains of “Leptospira” a bacterial genus and some members of this genus could cause leptospirosis infection. One of these newly identified strains is highly capable of causing leptospirosis in humans.

Typically, humans get leptospirosis from wild animals such as rats, cats, pigs, etc. sometimes it is asymptomatic but other times it causes fever, organ failure, and sometimes meningitis as well. This disease is highly prevalent in tropical countries as well as subtropical areas.

There are nearly 64 strains in Leptosspira which are isolated and identified from the human, animal, and environmental sources. Among all these isolates, L. interrogans, L. kirschneri, and L. wolffii in Malaysia are responsible for causing the majority of infections.

This new study has identified a novel strain named “L.interrogans” which is capable of causing infection in humans.

Vasantha Kumari Neela from the Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia is the lead researcher and first author of this study.

Read more- Karmanos Cancer Institute Begins Clinical Trials of a Drug Treating COVID-19

She shared that initially her team only intended to study how the patients experience severe symptoms and what causes it. Their aim was to identify the biomarkers for leptospirosis disease in humans. However, they studied the efficacy of the currently available diagnostic tests and emphasized on the need for new diagnostic tools. The research results prove that the currently available methods are not 100% accurate to diagnose the infection. Also, the symptoms of leptospirosis are much likely to get mixed with the symptoms of other diseases i.e. dengue. It suggests researchers develop new diagnostic tools to identify and treat leptospirosis in humans.

This study is published in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Neela says that most of these cases of leptospirosis infection in humans are co-linked with their interaction with forests, camping, floods, or exposure to rodents.  She also told that currently there is no vaccination of leptospirosis available in Malaysia. However, the prophylaxis is available for highly susceptible groups that include the military.

This new study has highlighted the potential sources for getting leptospirosis infection and also explained who is at high risk of getting it in Malaysia. It has also put forward the need for a new diagnostic tool, and symptoms evaluation as per the newly identified strain so that maximum people are saved from leptospirosis infection.

Neela said; this new research raises a question for everyone that rodents, that are originally thought of causing leptospirosis are not the only host to transmit this bacteria infection.

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Kamruddin Ahmed from the Department of Pathobiology and Medical Diagnostics and director of the Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre also shared his views on this new study. He said that identifying and treating leptospirosis is a huge problem in Malaysia and he thinks there are many other countries as well who share this common problem.

Ahmed believes that there should be more focused studies on understanding leptospirosis and also shared that; “There is no user-friendly, reliable, and economic diagnostics for the disease. Furthermore, clinical diagnosis is disappointing as the signs and symptoms of leptospirosis vary considerably with the result that many cases go unnoticed and mortality becomes high.”

This new study is highly significant because it confirms that  L. interrogans and L. kirschneri are the main culprits behind leptospirosis infections in the Central Malaysian region but there exists a regional difference in these strains as well.

Ahmed says that there should be more detailed research studies to understand the epidemiology of Leptospira infection in humans. Only with these focused studies, the researchers would be able to set better diagnostic tools and develop a vaccine against it.

 

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Director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House task force for Coronavirus Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted that 300,000 to 400,000 people could die from coronavirus in the US. He offered this grim prediction while speaking to students of American University at a virtual event. He said that if the citizens of the US don’t do what is required of them in the fall and winter seasons then the US death toll by coronavirus may exceed 300,000 to 400,000.

Dr. Fauci further said that the recent infections that happened at the White House could have been avoided. Some senior politicians of the Republican party and several close people to United States President Donald Trump have contracted the coronavirus days after the president announced that he and his wife have tested positive for the virus.

Also Read: CDC Updated Guidelines Admit That Coronavirus Can Transmit Through Air

President Donald Trump spent three nights at a military hospital for the treatment of the virus and returned on Monday to the White House. While leaving the hospital he was wearing a mask but removed it later to pose for pictures on the balcony of the White House and did not wear it back when he entered the White House. Trump covers his face with a face mask or face shield very rarely and very little social distancing is observed at the rallies for his campaign or events at the White House.

Dr. Fauci used what happened at the White House as an example when asked about any advice to people who wanted to discuss preventive measures with their friends/relatives who believed that the virus is not real. He said that the virus is a reality and not a hoax as more and more people are becoming the victims of coronavirus in the US. Dr. Fauci believes that the situation is unfortunate as it could have been avoided.

According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) model, if the mask-wearing is implemented by the US universally then the death toll could be kept at a figure of not more than 278,526 Americans. Currently, around 216,000 people have died of coronavirus in the US, according to the data from Johns Hopkins University. However, if the safety restrictions are not imposed there could be as many as 435,000 people died by the end of the year.

Dr. Fauci believes that the likely hood of the vaccine being available before next summer or fall is very low. This prediction is in line with the prediction made by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield, who said that it would take approximately 6 months to 9 months for the whole public to be vaccinated once the vaccine is available.

The scientific head of Operation Warp Speed Moncef Mohamed Slaoui wrote that around 300 million doses of the vaccine could be made available to the public by the mid of next year. However, Dr. Fauci believes that normal life in the world may not resume before the end of next year because of the challenges associated with the distribution of vaccines.

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its coronavirus guidelines which now acknowledges what the public health experts were saying for months that the virus is capable of spreading via airborne particles. According to CDC updated guidelines the airborne particles can stay in the air for hours and can also infect people who are at a distance of more than 6ft.

The CDC updated guidelines say that airborne transmission is very rare but is still possible. However, the agency admitted that the more common way in which the virus can spread is through large respiratory droplets, which is released when an infected person sneezes, talks, coughs, breaths, or sings.

Also Read: Neurological Symptoms of Coronavirus Occur in 80% of Hospitalized Patients, a Study finds

Aerosols containing the virus can stay airborne for seconds to hours, they can also travel for a distance of more than 2 meters in spaces that are poorly ventilated and this leads to the super spread of the virus. The scientists believe that the focus of people must be towards protecting themselves from the airborne spread as the infected individuals release a large quantity of virus-containing aerosols while breathing and talking.

The CDC didn’t change their safety recommendations after a thorough review, and concluded that people can be safe from the virus by wearing a mask covering their mouth and nose, cleaning surfaces, staying not less than 6 feet from other people, washing hands, and staying at home when feeling ill.

The CDC updated guidelines come a month after the agency posted revised guidelines admitting that the virus has the capability to spread through small droplets that can stay in the air called aerosols. The agency quickly removed the guidelines from their website claiming it was posted mistakenly and was only a draft version. At that time the World Health Organization (WHO) said that there was no evidence suggesting that the virus was spreading through airborne particles, although the WHO agreed that the transmission through airborne particles was possible in some conditions.

Scientists have been debating for months about the degree to which the virus can transmit through aerosol or airborne particles. Some epidemiologists believe that the WHO and other regulatory agencies have not been fast enough to admit that the virus is capable of transmitting via air. This debate can have some implications for the use of air filtration in the reopening of businesses and schools.

Saskia Popescu, a biodefense expert, and an epidemiologist said that the CDC updated guidelines are quite good. She believes that the guidance by CDC does a good job as it emphasizes that the coronavirus is capable of spreading only by air in some environments such as poorly ventilated and crowded indoor spaces. Popescu further added that it is known that the events of this nature are occurring but are not the key driver. Moreover, she said that it is a good reminder that in some environments the risk of airborne transmission is higher and people need to know that.

The researchers said that the general public, in order to protect themselves from the airborne transmission,  should not take extra precautions required only by healthcare personnel such as wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) or wearing medical-grade masks. They also believe that a clear distinction should be made by the public health officials between aerosols capable of carrying the virus for long distances or droplets that are released by sneezing or coughing.

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A team of researchers from the University of Southampton, led by Philip Calder has published new study findings that following a healthy diet and taking dietary supplements daily can save people from COVID-19.

A diet that has a mixture of natural vegetables and fruits, as well as seeds, pulses, meat, and dairy, contain all necessary vitamins and minerals requires for a healthy body and a functional immune system. However, it might not be possible for a person to eat all these ingredients. They can use dietary supplements alternately. Also, there are some nutrients that can not be obtained from food sources including certain minerals, vitamins, and even omega-three fatty acids. Luckily these nutrients are available in dietary supplement form which can be used along with healthy food.

Also read- Coronavirus Patients are Suffering from Kidney Damage- Shocking Report

The current coronavirus pandemic has caused thousands of people to lose their life which is the second time after the seasonal influenza epidemics that a respiratory infection is killing people.

One thing that medical experts have observed that coronavirus is most dangerous for people with low immunity. So, a healthy immune system naturally protects the body from a viral attack, and this immunity is based on daily nutrition obtained from food sources.

While the new vaccination programs would save people from getting coronavirus, there is something that could reduce the risk of catching it. most of the times people ignore the significance and role of diet in pathogenic attacks and immunity. Considering there is no vaccine developed to this day, the only way to save yourself from coronavirus pandemic is to follow the precautionary measures including the dietary changes. That is why public health authorities are calling out and suggesting people to follow the healthy diet plan.

Philip Calder teaches Nutritional Immunology at the University of Southampton. He said; “The strength of somebody’s immune systems will not influence whether they get coronavirus; handwashing and social distancing are the best ways to avoid that. However, the immune system helps the body deal with the virus if they are infected and what we want is a system that functions properly when it’s challenged with bacteria and viruses.”

Also read- Scientists Discover a Novel Leptospira Strain That Might Cause Leptospirosis in Humans  

Calder recommends eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and not canned and frozen food items. Natural food has a high amount of nutrients and fiber which supports healthy metabolism and immunity. It re-creates the microbial balance inside the body and prepares the body to protect itself from any pathogenic attack.

The study also recommends eating fish which is a natural source of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for the body to function and it also improves the immune response of the body. Lastly, the research team also recommends eating meat which has a high amount of vitamin B12 and iron in it.

In case any person doesn’t consume these essential food groups, he can take dietary supplements loaded with these nutrients. Another popular choice in dietary supplements, in addition to these standard supplements, is “probiotics”. The probiotic supplement ensures a healthy and functional gut with a perfect balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria.

Calder further explains that this current coronavirus pandemic has given us a message that relying on vaccination alone is not sufficient and we might need more than these vaccines. It is essential to improve the natural immunity whether or not coronavirus pandemic ends. By improving what are we fueling to our body, we can reduce the chance of getting infected with a number of pathogenic microbes including the viruses i. e coronavirus. Therefore all public health offices should encourage people to take care of their diet and add essential nutrients either way.

**Note- The study report is published on the Preprints website and waiting for a peer review.

 

 

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While respiratory issues such as asthma, pneumonia, etc. are well-known symptoms of the covid 19, a new study published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology has found that 4 out of 5 of hospitalized patients experience some kind of neurological manifestation. The researchers carried out the study in 509 patients admitted to a Chicago hospital network and found out that 419 of these patients showed neurological symptoms of coronavirus at some point during their time at the hospital.

The authors wrote in their study that the most frequently occurring neurological symptoms of coronavirus were headaches (experienced by 37.7% patients), dizziness (experienced by 30% of patients), anosmia (loss of smell) (experienced by 11.4% of patients), myalgias, encephalopathy (experienced by 32% of patients), and dysgeusia (impaired sense of taste) (experienced by 16% of patients). Some of the uncommon symptoms were movement disorders, motor, and sensory deficits, seizures, strokes, and ataxia. The average stay in the hospital for these patients was also three times longer than usual and the risk of death was seven times higher.

Also read: Europe is Facing Pandemic Fatigue, According to WHO

The study included data from coronavirus patients admitted across an academic medical center and nine hospitals within the Northwestern Medicine Healthcare system in Chicago between March and April. Moreover, a quarter of those patients required mechanical ventilation. The researchers found that around 42% of the patients, before going to the hospital, had neurological manifestations when they first started experiencing symptoms. Then when they were sick enough to be admitted to the hospital, nearly 63% of them showed neurological symptoms of coronavirus, according to the data.

The researchers also discovered that younger patients were found to be more likely to be impacted by the neurological symptoms of coronavirus than older patients. They wrote that the fact that any neurological manifestations as a whole were more likely to occur in younger people is surprising, and could be explained by greater clinical emphasis on the risk of respiratory failure than other symptoms in older patients, however in contrast encephalopathy was more frequent in older people. Less than 6% of patients in the study were evaluated by neurologists or neurosurgeons, so more research is needed to find out if similar findings would occur in other hospital systems.

Even after these patients left the hospital, many of their symptoms remained. Only around 32% of them were able to complete simple tasks like paying bills or cooking, according to the chief of neuro-infectious disease and global neurology at Northwestern Medicine and senior author of the study Dr. Igor Koralnik.

The study did not specify how the coronavirus can cause encephalopathy, however, Dr. Koralnik believes that encephalopathy is sometimes brought on by other diseases including those that cause changes in blood circulation and inflammation, particularly in older patients. Moreover, a majority of the health experts believe that the covid19 doesn’t attack the brain cells directly but these neurological symptoms are a byproduct of inflammation and immune system responses.

This isn’t the first study of its kind, as a study in April of 214 coronavirus patients discovered that more than one-third of the patients experienced some sort of neurological complications. The virus is capable of causing neurological complications like brain inflammation, nerve damage, delirium, and stroke.

 

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