Science, Space & Robotics News - Page 1

An expert has announced a new risk factor that can severely impact coronavirus cases. This risk factor is also quite common throughout the United States.

According to a new report from Reuters, France's top epidemiologist has said that obesity can play a key role in coronavirus cases, and can even severely impact the outcome of whether or not the patient successfully recovers. Professor Jean-Francois Delfraissy told franceinfo radio, "This virus is terrible, it can hit young people, in particular obese young people. Those who are overweight really need to be careful".

The United States is well known for having a problem with obesity, which is why Delfraissy stresses that it's important that the public knows that obese people are going to have a harder time recovering if they become infected with the coronavirus. "That is why we're worried about our friends in America, where the problem of obesity is well known and where they will probably have the most problems because of obesity." said Delfraissy.

Right now, it's hard to think what the world will look like once we have globally overcome the coronavirus, but one thing is for sure - it will never the same again.

One of the main things that will change is how the medical systems prepare for future epidemics at this scale, and another thing that will change is how humans greet each other. The later of the two will most likely be the most difficult one for normal people to change, as we have become ingrained in certain customs that show our appreciation towards greeting someone. One of these customs, which is almost globally accepted, is handshakes.

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the public face of the Trump Administration's response to the coronavirus, "As a society, just forget about shaking hands." Fauci explains that his recommendation in a post-coronavirus world is, "We don't need to shake hands. We've got to break that custom. Because as a matter of fact, that is one of the major ways you can transmit a respiratory-borne illness." It will be interesting to see whether or not globally, we make an effort to throw out the custom of handshakes, and if this official recommendation will impact society's standard in a post-coronavirus world.

Every day scientists around the world are finding more and more about the coronavirus and how it spreads. Today, scientists have proven it's alarmingly easy to catch the coronavirus outside while you are exercising.

A new paper has been published by a team of researchers from the Netherlands and Belgium. This study has examined the effectiveness of social distancing in outdoor environments, and surprisingly new measures might have to be put into place. The study found that the current '6 feet' rule might not necessarily be enough to stem the spread of the coronavirus while outdoors and exercising, as the coronavirus can be easily spread through the air.

Due to people breathing heavily while they are outdoors exercising and possibly sneezing and coughing more often, there's an increased chance in COVID-19 infected particles being passed onto an unsuspecting person following closely behind someone. Scientists ran simulations with virtual exercisers traveling behind one another. The computer tracked the airstream around each of the exercises and found that people will have to take increased measures of separation from each other, depending on the exercise.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has removed a bunch of strange information that was aimed at guiding doctors to administrate hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine correctly to COVID-19 patients.

According to a new report by Reuters, the CDC had published dosage information for two antimalarial drugs, hydroxychloroquine, and chloroquine. This dosage information was based on unattributed anecdotal evidence, rather than peer-reviewed studies. The information was posted under the CDC webpage, 'Information for Clinicians on Therapeutic Options for Patients with COVID-19', and here's what it said, "Although optimal dosing and duration of hydroxychloroquine for treatment of COVID-19 are unknown, some U.S. clinicians have reported anecdotally" on several ways to prescribe the medication.

Dr. Lynn Goldman, dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, commented on the published information, saying, "Why would CDC be publishing anecdotes? That doesn't make sense. This is very unusual."

If you have unfortunately been infected with the coronavirus and you are self-isolating, it's important to be doing the right things to take care of your body throughout its healing process.

Doctors from the Queen's Hospital in the UK have released a video showing how coronavirus patients can use a specific breathing technique to reduce their coronavirus symptoms. The video has been uploaded to YouTube and shows Dr. Sarfaraz Munshi demonstrating the technique, and he explains, "Once you have an active infection, you need to be getting a good amount of air into the base of your lungs."

Mushi also brings awareness to the fact that lying down on your back for long periods of time increases the risk of patients developing pneumonia, as it traps mucus deep in the lungs. This breathing technique is designed to stop the mucus from being trapped and ultimately help keep the lungs clear.

By now, you have most likely heard what the coronavirus symptoms are, but everyday new knowledge is discovered about how the virus works, and sometimes more symptoms are discovered.

The French National Union of Dermatologists-Venereologists (SNDV) organization has posted some recent findings that indicate that skin-related pigmentation is a common symptom throughout coronavirus patients. These types of pigmentation include pseudo-frostbite, hives, and persistent redness, according to Le Figaro. The doctors also noticed that the red spots on the skin can be quite painful for patients as well.

The SNDV organization recently posted a press release, stating "Analysis of the many cases reported to SNDV shows that these manifestations can be associated" with COVID-19, and that "We are alerting the public and the medical profession in order to detect these potentially contagious patients as quickly as possible". Every day we are learning more about coronavirus cases, and since this new symptom has now been added to screening lists, be sure to contact a health professional in the event of you experiencing it.

Scientists globally are currently scrambling to create a vaccine for the coronavirus, but until everyone receives a dose, researchers are looking for ways to cure the virus and ultimately stop the spread.

Realistically, a vaccine for the coronavirus is most likely going to be around 18 months away, which means a way to stop the spread, and cure already infected patients need to be developed. Doctors and researchers have what has been called a "game-changer" drug, and it's not new either, it's been around for quite some time. This new cure stems from coronavirus patients who have entirely recovered from the disease; doctors are using their blood and redistributing it out to new patients.

Inside the blood of a cured coronavirus patient are antibodies that have battled the coronavirus and succeeded. Doctors are hoping these antibodies can be shared with new patients, which will then result in the disease being cured, or at least the recovery time shortened considerably. This process is called a blood plasma donation, and at the moment, doctors have already treated more than 20 patients at Mount Sinai's School of Medicine.

In most severe cases of coronavirus COVID-19 patients' lungs are hit hard by the virus, and most of the time result in the patient developing pneumonia.

In an effort to get ahead of pneumonia being developed, healthcare professionals scan the lungs to see if the patient will require breath assistance with a ventilator. In a significant number of coronavirus cases, doctors also notice that patients have low oxygen levels. This symptom is why doctors examine the lungs to see if pneumonia is developing, but recent research has added a new level of confusion.

Some patients who have been admitted to hospital and have been recorded down for having low oxygen levels have shown no signs of breathing impairment via their lungs. Dr. Todd Bull, director for the Center of Lungs and Breathing at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, says, "A whole bunch of these patients really have low oxygen, but their lungs don't look all that bad." So how can this be happening?

Scientists around the world are rushing to make a cure for the now rampant coronavirus, but until that cure is created, regulated, and distributed out the public many more people will unfortunately die. But what symptoms are leading to deaths?

A new study has been published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The researchers behind the study examined the health records of 85 coronavirus patients who died in Wuhan, China. The scientists examined each of the patient's medical histories, level of exposure to the Coriolanus, coronavirus laboratory results, CT readings, and finally, the treatment each of the patients undertook while in hospital.

The researchers made some discoveries that could allow future healthcare workers to be able to pinpoint which coronavirus cases could result in fatalities, thus saving lives for future and current cases. The study's results indicate that the highest numbers of fatalities occurred in males over 50 years of age that also had other chronic diseases. The most common diseases that were found in males who died from coronavirus were hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease.

The world is scrambling to find the magic bullet for COVID-19 coronavirus, and it seems that researchers may have just found what they're describing as the Achilles heel of COVID-19 coronavirus.

In a statement from Scripps Research, researchers said that they have found a specific portion of COVID-19 that could be targeted with vaccines after the team mapped a human antibody's interaction with SARS-CoV-2 at "near-atomic-scale resolution". The antibody itself was secured from a SARS patient from many years ago, but it also reacts to SARS-CoV-2.

Dr. Ian Wilson, the study's lead author, said in a statement: "The knowledge of conserved sites like this can aid in structure-based design of vaccines and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2, and these would also protect against other coronaviruses-including those that may emerge in the future".