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Pandemics News Archive

Clear skies, clear lungs: Asthma emergencies dropped as air quality improved during lockdown

The Guardian - 09-Feb-2024

Insights from Oxford study calls for continued action to improve air quality everywhere

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Frozen ancient viruses in the Arctic could spark the next global pandemic

Independent - 21-Jan-2024

Scientists develop monitoring strategies to mitigate the impact of frozen pathogens re-emerging

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Life's curveballs can fast-forward your biological clock and make you look older

National Institute on Aging (NIA) - 04-Jan-2024

These age-jumps, measured by DNA changes, can actually reverse once the stressor fades

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Canadians' life expectancy falls in 2022 for the third year in a row

The Canadian Press - 27-Nov-2023

COVID-19 takes a toll, seniors hit hardest, and Atlantic Canada sees highest jump

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Animal-to-human diseases poised to kill 12 times more people by 2050

Independent - 03-Nov-2023

Urgent action needed to prevent the disease risk by addressing climate change & deforestation

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Novel Claromer compounds fight viruses by targeting their protective membranes

Maxwell Biosciences - 02-Aug-2023

Inspired by human immunity, Claromers are revolutionary molecules which may overcome resistance in near future

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COVID-19 continues to take a toll on Japanese life expectancy

Japan Times - 28-Jul-2023

Overall dropped by 0.42 years for men and 0.49 years for women in 2022 - second fall in a row

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Air pollution intensifies Covid-19 impact, mirroring decade-older age

The Guardian - 21-Jun-2023

Scientists advocate for air pollution reduction, emphasizing its potential to improve health outcomes amidst pandemics and flu season

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Diabetes medication metformin could lower long COVID risk by 41%, study suggests

New Scientist - 09-Jun-2023

Metformin may function as an anti-inflammatory and potentially reduce the viral load of SARS-CoV-2

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Biological Age: A Dynamic Response to Severe Stress

Harvard Gazette - 24-Apr-2023

Helping the body recover from stress could contribute to increased longevity

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Deaths from excessive alcohol intake surged in the UK during Covid pandemic

BBC - 08-Dec-2022

A 27% rise in alcohol-related deaths was reported during 2019-21, with more men affected than women

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Universal flu vaccine protects against all 20 strains of flu virus

BBC - 25-Nov-2022

Breakthrough innovation that simultaneously induces antibodies against multiple antigens

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England and Wales see slight increase in life expectancy in 2021 - official figure to follow

BBC - 17-Oct-2022

Only 4 out of 31 countries studies have seen their period life expectancy recover since 2020

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Covid restrictions provided unique real-world experiment with reduced air pollution

The Guardian - 26-Jan-2022

Big drop in NO2 produced biggest benefit, less significant drops seen in PM2.5 and PM10

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Senolytic drugs improved survival rates in coronavirus-infected mice

SENS Research Foundation - 07-Oct-2021

Boosts immune response by clearing senescent cells; a potential treatment for COVID-19 in humans

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Covid-19 hit hardest in men, cutting their life expectancy by over an year

BBC - 23-Sep-2021

Life expectancy will recover in the future, but with a 'slower growth'

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A 12-week Better Health campaign to help you lose weight and stay active

BBC - 26-Jul-2021

Free support and guidance to shed those excess kilos gained during lockdown

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US life expectancy dropped by 1.5 years in 2020, mostly due to COVID-19

Independent - 21-Jul-2021

Largest drop since world war II, mainly affecting Black and Hispanic Americans

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UK recorded more deaths than births for first time in 40 years

BBC - 25-Jun-2021

Covid may not be the only reason; fewer births and older population also fuel death rates

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US life expectancy records biggest fall due to covid pandemic

Guardian - 23-Jun-2021

Health inequalities mainly affected life expectancy of minority groups

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Robot Scientist uses AI to find cure for covid-19

Chalmers University of Technology - 03-Jun-2021

Speeds up drug discovery process, allowing researchers to find new treatments for deadly diseases

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Air purifiers in safari buses to protect passengers from pollution and pathogens

Air Quality News - 17-May-2021

AirLabs' devices claims to remove coronavirus in the air - improves public transport during pandemic

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Sweat sensor spots early signs of COVID-19 cytokine storms

Medgadget - 16-Apr-2021

Early diagnosis of respiratory infections with sweat sensor could enable early treatment to save lives

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BioAge's anti-ageing drug to treat Covid-19 enters phase 2 trial

Longevity Technology - 22-Mar-2021

Reverses immune ageing and can prevent death from coronavirus infection in the elderly

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Cancer vaccines based on mRNA technology will be available soon

Sky News - 19-Mar-2021

Science behind developing Covid-19 vaccines could bring us cancer shots too

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Virus comes back to life in a survivor of Ebola

New Scientist - 18-Mar-2021

Ebola survivor harboured the virus for 5 years & transmission could spark new outbreaks

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Previous Covid-19 infection may be protective for 5 months

BBC - 14-Jan-2021

Some might get re-infected & transmit the virus - should stay at home

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A New COVID antibody test to check if you need a vaccine

Medical Xpress - 29-Dec-2020

This rapid test can assess your level of immunity and post-vaccine tolerability

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Activewear brand Lorna Jane makes 'anti-virus' claims: taken to court

BBC - 23-Dec-2020

Such claims made by trusted companies without a scientific basis mislead the public

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2020 might be the deadliest year for America

Guardian - 22-Dec-2020

Life expectancy to drop by 3 years - greatest cut off since World War II

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UV LED light - a new hope amidst the pandemic

Medical News Today - 20-Dec-2020

Effective in killing human coronavirus - residential use not recommended due to hazardous effects

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Robots to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic

Medical Expo - 18-Dec-2020

No risk of spreading the virus or getting infected - will reinforce the health task-force

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An AI tool that helps personalise COVID-19 treatment decisions

ZDNet - 15-Dec-2020

Has halved the mortality rates despite the second wave of the pandemic

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Covid-19 has reverted life expectancy levels back to 2010

Guardian - 10-Dec-2020

Coronavirus slashed the upward trend of life expectancy in England and Wales

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A drug that reverses ageing to help fight COVID

Connecticut Post - 17-Nov-2020

Elderly have a higher mortality risk with COVID - reversing ageing could reduce it

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Study finds patients with good vitamin D levels half as likely to die of coronavirus

Independent - 26-Sep-2020

Definitely no harm in taking normal levels of vitamin D supplements - and could save your life

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Coronavirus gives extra incentive for smokers to kick the habit

BBC - 15-Jul-2020

1.5 times as many smokers quit in the last year than usual - a rare long-term benefit of the pandemic

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The deadly link between air pollution and coronavirus

Guardian - 13-Jul-2020

An analysis to answer whether quality of air affects rise in pandemic cases

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Robotic scientists can do lab work faster

BBC - 06-Jul-2020

Does not mean that machines will be able to replace human scientists

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Answers to your questions about coronavirus antibody tests

BMJ - 24-Jun-2020

Antibody tests, how they work, which one to choose: answers from the experts

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More than 300,000 UK smokers quit in fear of coronavirus

World Economic Forum - 27-May-2020

The pandemic has caused a lot of people to rethink of their daily habits

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Protect yourself from coronavirus as lockdown eased

New Scientist - 27-May-2020

Tips from New Scientist on returning to work and travelling around

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11,000 avoided deaths in Europe owing to cleaner air during lockdown

Guardian - 30-Apr-2020

We need technology-driven, not pandemic-driven, solutions to air pollution

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José Luis Cordeiro looks at the positive opportunities from Covid-19

Lifeboat Foundation - 28-Apr-2020

Some interesting figures on how we are able to sequence new viruses faster and faster

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Public Health England: Best to take vitamin D during COVID-19 lockdown

BBC - 23-Apr-2020

Advices on improving health should be considered especially in times of pandemic

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Presence of coronavirus in sewage quantitatively reflects number infected

Newsweek - 23-Apr-2020

Quickly becomes inactive in faeces and sewage so there's no risk of infection

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Genetic diversity, hoped to explain varied severity of COVID-19 symptoms

BBC - 14-Apr-2020

A look into DNA data from UK Biobank to answer many questions on the virus

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FDA gives the green light for human trials against a new coronavirus therapy

WebMD - 03-Apr-2020

May cause serious adverse effects if stem cells over attack normal lung cells

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Proposed strategy to protect elderly from gerolavic infections like COVID-19

Forbes - 31-Mar-2020

To benefit long term global health and longevity, and enhance economic recovery

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COVID-19 advanced testing lab created by UC Berkeley scientists

University of California, Berkeley - 30-Mar-2020

In response to mass testing needs, they employ robotics and automation for accuracy and speed

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Half a million computers across the world unite to fight against COVID-19 virus

Independent - 26-Mar-2020

They need one million computers and it's your chance to be one in a million!

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Top ten frequently asked questions about coronavirus

BBC - 24-Mar-2020

Quick answers from the BBC's coronavirus FAQ

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Kinsa's smart thermometer, an early warning device for COVID-19

New York Times - 18-Mar-2020

Very beneficial as health sector sees where to prioritize testing

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7 COVID-19 patients recovered, owing to stem cell therapy

Lifespan.io (LEAF) - 16-Mar-2020

A small study, but a big impact on the 7 participants who all recovered quickly

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CloudMind robots used to protect staff in Wuhan field hospital

CNET - 14-Mar-2020

Able to monitor patients' vital signs and deliver medication remotely

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A hospital in Italy resorts to 3D printing in desperate times

3D Printing Media Network - 14-Mar-2020

3D printing is a quick alternative when the product chains are getting delayed

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Nanotech spray can prevent coronavirus from spreading

Nano Magazine - 11-Mar-2020

This is a long lasting disinfectant that lasts upto 5 years

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Intelligent robot reduces cross-infection risks for coronavirus

The Strait Times - 10-Mar-2020

Besides preventing cross-infection for medical workers, robot prevents improper sample collecting

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AI system can recognize pneumonia due to Covid-19 in chest CT

The Next Web - 02-Mar-2020

There many CT images to analyse so this AI saves up times

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No need to get panicked and buy hand sanitisers

Guardian - 29-Feb-2020

They're more effective against coronavirus than norovirus - but must be at least 60% alcohol

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Ethics report shows equal respect helps prepare for health emergencies

Nuffield Council on Bioethics - 24-Feb-2020

As is often the case, it's politicians who need to act before the spotlight is on them

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Last opportunity to contain coronavirus outbreak

BBC - 22-Feb-2020

Not yet out of control - but asymptomatic patients could complicate prevention of outbreaks

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5 key questions about coronavirus (Covid-19)

BBC - 12-Feb-2020

It's not going to wipe out humanity - and your individual risk is low

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Pharmaceutical companies developing vaccine for coronavirus in record time (video)

BBC - 31-Jan-2020

Inovio's Dr Kate Broderick explains how - starting with the DNA sequence

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First US coronavirus patient treated using robot in isolation unit

Guardian - 23-Jan-2020

Unit can expand to 10 units - but would be overwhelmed with a full-scale pandemic

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UK toughens up precautionary measures against the new coronavirus

BBC - 22-Jan-2020

Symptoms quite similar to that of seasonal flu, takes 5 days to appear once infected

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New coronavirus claims the second life in China

Independent - 17-Jan-2020

Are we heading towards a new pandemic?

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A new coronavirus is preparing to wreak havoc in China

Guardian - 11-Jan-2020

Patients are mostly vendors and buyers at Seafood market in Wuhan city of China

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2020 could bring universal flu vaccine thanks to Israeli researchers

Algemeiner - 11-Dec-2019

It's always better to be prepared beforehand for another possible pandemic

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Flu vaccine 2019 and everything you need to know about that

Huffington Post - 23-Sep-2019

Flu can kill – it’s a good idea to get the jab every year

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Independent panel says we're not prepared for growing global pandemic risk

VOX - 19-Sep-2019

Politicians quickly forget the risk once the last crisis is over

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Two new Ebola drugs report a 90% survival rate

BBC - 13-Aug-2019

Thanks to this cocktail of 3 antibodies, Ebola no longer means impending death

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Taking antibiotics could make your flu more deadly

Independent - 02-Jul-2019

Antibiotics should not be taken without a prescription of the doctor

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Ebola spreads from Congo to Uganda - no sign of stopping

BBC - 13-Jun-2019

Not yet a global emergency – but could explode at any time

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Pig Ebola spreads across Asia leading to culling of millions of pigs

Guardian - 06-Jun-2019

If this mutated to infect humans it would be worse than Ebola

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Over 1,000 deaths in new Ebola outbreak in DRC

Independent - 05-May-2019

Vaccine may be controlling outbreak for now, but could explode at any time

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Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo - still not a global threat

BBC - 12-Apr-2019

No need to declare a “public health emergency of international concern”

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Dangerous toxins accidentally released from labs every few days

VOX - 20-Mar-2019

All too easy to get lax about safety when you work with deadly materials every day

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Small molecule oral drug could treat influenza A

Phys.org - 11-Mar-2019

Targets seasonal and pandemic strains of flu

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Flu resistant chickens in battle against next human pandemic

Independent - 23-Jan-2019

Hopefully in future we can make ourselves impervious to flu

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How do you die from the flu?

Patient - 15-Jan-2019

It's not just a bad cold - it killed 15,000 people in the UK last year

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Llama blood clue to beating all flu

BBC - 02-Nov-2018

Llama antibodies able to attack parts of flu virus that don't mutate

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Prototype pandemic vaccine without the shot

Washington Post - 12-Sep-2018

A bandage-like strip with micro-needles may replace the usual methods for vaccination

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China Won't Share Its Samples of a Deadly Flu Virus

Live Science - 28-Aug-2018

China refuses to share H7N9 samples making difficult developing a vaccine against it

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Fresh Ebola outbreak has potential to spread

CNN - 14-Aug-2018

New outbreak in an area of active conflict makes difficult to contain the infection

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Pandemic could kill 900 million people

Metro - 30-Jul-2018

Lack of adequate response systems may result in the death of 10% of the population

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Nipah virus outbreak in India contained

Times of India - 09-Jun-2018

Nipah virus outbreak has been contained with 17 deaths and no new cases

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Could dog flu be the next pandemic?

Medical News Today - 06-Jun-2018

The H3N8 Dog influenza virus found in China is not a risk for humans at the moment

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Here's What the Next Pandemic Pathogen Might Look Like

Live Science - 12-May-2018

Pathogens like Ebola and Zika are unlikely to cause a global pandemic disaster.

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Pop up vaccine factories could curb pandemics

The Ecologist - 10-May-2018

Big pharma is unwilling to invest in pandemic prevention.

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Influenza pandemic could infect 43 million in UK

Cambridge Independent - 15-Apr-2018

Influenza pandemic could kill almost a million people in the UK.

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How to avoid catching a virus on a plane

Science Magazine - 19-Mar-2018

Study provides blueprint for how a virus could move around a plane.

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Disease X Could One Day Kill Millions

Newsweek - 11-Mar-2018

Disease X has been added to the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of maladies.

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Lassa fever: The killer disease with no vaccine

BBC - 05-Mar-2018

Nigeria has been gripped by an outbreak of a Lassa fever.

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Hunting Unknown Viruses To Prevent Next Pandemic

Futurism - 23-Feb-2018

Scientists estimate still 1.6 million viruses to discover.

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First ever human case of H7N4 bird flu

Guardian - 15-Feb-2018

68-year-old woman from eastern China developed symptoms on 25 December.

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Experimental Drug Kills Flu Virus in a Single Day

ScienceAlert - 13-Feb-2018

Shionogi claims its influenza virus treatment is faster-acting than any other flu drug.

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Infectious disease outbreak could kill 30 million people in a year

Business Insider - 02-Feb-2018

Global Health Security Agenda program is coming ot an end.

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Google invests in UK company developing universal flu vaccine

Independent - 15-Jan-2018

Vaccitech has raised £20m from investors including Google parent Alphabet.

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What is 'Aussie' flu and should we be worried?

BBC - 08-Jan-2018

Aussie flu or H3N2 is an influenza A virus that appears to cause more severe infections in young children and the elderly.

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New DNA vaccine could lead to a universal vaccine for the flu

Digital Trends - 02-Jan-2018

Flu virus continually shape-shifts from year to year.

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The Virus That Conquered the World, 100 Years Later

Infection Control Today - 20-Dec-2017

Called “La grippe,” “three-day fever” and the “Spanish flu,” the influenza pandemic of 1918–1919 ravaged communities worldwide.

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US lifts ban on risky pathogen research

Nature - 19-Dec-2017

The US government has lifted its controversial ban on funding experiments that make certain pathogens more deadly or transmissible.

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H7N9 Influenza Could Be The Next Big Flu Pandemic

Science Trends - 20-Oct-2017

H7N9 is an avian flu that was discovered in China in 2013. Since its discovery, there have been multiple waves of infections in humans and in 2016 the infection rate started to increase much more than before. Of the infected, 40% has died.

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Can We Stop A Global Pandemic?

Forbes - 19-Oct-2017

Having killed at least 74 people in the last few weeks, the plague ravaging Madagascar has just jumped across the border and off the island.

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Shortage Could Leave U.S. With Deadly Flu Pandemic

Newsweek - 12-Oct-2017

United States relies on foreign trade for many medical needs. About 30 essential items, these include hospital supplies like IV bags and everyday drugs, are made outside of the U.S.

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BBC app to investigate how flu pandemic spreads

BBC - 27-Sep-2017

The free app will anonymously collect vital data on how far users travel over a 24 hour period.

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Bill Gates thinks a pandemic could kill 30 million people

Business Insider - 17-Sep-2017

Bill and Melinda Gates in their recently released "Goalkeepers" report state that they see a pandemic as the greatest immediate threat to humanity on the planet.

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Still Vulnerable 100 Years after Lethal 1918 Flu Pandemic

Scientific American - 15-Sep-2017

The 1918 influenza pandemic: the most devastating infectious disease in history took 50 million to 100 million lifes worldwide. Despite the progress of modern medicine we do not have such vaccines, which would be effective against a 1918-like virus.

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Three Mutations Could Turn Bird Flu Virus Into A Human Pandemic

IFL Science - 26-Jun-2017

H7N9 strain has infected over 900 people since 2013.

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Bill Gates warns tens of millions could be killed by bio-terrorism

Guardian - 18-Feb-2017

The next epidemic could be a genetically engineered version of the smallpox virus or a deadly strain of the flu.

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We are vulnerable to flu epidemic in next decade

BBC - 30-Dec-2016

Bill Gates says the world is a bit vulnerable right now.

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First flu affects lifetime risk

BBC - 11-Nov-2016

Research finds there are only two types of hemagglutinin protein on surface of influenza A virus.

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Influence of the "first flu"

BBC - 11-Nov-2016

UK expert said 2 hemagglutinin could explain different patterns in flu pandemics

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Lack of UK Ebola strategy and procedure put lives at risk

Pharmaceutical Journal - 27-Jan-2016

House of Commons report says UK’s response was undermined by systemic delays.

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UK is ‘vulnerable’ to next Ebola outbreak

BBC - 25-Jan-2016

Science and Technology Committee says gaping hole in the country’s ability to manufacture vaccines.

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Ebola vaccine 100% effective

BBC - 31-Jul-2015

No new cases in 2,000 close contacts when vaccinated immediately compared to 16 cases if vaccinated several weeks later.

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Dog infects four humans with the plague, may involve human-to-human transmission

Independent - 01-May-2015

8 cases of the plague in humans each year on average but is currently treatable with antibiotics.

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‘Mystery disease’ kills 18 in Nigeria

BBC - 18-Apr-2015

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India swine flu outbreak ‘kills 75’

BBC - 28-Jan-2015

The H1N1 virus, which causes swine flu, first appeared in Mexico in 2009 and rapidly spread around the world.

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Studying Epidemics in Virtual Worlds

Bloomberg - 06-May-2009

1.3 million virtual residents represented by digital characters ran through 15 scenarios, with a variety of government reactions. Tracks the spread of diseases in virtual worlds to help predict what will happen in the real world.

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Factors that make an infectious disease outbreak controllable

PNAS - 27-Feb-2004

Two simple public health measures in controlling outbreaks are isolating symptomatic individuals and tracing/quarantining their contacts.

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