In the May 27 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, Dr. Harvey A. Risch concluded that Early Outpatient Treatment of Symptomatic, High-Risk Covid-19 Patients that Should be Ramped-Up Immediately as Key to the Pandemic Crisis. More than 1.6 million Americans have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and >10 times that number carry antibodies to it. High-risk patients presenting with progressing symptomatic disease have only hospitalization treatment with its high mortality. An outpatient treatment that prevents hospitalization is desperately needed. Two candidate medications have been widely discussed: remdesivir, and hydroxychloroquine+azithromycin. Remdesivir has shown mild effectiveness in hospitalized inpatients, but no trials…
Author: Brett Johnson
Sanofi and Luminostics to develop COVID-19 smartphone-based self-testing solution Sanofi and Luminostics to join forces on developing breakthrough COVID-19 smartphone-based self-testing solution using Luminostics’ innovative technology. a smartphone-based solution that eliminates the current need for healthcare professional administration or laboratory tests. A self-testing could help providemwhether or not they are infected” with respiratory samples in 30 minutes or less. The system involves smartphone’s optics, controlled by an iOS/Android app paired with an inexpensive adapter. It is combination with “glow-in-the-dark” nanochemistry and signal processing artificial intelligence. The diagnostic platform is composed of: an iOS/Android app to instruct a user on how…
A diagnostic test as simple to use as a pregnancy test. Researchers at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass. announced in early May a prototype of a quick and inexpensive test for the coronarvirus, at around $6, they hope. This could overcome the shortcomings of the PCR Test. Dr. Feng Zhang and his colleagues posted a description of their device on the website STOPCovid dedicated to their project which. Dr. Zhang and his colleagues hope to fill that gap with tests that are affordable and easy enough to use without special expertise, according to The New York Times, which first…
A private Florida company, Healthe Lighting is offering a system to disinfecting people who walk through a framed doorway that uses Ultra Violet light. The cleansing takes about as long as going a scan at the airport. For UVC light is a lower spectrum of UV light that can isn’t harmful to humans that was recently developed at Columbia University and holds great promise to kill airborne pathogens such as the COVID-19. See related story entitled: Far UVC Light Kills Airborne Viruses that describes a technology developed at Columbia University. Fox news reporter Liz Clayman. Interviews the co-founder and Chief…
Intelligent strategy depends on quality information. The Virus Project is committed to deep understanding on all aspects of the pandemic. We are seeking specific information about those who have succumbed to the disease by getting detailed information as possible. We’re seeking to collect for a two or three day period during the midst data on the following. We expect this to number approximately 400 records. Age. Sex. Underlying conditions. (diabetic, high blood pressure) Occupation. Source of income. Number of dependents. Head of household. Residence. (live alone, with family, single family home, nursing home, apartment, shelter, etc.) Zip code. Suspected source…
The development of a UVC light technology at Columbia could be breakthrough in curtailing spread of COVID-19 in indoor public places. The technology, developed by Columbia University’s Center for Radiological Research, uses lamps that emit continuous, low doses of a particular wavelength of ultraviolet light, known as far-UVC, which can kill viruses and bacteria without harming human skin, eyes and other tissues, as is the problem with conventional UV light. It can be safely used in occupied public spaces, and it kills pathogens in the air before people breathe them in. Scientists have known for decades that germicidal UV light…
There is endless talk about the impending vaccine and its promise to protect the population from Covid-19. In addition to my thought that massive, frequent testing is the most expedient way out of this public health crisis, I strongly believe that waiting for the vaccine is not the best strategy for helping society. Most vaccines take 2-5 years to develop and distribute. The Covid-19 vaccine is being “fast tracked” and scientists all over the world are contributing their efforts. In the event that this vaccine will be available in 12-18 months or even sooner, will that “fast track” compromise safety…
E25Bio, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech startup that develops diagnostic tests for infectious diseases like dengue and Zika, has a new rapid antigen test for Covid-19. The company’s technologies grew out of an MIT lab led by Lee Gehrke, Professor at the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), and Irene Bosch, then a research scientist at IMES. The startup recently raised $2 million from investors to specifically develop and manufacture testing kits for Covid-19. E25Bio’s rapid diagnostic test resembles an over-the-counter pregnancy test and provides visual results within 15 minutes by detecting the presence of the virus in the patient sample. As a point…