Articles related to Allergy & Immunology

The 28-year-old Canadian pop star recently put the condition into the limelight after showing his face to his millions of Instagram followers. Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is caused by the varicella-zoster virus – the virus that causes chickenpox – but here’s more on the condition that plagues 5 in 100,000 people every year.

A new study published in Virus Research found that gargling with mouth wash leads to a mild decrease in the rate of COVID-19 transmission. Several antiseptic mouth rinses have shown potential antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in vitro; however, the antiseptic agent responsible for this effect was not clear until now.

Monkeypox is again spreading around the world, from Europe to North America. This is the first outbreak in US the since 2003 and the disease is now spreading fairly rapidly on a daily basis. Transmission between people mostly occurs through large respiratory droplets, normally meaning prolonged contact face to face. But the virus can also spread through bodily fluids. The latest cases have mainly been among men who have sex with men. Currently, the UK has the largest number of diagnosed cases, followed by Portugal, Canada, and Spain. Latest case counts by country can be seen here.

Researchers explain why the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is so contagious and spreads so rapidly in the general population.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has issued guidance on managing drug interactions with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid). Specifically, the IDSA recommends clinicians take six steps to minimize the risk of drug interactions for patients with COVID-19 who are eligible for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir.

Although vaccinations to the arm can still prevent serious illness, their ability to ward off infection completely has been diminished. And part of the reason may be the location of the vaccines, which some scientists now want to change by delivering inoculations to the site where the virus first makes contact: the nose. Three separate nasal sprays, now in advanced trials, could trigger stronger immune responses in people who have COVID-19.