Health

An important type of face mask called an N95 respirator is in critically short supply at the moment, putting medical workers in many countries at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus. Unlike surgical masks and ordinary paper masks, an N95 respirator features a tight fit and can filter out the majority of particles in the air. In light of the shortage, the FDA has granted emergency use authorization to new technology that can decontaminate used N95 respirators.

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Ford will team up with GE Healthcare to build more ventilators suitable for COVID-19 treatment, with the potential to produce 50,000 of the simplified design in the next 100 days. The automaker had already announced a collaboration with GE Healthcare on ventilator production, this time targeting an even easier design currently being produced in Florida.

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American corporation Johnson & Johnson has announced that it will send a COVID-19 vaccine candidate into human clinical trials by September 2020 at the latest, assuming nothing unexpected happens. If the vaccine proves successful, the company says that it may be able to get it on the market by as soon as early 2021. The company says it will make vaccines available globally.

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The FDA is pushing back at accusations that it has been a bottleneck in coronavirus testing, dismissing criticisms that COVID-19 specific tests have been delayed because of its oversight. US testing numbers amid the coronavirus pandemic have become a topic of huge controversy in recent weeks, with suggestions that uncertainty about just how many Americans might be infected have left healthcare providers floundering and unprepared.

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One of the biggest problems with the COVID-19 coronavirus is the lack and slowness of testing for cases. Overloaded healthcare facilities, faulty tets, and lack of equipment result in the inability to catch up with the true spread of the virus through states, let alone the entire country and the world. Private companies are now rushing to give a hand and Abbott has just announced what could be the smallest and fastest way to get a diagnosis.

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A coronavirus vaccine study has expanded to a second location, with new volunteers for the potentially COVID-19-preventing injection being sought in Atlanta. The initial trial began earlier this month in Seattle, hoping that a new and experimental vaccine, mRNA-1273, could provide a fix to the spreading coronavirus pandemic.

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A new review has looked into the potential effects of different dietary elements on asthma, a common lung condition that can increase one's odds of developing respiratory infections, including COVID-19. A number of treatments are available on the market to reduce asthma severity, but none of them can prevent the condition entirely. According to the new review, cutting certain foods from your diet may be helpful for managing or even preventing the condition.

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GM will turn over one of its US plants to producing ventilators, with the automaker partnering with Ventec Life Systems to build new healthcare equipment amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Kokomo manufacturing facility in Indiana will begin making ventilators - one of the biggest bottlenecks in healthcare amid the COVID-19 outbreak - from next week and expects the first shipments to arrive "as soon as next month," though points out that it is all dependent "on the needs of the federal government."

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A report from Dr. Nora Volkow of the National Institute on Drug Abuse warned that those with substance abuse disorders have a higher potential for harm when it comes to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). Dr. Volkow warned those with substance use disorders (SUDs) and those with opioid use disorder (OUD) and methamphetamine use disorder may be hit harder than the general population. "Because it attacks the lungs, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could be an especially serious threat to those who smoke tobacco or marijuana or who vape."

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Manufacturers in the UK expect the government to give them the green light to move their facilities from normal operations to making medical supplies. Dyson is in one group, another group is led by Airbus. Both groups have announced that they have only to be given the go-ahead by the UK government by next week. In separate news, the UK's ALSO joined the EU effort to ramp up ventilator production worldwide.

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Scientists at Lancaster University in the UK have announced that they have developed a new smart testing device for coronavirus. The testing device incorporates artificial intelligence, image processing, molecular virology, and applied technologies to create an innovative device that can detect COVID-19. The test takes only 30 minutes to run using an intelligent smartphone app.

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Using a common type of mouthwash may be increasing your risk of developing tooth damage, according to a new study out of the University of Plymouth. The reason isn't directly due to the effects of the mouthwash on the teeth, but rather the ways it changes the profile of beneficial bacteria in one's mouth. Over time, a drop in saliva pH levels may increase the risk of damaged teeth.

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