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Articles on Disease transmission

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Quaternary ammonium compounds can linger on surfaces and in indoor air and dust long after the disinfectant has dried. Guido Mieth/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Disinfectants and cleaning products harboring toxic chemicals are widely used despite lack of screening for potential health hazards

Quaternary ammonium compounds, also known as QACs or quats, are commonly used antimicrobials also found in many household products. Soap and water may be a safer bet when cleaning surfaces.
A virus’s genes hold a record of where it’s traveled, and when. imaginima/E+ via Getty Images

Charting changes in a pathogen’s genome yields clues about its past and hints about its future

After a nose swab tests positive for a virus or bacteria, scientists can use the sample’s genetic sequence to figure out where and when the pathogen emerged and how fast it’s changing.
Vaccinated people are well protected from getting sick, but could they inadvertently transmit the coronavirus? Noam Galai/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Can people vaccinated against COVID-19 still spread the coronavirus?

The COVID-19 vaccines are a smash success. But that doesn’t mean they keep every vaccinated person completely free of the coronavirus.
Avian cholera is a highly contagious disease that has produced rapid population loss in Northern common eiders. (Shutterstock)

How Arctic sea ducks develop herd immunity from avian cholera

We can learn about the spread of diseases through populations by studying naturally occurring instances of herd immunity. Avian cholera in the Canadian Arctic provides a useful case study.
We’ve learned much more about the novel coronavirus over the last few months, including that most spreading events occur inddoors. (Shutterstock)

How to prevent COVID-19 ‘superspreader’ events indoors this winter

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, and the colder weather approaches, new mathematical models are needed to study changing social behaviours and indoor spaces.
David Crosling/AAP Image

A $200 fine for not wearing a mask is fair, as long as free masks go to those in need

The fines for failing to wear a mask during Melbourne’s lockdown have been criticised as ‘punitive’. But the fact that masks are cheap or free, with huge public health benefits, makes it justifiable.
A restaurant in Bangkok created plastic partitions and moved its tables farther apart to separate guests in a normally tight space. Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images

How to lower your coronavirus risk while eating out: Restaurant advice from an infectious disease expert

It’s hard to eat while wearing a face mask, and social distancing isn’t easy in restaurants’ normally tight quarters. An infectious disease expert offers some tips on what to look for to stay safe.
People shop at the reopening of the Farmer’s Market in Manhattan Beach, California on May 12, 2020. Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

How do you stay safe now that states are reopening? An expert explains how to assess risk when reconnecting with friends and family

The US is slowly reopening, but the messages from governments are confusing. An expert offers guidance on many people’s first priority – connecting with loved ones.

Citizen science: how you can contribute to coronavirus research without leaving the house

As scientists frantically try to find drugs to slow COVID-19’s spread, citizen science offers an opportunity for all of us to get involved.
Places where lots of animals come into contact can help pathogens move from species to species. Baloncici/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Re-creating live-animal markets in the lab lets researchers see how pathogens like coronavirus jump species

In the real world, new diseases emerge from complex environments. To learn more about how, scientists set up whole artificial ecosystems in the lab, instead of focusing on just one factor at a time.

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