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Giant viruses may possess the tools of metabolism in their genome

According to researchers from Virginia Tech, genes within viruses possess certain portions that help them make their own tools for metabolism. However, they do not have metabolic processes of their own. The new study with these findings appeared in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications.

6 Apr 2020

Asthma and coronavirus disease - COVID-19

On the 11th of March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS CoV-2, a pandemic.

5 Apr 2020

COVID-19 and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors

A new viewpoint article published in the journal JAMA Network in April 2020 deals with the use of a widely used category of cardiovascular medications in COVID-19 patients with hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). These are the most common medical conditions that are found in COVID-19 patients and contribute disproportionately to mortality.

5 Apr 2020

Researchers uncover mechanism by which gene mutations potentially give rise to kidney disease

Researchers from the Center for Precision Disease Modeling at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have uncovered a mechanism that appears to explain how certain genetic mutations give rise to a rare genetic kidney disorder called nephrotic syndrome.

5 Apr 2020

How (easily) does the novel coronavirus spread?

Viruses are tiny bundles of DNA or RNA which have the ability to infect host cells, hijack the machinery of the host cell and then replicate. Once the host cell’s resources are exhausted, the viral particles are released to infect other cells. In this way, the viruses ensure their survival, often at the expense of the host.

1 Apr 2020

What are coronaviruses and COVID-19?

The current COVID-19 pandemic is caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.

1 Apr 2020

Estimating the case fatality ratio for COVID-19

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease has affected 932,605 individuals and has taken 46,809 lives worldwide. Now, researchers have published a review on the likelihood of survival after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study titled, “Likelihood of survival of coronavirus disease 2019” is published in the latest issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

1 Apr 2020

Inhibiting the iron transport could halt tuberculosis

The bacteria that cause tuberculosis need iron to survive. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now solved the first detailed structure of the transport protein responsible for the iron supply.

1 Apr 2020

Spit and feces test positive for SARS CoV-2 even after recovery

A new study reveals that samples of sputum and feces continue to test positive for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus even after a person has recovered from COVID-19 and nasopharyngeal secretions test negative for the virus.

31 Mar 2020

Three Australian experts explain the course of COVID-19

Researchers have been studying the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) closely since its beginning in December 2019. To date, the virus has infected over 850,000 individuals across the globe and killed over 41,000.

31 Mar 2020

Understanding the novel coronavirus genome

The novel coronavirus emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, in China, and since then, it has rapidly spread to over 170 countries across the globe. Our knowledge of the virus, now officially named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still in the early stages. However, scientists around the world are racing to better understand the virus, in the hope of shedding light on potential vaccines and therapies.

31 Mar 2020

Researchers develop chemically modified phage capsid that “stifles” influenza viruses

A new approach brings the hope of new therapeutic options for suppressing seasonal influenza and avian flu: On the basis of an empty - and therefore non-infectious - shell of a phage virus, researchers from Berlin have developed a chemically modified phage capsid that "stifles" influenza viruses.

31 Mar 2020

Origins of SARS-CoV-2 – natural or man-made?

With over 780,000 individuals across the world infected and over 37,000 dead, the world is gripped by the pandemic caused by the novel strain of coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

30 Mar 2020

Coronavirus shown to spread in high heat and humidity

A new study explores the possibility that the novel coronavirus, which is ravaging the world, can spread in hot and humid conditions, dispelling the view held by some investigators that the virus is more easily transmissible in colder climates.

30 Mar 2020

MIT engineers develop soft, flexible neural implants

The brain is one of our most vulnerable organs, as soft as the softest tofu. Brain implants, on the other hand, are typically made from metal and other rigid materials that over time can cause inflammation and the buildup of scar tissue.

30 Mar 2020

How long to a coronavirus vaccine?

The whole world is waiting for one. A vaccine is the only thing that could conceivably save the world from a horrifying cascade of deaths, other than a miracle, it seems.

29 Mar 2020

COVID-19 and its effects on the cardiovascular system

Researcher have reviewed the evidence showing the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 or novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) on the cardiovascular system. Their study titled, “Potential Effects of Coronaviruses on the Cardiovascular System: A Review,” was published in the latest issue of JAMA Cardiology.

29 Mar 2020

SLAC structural biologist discovers a strange cavity in key tuberculosis protein

Researchers from the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered a strange new feature of a protein that’s thought to be important in the development of tuberculosis: The protein contains a “huge” interior pocket, the likes of which has never before been seen, that appears capable of passing a wide range of other molecules into the bacterial cell.

27 Mar 2020

Outcomes of mothers giving birth during COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers from Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China have looked at the outcomes of pregnant mothers with COVID-19 and their newborns. Their study titled, “Clinical features and obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnant patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective, single-center, descriptive study” was published in the latest issue of the journal The Lancet, Infectious Diseases.

26 Mar 2020