Omicron News and Research

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CDC encourages 16-and-17-year-old adolescents to receive COVID-19 booster shot

Today, CDC is strengthening its booster recommendations and encouraging everyone 16 and older to receive a booster shot. Although we don't have all the answers on the Omicron variant, initial data suggests that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against Omicron and other variants.

9 Dec 2021

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Much ado about (vaccine) mandates

Even with the new omicron variant of the covid virus spreading in the U.S., Republicans on Capitol Hill are pushing to stop President Joe Biden from requiring workers to either be tested regularly or vaccinated.

9 Dec 2021

Evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant

Study shows that the omicron variant shares a common ancestry with the VOI lambda and has evolved mainly because of non-synonymous mutations.

9 Dec 2021

Effect of SARS-CoV-2 variant emergence on efficacy of neutralizing antibodies and vaccines

A review article focuses on the efficacy of neutralizing antibodies and vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 variants.

9 Dec 2021

Positive results from Phase 3 study of Medicago’s plant-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate announced

Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, and GlaxoSmithKline today announce positive efficacy and safety results from the global Phase 3 placebo-controlled efficacy study of Medicago’s plant-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate in combination with GSK’s pandemic adjuvant, conducted in over 24,000 subjects, adults 18 years and above, across six countries.

9 Dec 2021

Sugar-binding pockets in N-terminal domain may increase SARS-CoV-2 infectivity

The N-terminal domain has a fold that can bind sugar, and new research led by Jonathan Lees from Oxford Brookes University found the sugar-binding pockets near the N-terminal domain help to increase viral infectivity. Furthermore, the findings show that the SARS-CoV-2 sugar-binding pockets are evolving with added loops observed in the pockets of new variants.

9 Dec 2021

Omicron binds to ACE2 with high affinity, enhancing its transmissibility and infectivity

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8 Dec 2021

Researchers identify a molecular culprit for COVID-19's seasonal nature

Not to pile on, but winter is coming and the COVID-19 pandemic is about to get worse. Not necessarily because of omicron – scientists are still working that one out – but because there’s more evidence than ever that COVID-19 is a seasonal disease.

8 Dec 2021

AlphaFold AI predicts SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant might not evade antibody neutralization

In a new study, scientists have computationally predicted the structure of the Omicron spike RBD from available sequences and explored the dynamics of antigen-antibody interactions.

8 Dec 2021

Quantum mechanical characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant interaction with human ACE2 receptor

Researchers from Universite Grenoble Alpes have been investigating the changes in the Omicron variant RBD and how they affect ACE2 binding.

8 Dec 2021

Computational comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variant binding affinity with ACE2

Researchers from the Management and Science University in Malaysia have used computational tools to investigate the new variant.

8 Dec 2021

Combination of vaccination and natural infection offers utmost protection against COVID variants

A combination of vaccination and naturally acquired infection appears to boost the production of maximally potent antibodies against the COVID-19 virus, new UCLA research finds.

8 Dec 2021

Study analyzes the contribution of AI to cancer patient care and vaccine design

Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) is the development of computer systems that are able to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence. AI/ML is used by people every day, for example, while using smart home devices or digital voice assistants.

8 Dec 2021

Cas12a-based bio-sensor for detecting SARS-CoV-2 mutations

Scientists develop an improved biosensor with Cas12a-based CRISPR on-site rapid detection system and discuss its ability to detect SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.

7 Dec 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant changes receptor binding domain conformation to escape host antibodies

Researchers investigate the conformational dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD using the atomistic molecular dynamics simulation method.

7 Dec 2021

Multiplex proteomic panel assay for assessment of disease severity and outcome prediction in COVID-19

According to the authors of a new study, multiplex protein panel assay could support clinical decision-making, guide the development of novel treatments, and expand the risk assessment procedures for COVID-19.

7 Dec 2021

Possible impact of spike protein mutations on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant

The current study not only analyses the mutations in the Omicron spike variant but classifies various combinations of spike mutations into groups.

7 Dec 2021

Comparison of waning COVID-19 immunity between vaccinated and infected individuals

The current study compares the waning of immunity in infected-and-recovered vs. vaccinated cohorts.

7 Dec 2021

Scientists develop and characterize variant-specific vaccines against SARS-CoV-2

In a recent study conducted at Yale University, USA, scientists have investigated the immunogenicity of mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine candidates encoding the spike proteins of different severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. The findings reveal that the vaccines induce robust immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

6 Dec 2021

Omicron variant increases risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection

New surveillance data from South Africa published in the medRxiv* preprint server suggests that the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omnicron variant has the potential to escape naturally-acquired immunity. The research indicates people who previously recovered from a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at risk for reinfection with the Omicron variant. The results show that the risk of reinfection is greater with the Omicron variant versus Delta and Beta.

6 Dec 2021

Omicron News and Research

CDC encourages 16-and-17-year-old adolescents to receive COVID-19 booster shot

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Much ado about (vaccine) mandates

Evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant

Effect of SARS-CoV-2 variant emergence on efficacy of neutralizing antibodies and vaccines

Positive results from Phase 3 study of Medicago’s plant-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate announced

Sugar-binding pockets in N-terminal domain may increase SARS-CoV-2 infectivity

Omicron binds to ACE2 with high affinity, enhancing its transmissibility and infectivity

Researchers identify a molecular culprit for COVID-19's seasonal nature

AlphaFold AI predicts SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant might not evade antibody neutralization

Quantum mechanical characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant interaction with human ACE2 receptor

Computational comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variant binding affinity with ACE2

Combination of vaccination and natural infection offers utmost protection against COVID variants

Study analyzes the contribution of AI to cancer patient care and vaccine design

Cas12a-based bio-sensor for detecting SARS-CoV-2 mutations

SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant changes receptor binding domain conformation to escape host antibodies

Multiplex proteomic panel assay for assessment of disease severity and outcome prediction in COVID-19

Possible impact of spike protein mutations on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant

Comparison of waning COVID-19 immunity between vaccinated and infected individuals

Scientists develop and characterize variant-specific vaccines against SARS-CoV-2

Omicron variant increases risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection

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