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Zinc supplementation bolsters repurposed antivirals against SARS-CoV-2

A new preprint reports the efficacy of two repurposed drugs that could be useful against SARS-CoV-2 when supplemented with zinc.

2 Feb 2021

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shows promise against new SARS-CoV-2 variants

A team of researchers in the U.S. studied the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine candidate - currently being rolled out in many parts of the world to high-risk individuals - to see if it still holds up against mutant strains of the virus and yielded encouraging results.

2 Feb 2021

Antiviral compound GC-376 shows efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 in vivo

Over the past months, many potential antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 have been identified as deserving further development to target several viral proteins. A new study deals with one such molecule, the viral main protease (Mpro) inhibitor GC-376, and describes its efficacy in inhibiting virus-host interaction.

2 Feb 2021

Researchers develop new modeling to map SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in UK

Using a modified version of the susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR) model to include effects of prevention measures, researchers show patterns in the increase and decrease of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the UK.

2 Feb 2021

Could ultra-low dose radiotherapy treat COVID-19-related pneumonia?

Researchers at the Department of Radiation Oncology, La Milagrosa Hospital, GenesisCare, Madrid, Spain, showed the potential benefit of treating COVID-19 pneumonia with ultra-low doses of radiotherapy.

2 Feb 2021

Johnson & Johnson SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows promise in clinical trials

A new study shows that a single immunization with a low dose of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine – also known as the ‘Johnson & Johnson vaccine’ – effectively protected against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in rhesus macaques.

2 Feb 2021

Albumin: The Natural Choice for Diagnostic Tests

The availability of established diagnostic kits has enabled researchers to plug-and-play in the design of COVID-19 diagnostics. Such technologies took decades to optimize, but they are now playing an important role in identifying and managing the spread of COVID-19. Recombumin® provides an enhanced solution as part of this toolbox for dealing with this disease

From Albumedix Ltd. 2 Feb 2021

Researchers investigate ski resorts to assess risk of COVID-19 infection

Where do the greatest risks of infection lurk? How can you protect yourself and others even better? Scientists all over the world are working to expand knowledge about Covid-19 – including at Empa.

2 Feb 2021

Study explains why people of African descent are less likely to find bone marrow donors

A paper by a multidisciplinary team of scientists affiliated with various Brazilian institutions, including the University of São Paulo (USP) and the National Cancer Institute (INCA), shows that people of African descent are less likely to find a donor in the National Register of Voluntary Bone Marrow Donors (REDOME) than people with predominantly European ancestry.

1 Feb 2021

High national prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 with regional variability in England, REACT-1 survey finds

The REACT-1 survey conducted in the United Kingdom demonstrates a high average prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in England during January 2021. The survey also indicates that a sustained reduction in infection prevalence is urgently needed to avoid burden on healthcare systems and reduce coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related mortality.

1 Feb 2021

CDC examines COVID-19 outbreak among U.S. office workers: a case study in transmission

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the U.S. found that despite mitigation efforts, two COVID-19 outbreaks emerged among office workers in Washington, DC.

1 Feb 2021

New platform for detecting and monitoring SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses

Researchers in the U.S. have released a new study that describes a powerful but inexpensive tool designed to detect and monitor specific antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 over time.

1 Feb 2021

E484K mutation is potentially associated with SARS-CoV-2 adaptive fitness

A team of Brazilian scientists has recently conducted genomic and phylogenetic analyses of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome to understand the viral evolution process better. Their analyses reveal that the E484K mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 is present in three different lineages in four Brazilian regions and that the mutation may serve as a common solution for viral evolution.

31 Jan 2021