Respiratory Virus News and Research

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How SARS-CoV-2 enters the central nervous system

The central nervous system (CNS) is highly protected in the human body. Yet, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) invades the CNS, causing profound clinical complications. How is the CNS involved in a respiratory virus infection?

15 Feb 2021

Research could help improve hand hygiene in offices using new 'smart' hand sanitizers

'Smart' hand sanitizers that can provide data on workplace hand hygiene are being trialed across the country, as part of research by the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds into how best to engage people with the latest Covid-19 workplace hand hygiene guidance.

12 Feb 2021

Natural reinfection with respiratory syncytial virus varies based on antibody response

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that while most individuals responded to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) natural reinfection with a typical sustained antibody response associated with protection, a few individuals surprisingly responded atypically, not being able to sustain the antibody response, which declined to levels that made the individuals susceptible to RSV reinfection.

5 Feb 2021

Can metabolic biomarkers help clinicians stratify adverse outcome risk in COVID-19 patients?

A recent study describes the alterations in lipids and other parameters that define the state of dysfunctional metabolism in acute COVID-19 illness.

20 Jan 2021

Treating post-infectious smell loss in COVID-19 patients

News-Medical catches up with Professor Carl Philpott about the latest findings regarding COVID-19 and smell loss.

18 Jan 2021

Can cloth masks protect healthcare professionals from SARS-CoV-2?

Given the global scarcity of surgical masks, a recent review study examines this issue - dealing with the potential use of cloth masks in healthcare scenarios.

15 Jan 2021

Researchers identify shorter form of ACE2 that lacks SARS-CoV-2 binding site

A shadow over the promising inhaled interferon beta COVID-19 therapy has been cleared with the discovery that although it appears to increase levels of ACE2 protein - coronavirus' key entry point into nose and lung cells - it predominantly increases levels of a short version of that protein, which the virus cannot bind to.

12 Jan 2021

Inclusive and culturally competent care crucial to address health care inequities during a crisis

In a perspective published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, experts from the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Medicine, Office of Equity and Inclusion and Center for Diversity and Inclusion call for a more inclusive and culturally competent approach to clinical care based on best practices developed during the COVID-19 surge in Massachusetts.

23 Dec 2020

Study: COVID-19 patients have greater risk of health problems, mortality than those with flu

Almost a year ago, COVID-19 began its global rampage, going on to infect about 69.5 million people and kill about 1.6 million as of early this month.

15 Dec 2020

Researchers address variability of disease severity in respiratory tract infections

Is it possible to predict the course of a viral respiratory tract infection - for instance one caused by a coronavirus - based on individual patient characteristics? This question will be addressed by Dr. Victor Corman and his junior research group at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

8 Dec 2020

Does smoking increase risk of COVID-19 hospitalization?

A study conducted by UK researchers has found that patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were less likely to be current smokers than patients who had been admitted with other types of respiratory viral infections last year (2019).

1 Dec 2020

SARS-CoV-2 immunity can sustain for at least eight months, study finds

A new study by researchers at Monash University, Australia, has revealed that people who have been infected with COVID-19 showed sustained protection against reinfection for at least eight months.

26 Nov 2020

Genomic analysis provides clues about SARS-CoV-2 ancestry and transmission

Researchers in the UK conducting a genomic analysis of severe acute respiratory virus syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and SARS-like coronaviruses in the bat and pangolin have identified strong host-associated divergences that could provide clues about the ancestry and interspecies transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

25 Nov 2020

The American Lung Association say to wear masks to stop the spread of COVID-19; Here’s why

Dr. Albert Rizzo speaks to News-Medical about the importance of wearing masks to help control the spread of COVID-19.

25 Nov 2020

Study: e-cigarette users have increased susceptibility to flu, COVID-19

In a controlled study of smokers, nonsmokers, and e-cigarette users, University of North Carolina School of Medicine researchers found that e-cigarette users exhibited significantly altered immune responses to a model of influenza virus infection, suggesting increased susceptibility to disease.

18 Nov 2020

Children's DTP vaccine may provide cross-immunity for COVID-19

He found that the viruses subject to pediatric vaccinations do not have cross-reactive epitopes for SARS-CoV-2, showing they cannot provide protection against COVID-19.

17 Nov 2020

Researchers use aerosolized molecules to shut down proteins generated by coronavirus

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have successfully used molecules comprised of small strands of RNA to shut down the production of destructive proteins generated by the COVID-19 virus.

16 Nov 2020

New strategy for designing COVID-19 antiviral drugs to inhibit key viral protein

SARS-CoV-2, the respiratory virus that causes COVID-19, attacks the body in multiple steps. Gaining entry into cells deep within the lungs and hijacking the human host cell's machinery to churn out copies of itself are two of the earliest steps -- both essential for viral infection.

9 Nov 2020

Llama antibodies could be a potent nanoweapon against COVID-19

Today in Science, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine describe a new method to extract tiny but extremely powerful SARS-CoV-2 antibody fragments from llamas, which could be fashioned into inhalable therapeutics with the potential to prevent and treat COVID-19.

5 Nov 2020

Research shows why certain people infected with COVID-19 show no symptoms

Researchers worldwide have been surprised to see that individuals can be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus - the virus that produces COVID-19 - without showing symptoms. Since these individuals expose others to infection without knowing it, it is important to find an explanation and hopefully a solution to this.

29 Oct 2020