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Novel coronavirus targets specific secretory cells in the lungs

Viruses attack specific host cells, which can cause chaos in the body. The novel coronavirus, now called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2 for short, infects respiratory epithelial cells in the lining of the lung, causing difficulty of breathing. The usual cause of death of those who contract the virus is pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Now, a new study has found that SARS-CoV-2 specifically attack certain progenitor cells called bronchial transient secretory cells in the lungs.

9 Apr 2020

Smokers have more ACE2 receptors making it easier for SARS-CoV-2 to infect

A new study published in the European Respiratory Journal in April 2020 reveals that people with smoking-damaged lungs and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are likely to have a higher level of the angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2).

9 Apr 2020

Experimental drug APN01 prevents COVID-19 infection in the lab

With the world gripped with the COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there is a frantic rush to find an effective drug that can be used to treat the disease.

6 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

South Australian researchers make rapid progress in developing a COVID-19 vaccine

South Australian researchers working with Oracle Cloud technology and vaccine technology developed by local company Vaxine Pty Ltd are testing a vaccine candidate against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

3 Apr 2020

Can cats and dogs catch or spread COVID-19?

A recent report from Hong Kong that two dogs had tested positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 had pet owners in a tizzy. This was compounded by news that a cat owned by a COVID-19 patient had developed symptoms of the illness in Belgium – such as breathing trouble and diarrhea – a week after the owner tested positive. The cat’s vomit and feces were subsequently found to be positive for the viral genome.

2 Apr 2020

Is coronavirus spread through feces?

A startling study from China, published in the journal Gastroenterology in March 2020, reports that the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can spread via feces as well as the more familiar respiratory droplet route or from virus-contaminated surfaces.

2 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

Putting an end to the pandemic

From the plagues of medieval Europe to the influenza pandemic of 1918, the specter of the next public health disaster has gripped the minds of scientists, captivated the imaginations of writers and vexed conspiracy theorists.

1 Apr 2020

Stem cells used to combat COVID-19 pneumonia

The novel coronavirus first emerged in December 2019, and since then, it rippled across 180 countries, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, many people are looking for answers. Scientists are racing to find a treatment that can help save lives. Now, a team of scientists has suggested that stem cell therapy can help fight the deadly infection.

1 Apr 2020

Antihypertensive drugs may protect against COVID-19 in heart patients

Common drugs used in high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetic patients with kidney damage, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), could be protective in patients with COVID-19.

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

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

What happens when COVID-19 and cardiovascular diseases mix?

The world has been brought to a stand-still by the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected 197 countries, areas and territories, infected 467,594, and killed 21,181 individuals as of today. COVID-19 disease is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a single-stranded RNA virus, contagious in humans.

25 Mar 2020

Patients treated with ACEIs and ARBs may be at increased risk of severe COVID-19

James Diaz, MD, MHA, MPH & TM, Dr PH, Professor and Head of Environmental Health Sciences at LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health, has proposed a possible explanation for the severe lung complications being seen in some people diagnosed with COVID-19.

23 Mar 2020

World’s fastest supercomputer identifies chemicals with potential to stop COVID-19

What makes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic different from the Spanish flu in 1918? In 1918, transportation, technology, and science were in their infancy, with the medical field not capable of fighting outbreaks. Technology has come a long way, within days, scientists have already identified the type of virus spreading in China, and three months after, vaccine trials have started.

20 Mar 2020

COVID-19 epidemic is the product of natural evolution, study finds

The novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that emerged in the city of Wuhan, China, last year and has since caused a large scale COVID-19 epidemic and spread to more than 70 other countries is the product of natural evolution, according to findings published today in the journal Nature Medicine.

17 Mar 2020

What does COVID-19 do to the body?

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, also known as 2019-nCoV, is the virus that causes COVID-19, and that is spreading throughout the world is causing panic in almost all countries. With a death rate ranging from 1% to 2% in young patients but about 5%-8% in elderly and sick patients, it is capable of ravaging multiple organ systems in the human body.

12 Mar 2020

Scientists may have found a way to prevent coronavirus spread

Just like any other virus, the coronavirus needs a host to survive. Viruses enter the cells of the human body to cause disease by attaching to a specific receptor site on the host cell membrane. To do this, they attach to proteins in the capsid through glycoproteins found in the envelope of the virus.

8 Mar 2020