Common Cold News and Research

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Iota-carrageenan from red seaweed inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory conditions

In a recent bioRxiv paper, a research group from the Marinomed Biotech biopharmaceutical company in Austria showed that a sulfated polysaccharide iota-carrageenan has the propensity to inhibit cell entry of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by using an in vitro neutralization assay.

29 Jul 2020

Study explores if prior exposure to common cold viruses may affect SARS-CoV-2 severity

A study led by Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics (MPIMG) shows that some healthy individuals possess immune cells capable of recognizing the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

29 Jul 2020

China's Ad5 vectored COVID-19 vaccine safe and induces immune response

A phase 2 trial of an Ad5 vectored COVID-19 vaccine candidate, conducted in China, has found that the vaccine is safe and induces an immune response, according to new research published in The Lancet.

20 Jul 2020

Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 safe and induces immune response

Promising early stage results from a phase 1/2 clinical trial of the UK's vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) are published today in The Lancet.

20 Jul 2020

Oxford University and AstraZeneca to publish eagerly-anticipated COVID-19 trial results today

The coronavirus pandemic is still rapidly spreading across the globe, infecting more than 14.44 million people. With more than 188 countries and territories affected, scientists are racing to develop a vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

19 Jul 2020

Singapore study finds virus-specific T cell immunity in recovered COVID-19 and SARS patients

The T cells, along with antibodies, are an integral part of the human immune response against viral infections due to their ability to directly target and kill infected cells.

16 Jul 2020

Cholesterol-lowering drugs show promise to lower COVID-19's threat

Could a simple drug, that has been on the market for decades, be used to treat COVID-19? A research team led by Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)'s Professor Yaakov Nahmias says that early research looks promising; their findings appear in this week's Cell Press' Sneak Peak.

15 Jul 2020

BATM introduces three new diagnostic kits for COVID-19 and other respiratory illness

BATM, a leading provider of real-time technologies for networking solutions and medical laboratory systems, announces the launch of three new diagnostic kits to significantly advance the diagnosis of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

15 Jul 2020

Coronavirus disease immunity fades within a few months, study finds

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread rapidly across the globe, with more than 13 million people infected. Of these, an estimated 7 million have recovered from the viral infection. However, it was unclear whether being exposed to the virus would provide long-lasting immunity. Now, a new study says that SARS-CoV-2 immunity may only last for months.

13 Jul 2020

Oxford COVID-19 vaccine trials move to stage 3 human trials

The technical name of the vaccine is ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222), as it is made from a virus called ChAdOx1, which is a weakened and non-replicating version of a common cold virus (adenovirus). The vaccine has been engineered to express the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

5 Jul 2020

Human immune response could neutralize new G virus, shows study

Flashback to mid-March: the novel coronavirus had reached San Diego, California. Few people could get tested, and even less was known about how the virus mutated as it spread from person to person.

3 Jul 2020

ACTIV group assesses controlled human infection models for developing SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

In a Perspective for the New England Journal of Medicine, members of the National Institutes of Health's Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) Vaccines Working Group assess practical considerations and prerequisites for using controlled human infection models (CHIMs), which can be used for human challenge studies, to support SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development.

2 Jul 2020

Which facemasks work best at stopping coronavirus?

A new study shows how wearing masks can prevent the spread of droplet borne infections and is an excellent preventive measure to stop the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The study titled, "Visualizing the effectiveness of face masks in obstructing respiratory jets," is published in the latest issue of the journal Physics of Fluids.

1 Jul 2020

COVID-19 patients can rapidly generate virus-attacking T cells, shows study

Patients suffering from severe respiratory symptoms as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection can rapidly generate virus-attacking T cells, and can increase this production over time, suggests a new study of T cells from 10 COVID-19 patients under intensive care treatment.

27 Jun 2020

Antibodies against prevalent endemic human coronaviruses may provide cross-protection to SARS-CoV-2

Researchers from Qatar have demonstrated that antibody repertoires against endemic human coronaviruses are qualitatively different in children when compared to the general adult population, as well as healthy adult blood bank donors – and they may also provide cross-protection against epidemic/pandemic strains.

23 Jun 2020

First clinical trial in South Africa for Covid-19 vaccine begins

The first clinical trial in South Africa and on the continent for a Covid-19 vaccine was announced today, 23 June 2020, at a virtual press conference hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits).

23 Jun 2020

Scientists show how harmless adenovirus disrupts the heart's electrical signaling

Adenovirus, which typically can cause a common cold, has a far more dangerous impact if it reaches the heart.

22 Jun 2020

WVU researchers develop new diagnostic and antibody tests for COVID-19

COVID-19 tests are in short supply. The companies that make the necessary chemicals--called reagents--can't keep up with demand. But researchers at West Virginia University are developing new tests on their own to identify who has COVID-19 now and who had it in the past but recovered.

11 Jun 2020

Tear-gassing protesters during an infectious outbreak ‘a recipe for disaster’

In nationwide demonstrations sparked by the killing of George Floyd in police custody, protesters have been frequently pepper-sprayed or enveloped in clouds of tear gas.

5 Jun 2020

T cells can counteract dangerous phenomenon of mosquito-borne viruses

Every year, more than 68,000 people end up with a clinical case of Japanese encephalitis. One in four of these patients will die. The mosquito-borne virus, which is most common in Southeast Asia, also causes severe neurological damage and psychiatric disorders.