immunity News and Research

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IQWiG supports initial assessment of coronavirus diagnostics

As a founding member, the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has been involved in EUnetHTA, a European network for Health Technology Assessment (HTA), since 2006.

26 Jun 2020

Antibody tests may give false hope of immunity, health experts warn

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, health experts warn against the use of antibody tests to determine if a person has immunity against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). An antibody test determines if a person developed antibodies against the infection due to past exposure.

26 Jun 2020

Entos Pharmaceuticals selects two lead DNA vaccine candidates for COVID-19

Entos Pharmaceuticals, a healthcare biotechnology company developing nucleic acid medicines with its Fusogenix drug delivery platform, today announced the selection of two lead candidates for a pan-coronavirus Fusogenix DNA vaccine from its prototyping program launched at the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

25 Jun 2020

Dysregulated inflammation in severe COVID-19

The continuing COVID-19 pandemic has so far caused 9.58 million cases and more than 488,000 deaths within just six months. The spectrum of disease is broad, from completely asymptomatic cases to critical illness ending in death. Now, a new paper by researchers from Yale University and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 identifies an imbalance in immunological response that is linked to poor outcomes and early biomarkers that may help predict the course of the disease.

25 Jun 2020

New Cochrane review assesses the accuracy of COVID-19 antibody tests

Today Cochrane, a global independent organization that reviews evidence from research to inform health decision-making, publishes a review of studies looking at the accuracy of COVID-19 antibody tests.

25 Jun 2020

Early childhood vaccinations may offer protection against COVID-19

A group of Lithuanian and Kurdish scientists have raised a hypothesis that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine could protect children from COVID-19.

25 Jun 2020

COVID-19 can have indirect adverse effects on mental and physical health of children

Despite reports that children and young people may be less likely to get coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) than older adults, there may be substantial indirect adverse effects of the disease on their physical and mental health, according to an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

25 Jun 2020

Immune response variations across the COVID-19 spectrum

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 describes differences in the adaptive and innate immune response in mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19. This may mean that permanent immune responses occur only in patients who recover from severe COVID-19.

25 Jun 2020

New assay rapidly tests SARS-CoV-2 neutralization and screens antivirals

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, have developed a new platform that can rapidly test neutralizing antibody activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and perform high-throughput screening of potential antiviral agents.

24 Jun 2020

The Role of Nutrition in Recovery from COVID-19

Dr. Riccardo Caccialanza speaks to News-Medical about how implementing nutritional support can make a significant difference to COVID-19 patient recovery time.

24 Jun 2020

New modeling study highlights factors needed to stop COVID-19 transmission

A new modeling study illustrates how accounting for factors such as age and social activity influences the predicted herd immunity threshold for COVID-19, or the level of population immunity needed to stop the disease's transmission.

24 Jun 2020

Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 can induce virus-specific T cell responses without seroconversion

A new study by researchers at Strasbourg University Hospital and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 shows that COVID-19 antibody responses may sometimes be lacking following exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This could lead to a significant underestimation of the number of infections and the number of individuals who have achieved immunity.

24 Jun 2020

Research takes a new mathematical approach to estimating herd immunity

Herd immunity to Covid-19 could be achieved with less people being infected than previously estimated according to new research.

23 Jun 2020

Experts identify steps to expand, improve serology tests for COVID-19

More than 300 scientists and clinicians from the federal government, industry and academia published a report of their conclusions and recommendations on COVID-19 serology studies online in Immunity.

23 Jun 2020

Study highlights the challenges involved in designing universal flu vaccine

Some common strains of influenza have the potential to mutate to evade broad-acting antibodies that could be elicited by a universal flu vaccine, according to a study led by scientists at Scripps Research.

23 Jun 2020

New dengue virus serotype DENV3 has re-emerged in Singapore after three decades

Dengue infections are rising, even as public health authorities are battling to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV2) had previously been the predominant serotype but DENV3 has re-emerged in Singapore after almost three decades.

23 Jun 2020

COVID-19 mortality higher in Spring in the USA

Now, a new study by researchers at the University of Louisville and Babson College and published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 describes the increased risk of COVID-19 deaths in spring, in the USA.

23 Jun 2020

FDA approved drugs active against COVID-19

With the rapid spread of the virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) throughout the world, causing the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need for new antivirals and vaccines to combat its spread. The current study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 shows some of the results of the extensive repurposing of already FDA-approved drugs.

23 Jun 2020

Is a second wave of coronavirus coming?

As Americans continue to grapple with the novel coronavirus, one question is on a lot of people's minds: Are we already seeing, or will we eventually see, a second wave of the virus?

23 Jun 2020

Research shows tongue microbiome could help diagnose heart failure

Microorganisms on the tongue could help diagnose heart failure, according to research presented today on HFA Discoveries, a scientific platform of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1

23 Jun 2020