Severe Acute Respiratory News and Research

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CDC researchers back U.S. school re-openings but with strict COVID-19 regulations

As the U.S. continues to grapple with surging cases and the complex logistics of mass vaccination, is the country in a position to fully re-open its schools for in-person learning? Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) think so – notwithstanding a few very important caveats.

27 Jan 2021

Could spironolactone treat COVID-19-related pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis?

Researchers have described the potential of the drug spironolactone, a potassium-sparing diuretic, and anti-androgen, in preventing or alleviating the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia, and in preventing pulmonary fibrosis.

27 Jan 2021

What do we know about the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines so far?

A new study surveys what we know so far about SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates from advanced clinical trials.

27 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2 spike may impair antigen presentation by CD8 T cells

A new study published on the bioRxiv preprint server aims to identify specific viral epitopes on the spike protein from various regions of the spike protein and the T cell responses they evoke.

27 Jan 2021

Rapid transmission of N501Y variants may be due to favorable effects on host receptor binding

Now, in new research posted to the preprint server bioRxiv*, scientists use an experimental structure of the Spike RBD domain co-crystallized with part of the ACE2 receptor and several in silico methods to analyze the possible impacts of three amino acid replacements (Spike K417N, E484K, N501Y) concerning ACE2 binding.

27 Jan 2021

Mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain analyzed

Using more than 100,000 virus genome sequences uploaded in the GISAID database, researchers found around 9,000 mutations in the virus spike protein RBD.

26 Jan 2021

Rapid reopening crucial in promoting the second wave of COVID-19

The spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected almost a hundred million people, with over two million deaths being attributed to this illness over the past 12 months or so. The only means to counter this so far has been through non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).

26 Jan 2021

Antibodies and inflammatory markers may help identify COVID-19 cases and predict severity

A new preprint appearing on the medRxiv server describes the changes that occur in numerous antibodies and inflammatory molecules with age and at varying stages, or severity, of the infection and resulting illness. The results may help to predict the risk in individual cases.

26 Jan 2021

Moderna vaccine fully neutralizes new SARS-CoV-2 variants, study shows

Researchers in the United States have conducted a study showing that Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine neutralizes all circulating variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) tested to date.

26 Jan 2021

Researchers develop method for presymptomatic COVID-19 detection

An encouraging new study by researchers at University College London, UK, reports the potential of a form of COVID-19 testing which can detect presymptomatic cases.

26 Jan 2021

Codon frequency optimization shows SARS-CoV-2 antiviral potential

A study conducted by researchers in the US has revealed that optimization of codon for bacterial expression causes the production of an inactive enzyme non-structural protein 12 (Nsp12), a catalytic subunit of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of SARS-CoV-2.

26 Jan 2021

Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 spike proteolytic cleavage sites may alter transmission dynamics

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky and the Washington University School of Medicine in the USA has revealed that mutations in the proteolytic cleavage site within the S2 subunit can alter the processing of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, affecting viral entry into host cells.

26 Jan 2021

Diabetes and glucose levels tied to increased risk of COVID-19 death

Researchers at Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China, found that diabetes and on-admission glucose levels may increase the risk of COVID-19 mortality.

26 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2 rapidly adapts to Vero E6 cell culture propagation

Researchers at the Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US found that SARS-CoV-2 rapidly adapts to Vero E6 cell culture propagation and that this can be prevented by using cell lines with an active serine protease-mediated entry pathway.

26 Jan 2021

Study shows several peridomestic mammal species are potential spreaders of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers from the US and Australia show that several common peridomestic species (including deer mice, striped skunks and bushy-tailed woodrats) are amenable to infection with SARS-CoV-2.

26 Jan 2021

New UK SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in US since November, says study

A new study by researchers at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, showed that the new variant has circulated in the US since November.

26 Jan 2021

New SARS-CoV-2 variant must be curbed to protect UK health services, warn experts

A new research project called REACT-1 – launched by researchers at the Imperial College London, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, and Ipsos MORI – has aimed to better understand the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2’s viral spread across the UK.

26 Jan 2021

Accelerating vaccine rollout may provide greatest reduction in COVID-19 mortality

A thought-provoking preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv server suggests that among several factors that could potentially contribute to the design of an optimal vaccine strategy aimed at the most significant possible reduction in COVID-19 mortality, timing is likely to be the most important factor.

26 Jan 2021

B.1.1.7 variant and healthcare workers’ travel worry

Recently a team of researchers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States assessed travel-related anxiety in healthcare workers (HCWs) considering the emergence of new variants caused by SARS-CoV-2 mutations.

25 Jan 2021

Hyperinflammatory conditions drive gender differences in COVID-19 severity and mortality

Recently researchers from India analyzed gender differences in COVID-19-related hyperinflammatory conditions resulting in mortality in Indian patients. The study is published on the preprint server, medRxiv*.

25 Jan 2021

Severe Acute Respiratory News and Research

CDC researchers back U.S. school re-openings but with strict COVID-19 regulations

Could spironolactone treat COVID-19-related pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis?

What do we know about the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines so far?

SARS-CoV-2 spike may impair antigen presentation by CD8 T cells

Rapid transmission of N501Y variants may be due to favorable effects on host receptor binding

Mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain analyzed

Rapid reopening crucial in promoting the second wave of COVID-19

Antibodies and inflammatory markers may help identify COVID-19 cases and predict severity

Moderna vaccine fully neutralizes new SARS-CoV-2 variants, study shows

Researchers develop method for presymptomatic COVID-19 detection

Codon frequency optimization shows SARS-CoV-2 antiviral potential

Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 spike proteolytic cleavage sites may alter transmission dynamics

Diabetes and glucose levels tied to increased risk of COVID-19 death

SARS-CoV-2 rapidly adapts to Vero E6 cell culture propagation

Study shows several peridomestic mammal species are potential spreaders of SARS-CoV-2

New UK SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in US since November, says study

New SARS-CoV-2 variant must be curbed to protect UK health services, warn experts

Accelerating vaccine rollout may provide greatest reduction in COVID-19 mortality

B.1.1.7 variant and healthcare workers’ travel worry

Hyperinflammatory conditions drive gender differences in COVID-19 severity and mortality

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