Coronavirus News and Research

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Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during a 2-hour domestic flight

A new study investigated a cluster of COVID-19 infections among travelers who were likely exposed to an index patient in an airplane.

6 Oct 2021

Comparative analysis between the SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 mPro systems

To better understand the biophysical changes that occur due to mutations, the mechanisms of multiple SARS-CoV-2 proteins have been studied and compared with SARS-CoV-1.

6 Oct 2021

SARS-CoV-2 emerging variants display enhanced syncytia formation

Researchers compared the replication and syncytia forming potential of Alpha, Beta, and D614G strains in human cell lines and primary airway cells.

6 Oct 2021

Study shows lower SARS-CoV-2 infection rates in smokers

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) primarily infects the lungs, later spreading through the bloodstream. The worst prognoses are mostly seen in ‘at-risk’ groups, such as the immunocompromised, elderly, or those suffering from respiratory conditions.

6 Oct 2021

What is the frequency of COVID testing to prevent Delta variant transmission?

In a new study published on the medRxiv* preprint server, scientists have used available data on the Delta variant’s viral load to infer its infectiousness and, subsequently, estimate the reduction in its transmission brought about by surveillance testing. The testing, done at different frequencies, was performed on a susceptible population. The cases of both the original Wuhan strain and the Delta variant were considered.

6 Oct 2021

UTHSC receives $3.2 million to upgrade the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center has been awarded $3.2 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to upgrade the equipment and infrastructure in the UTHSC Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) on the Memphis campus to enhance the university's research of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

6 Oct 2021

Acute myocarditis extremely rare after COVID mRNA vaccination in adults

Now, a new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine evaluated the incidence of acute myocarditis and clinical outcomes among adults who received the mRNA vaccine in an integrated health care system in the United States.

5 Oct 2021

Neonatal outcomes of preterm infants born during COVID lockdowns in Melbourne, Australia

A team of researchers from Australian institutes examined the consequences of community-wide lockdowns on neonatal outcomes of preterm infants, with a secondary focus on the underlying rates of systemic inflammation in infants and mothers around the time of birth.

5 Oct 2021

Research highlights challenges in utilizing Ct data to guide COVID-19 clinical planning

In a new study, a collaboration of researchers from various institutes described the natural history of SARS-CoV-2 testing, which includes Ct values among patients who had tested positive multiple times, prior to the emergence of VOCs in the vaccine roll-out. In addition, the authors analyze the timescale of positivity and clinical features of the population of patients with prolonged SARS-CoV-2 positivity.

5 Oct 2021

A review of COVID data reporting in Africa

An international team of scientists has recently investigated how African countries report and share data related to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. They have found that African countries use distinct reporting systems that include social media posts, website updates, situation reports, press releases, and online dashboards. A detailed report of the findings is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

5 Oct 2021

Cysteamine inhibits SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in vitro

Researchers in the United States have shown that a compound currently used to treat cystinosis exhibits broad antiviral activity against variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

5 Oct 2021

Six key OU humanities programs benefit from $500,000 NEH award

Six key humanities programs at the University of Oklahoma will benefit from a $500,000 award from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the largest ever total grant from the NEH for OU.

5 Oct 2021

Plasmid DNA vaccines induce effective antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 in mice

Researchers in the United States and China have developed plasmid DNA immunogens that induce effective antibody responses in mice against the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

5 Oct 2021