SARS CoV 2 News and Research

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COVID-19 Vaccine DSMB can serve as model for future situations

Clinical evaluation of three COVID-19 vaccine candidates in 2020-21 during a worldwide pandemic that killed or sickened millions was unprecedented in terms of urgency and scope.

16 Jun 2021

Researchers identify specific cells and proteins that control the sneeze reflex

A tickle in the nose can help trigger a sneeze, expelling irritants and disease-causing pathogens. But the cellular pathways that control the sneeze reflex go far beyond the sinuses and have been poorly understood.

16 Jun 2021

Chronic fatigue a significant challenge for most long COVID patients

Researchers in Canada have conducted a study suggesting that the majority of patients living with long COVID (coronavirus disease) following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) experience chronic fatigue that is at least as severe as that seen in several other clinical conditions.

15 Jun 2021

Neanderthal-derived genetic locus influences COVID-19 severity in humans

Researchers in the United States and Estonia have identified four genetic variants on a chromosome 3 haplotype that may be responsible for driving the association between this locus and the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

15 Jun 2021

New AI model could help predict which viruses are likely to spread from animals to humans

A new model that applies artificial intelligence to carbohydrates improves the understanding of the infection process and could help predict which viruses are likely to spread from animals to humans.

15 Jun 2021

CDC study looks at SARS-CoV-2 testing among returning cruise ship travelers

In a recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv*, a group of researchers discusses the RT-PCR results and symptoms experienced by the travelers to illustrate the viral dynamics during asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 infection.

15 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 oral vaccine booster shows promise in animal tests

In a recent study published on the pre-print bioRxiv* server, a group of Israeli researchers discusses their progress towards developing an oral multi-antigen SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

15 Jun 2021

UMSOM researchers develop two accurate, rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have developed two rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 that are nearly as accurate as the gold-standard test currently used in laboratories.

15 Jun 2021

Study finds low rate of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection for patients with severe illness

A review of more than 9,000 U.S. patients with severe COVID-19 infection showed less than 1% contracted the illness again, with an average reinfection time of 3.5 months after an initial positive test.

15 Jun 2021

Exposure to common cold virus can protect against COVID-19 infection

Exposure to the rhinovirus, the most frequent cause of the common cold, can protect against infection by the virus which causes COVID-19, Yale researchers have found.

15 Jun 2021

New antibody testing study finds evidence of early COVID-19 infections in the U.S.

A new antibody testing study examining samples originally collected through the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program found evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in five states earlier than had initially been reported.

15 Jun 2021

Adapting COVID-19 vaccination strategies based on SARS-CoV-2’s evolution

Given the risk of SARS-CoV-2 developing new variants in unvaccinated individuals, vaccination sites are crucial. However, new research from the University of Michigan, USA, shows current vaccination programs may be worsening regional outbreaks when viral strains and SARS-CoV-2 escape mutations outdo vaccination rates.

15 Jun 2021

Could urine tests predict kidney injury and mortality in COVID-19?

A team of scientists from the Columbia University, New York, has recently identified a potential biomarker to predict acute kidney injury in COVID-19 patients. By analyzing urine samples of 444 COVID-19 patients, they have revealed that the urinary level of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) can be used to determine the severity and duration of acute kidney and tubular injuries, as well as to predict the risk of mortality in acute COVID-19 patients.

15 Jun 2021

RBD and NTD antibody cocktail could prevent the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 escape mutants

A new bioRxiv* preprint demonstrates how a combination of antibodies to two different regions on the viral spike could enhance neutralization efficiency as well as prevent the emergence of resistant variants.

15 Jun 2021

Does SARS-CoV-2 show seasonal variation in transmission in temperate countries?

The need to understand how and why such spread occurs is vital to containing it. A new medRxiv* preprint describes a significant reduction in transmission during the summer (by 42%), which is comparable to the impact of the most effective non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI).

15 Jun 2021

Fusogenicity and resistance of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 compared to D614G

A new study, released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, describes the biological effects induced by mutations in two circulating VOCs. These are the alpha and beta strains, also called B.1.1.7 and B.1.351, respectively.

15 Jun 2021

Potent antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 can be produced without T follicular helper cells, suggests study

It has been uncertain whether antibodies produced via this non-canonical pathway are protective against SARS-CoV-2. In a new study, recently released as a preprint on the bioRxiv*server, the neutralization potency of these antibodies is compared with those traditionally produced in germinal center-based antiviral responses.

15 Jun 2021

Researchers screen dual main protease-cathepsin L inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2

In a recent study released on the bioRxiv* preprint server, a selective dual inhibitor of MPRO and cathepsin L is described, producing synergistic results that suppress SARS-CoV-2 infection.

15 Jun 2021

Carbon-based antimicrobial nanoweapons to fight COVID-19

In a recent review article published in the journal ACS Nano, interdisciplinary researchers from across the world evaluated the role of carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs), such as fullerene, carbon dots, graphene, and their derivatives as promising alternatives to combat COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and other microbial infections.

15 Jun 2021

Alkaloids show potential as treatments for COVID-19

To further study these organic compounds, researchers from Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Chile, reviewed the role of alkaloids as a potential antiviral, specifically against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They presented the chemistry, plant sources, and antiviral effects of alkaloids and their anti-SARS-CoV-2 effect.

15 Jun 2021