Coronavirus News and Research

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Covid politics and fatigue work against contact-tracing foot soldiers

Health departments nationwide scaled back their contact tracing in late spring or early summer when covid-19 cases started to decrease as vaccination efforts took center stage.

19 Aug 2021

Scientists identify a potent neutralizing nanobody against SARS-CoV-1

In a recently published article in the journal Virologica Sinica, scientists have described the development and validation of a potent nanobody that targets the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The nanobody efficiently and specifically blocks the interaction between RBD and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and neutralizes the virus.

19 Aug 2021

White-tailed deer are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been shown to infect a wide range of animals naturally and experimentally, and prior studies indicate deer are susceptible to infection. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns have been found to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2.

19 Aug 2021

UT Health San Antonio professors urge uplifting US Latinos from obscurity to the forefront of health care

It is essential to lift the nation's Latino population from obscurity to the forefront of health care, public health intervention and societal presence, three professors from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio argue in a powerful commentary published Aug. 17 by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

19 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy is strongly correlated with antibody neutralization levels

All COVID-19 vaccines appear less effective when faced with variants such as Delta, according to a new medRxiv* study. However, the researchers suggest that booster shots may help improve immunity and protect against symptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

18 Aug 2021

CDC declares four new COVID high-risk travel destinations

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2), is far from over. As the cases continue to rise, countries grapple with controlling the viral spread. To date, over 209 million individuals have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, with more than 17 million cases recorded worldwide over the past 28 days.

18 Aug 2021

ASU study shows how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted people’s sleep

Sleep has become elusive for many as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to new research from Arizona State University's Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation.

18 Aug 2021

Nearly 140,000 deaths prevented by early U.S. COVID-19 vaccine rollout, study finds

With COVID-19 cases again on the rise in the United States and around the world, vaccination campaigns continue to be of vital importance for a successful return to pre-pandemic life.

18 Aug 2021

Early COVID-19 vaccine campaign averted nearly 140,000 deaths in the U.S.

The early COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the U.S. prevented nearly 140,000 deaths and 3 million cases of COVID-19 by the second week of May, according to a new study.

18 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 and the expression of cytokine in human macrophages

A new study has determined the production of the SARS-CoV-2 SP-dependent ORF8.

18 Aug 2021

Severe COVID-19 characterized by phosphorylation of STAT1

A new study reports an enhanced expression of STAT1 in mild and severely infected COVID-19 patients as compared to controls

18 Aug 2021

Excess mortality from COVID-19 is the highest since 1918

A recent study provides an assessment of the ongoing pandemic by estimating excess deaths in Sweden, Switzerland, and Spain.

18 Aug 2021

Impact of COVID-19 on the wellbeing of young people

In a recent study, researchers offer recommendations for the wellbeing of children and young people during the pandemic to prevent long-term consequences.

18 Aug 2021

Why have COVID-19 caseloads been comparatively low in Africa?

A new study has been published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health that highlights the potential lessons that the world can draw from Africa on assumptions concerning viral pandemics. This is particularly important, given Africa’s long experience with dangerous infectious diseases.

18 Aug 2021

Study examines prevalence of neutralizing antibodies to HCoV-NL63 in healthy adults in Australia

A new study has been published in the MPDI journal Viruses, which focuses on determining the seroprevalence of neutralizing antibodies against HCoV-NL63, in healthy adults, in a cross-sectional study.

18 Aug 2021

How do glycans affect SARS-CoV-2 spike protein openings?

In a paper recently uploaded to the bioRxiv* preprint server, the role of glycan coating on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is further investigated by molecular dynamics simulations of the glycosylated and non-glycosylated protein, identifying several key glycans that play a role in stabilizing and protecting the RBD, and also encourage bonding with the ACE2 receptor.

18 Aug 2021

Study examines the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Geneva, Switzerland

In a paper uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv*, antibodies against both the spike protein and nucleocapsid proteins of SARS-CoV-2 are measured in over 3,000 volunteers, six months following the initiation of the vaccination scheme in Geneva, Switzerland.

18 Aug 2021

Science shows mask-wearing is largely safe for children

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is one of a handful of Republican governors trying to block school districts from requiring masks in the classroom.

18 Aug 2021

Rush to boosters sparks confusion, differing recommendations

When the Food and Drug Administration announced last week that a third dose of Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech covid-19 vaccine may boost the immunity of some people who are immunocompromised, officials repeated their stance that fully vaccinated, healthy people do not need another dose.

18 Aug 2021

Federal vaccine program hasn’t helped those whose lives were altered by covid shot

Angela Marie Wulbrecht jumped at the first chance to get a covid-19 vaccine, driving three hours from her Santa Rosa, California, home to a mass-vaccination site on Jan. 19.

18 Aug 2021