SARS CoV 2 News and Research

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BioEcho receives CE-IVD mark approval for SARS-CoV-2 RNA extraction kit

BioEcho Life Sciences announces that the company has recently received CE-mark approval for their EchoLUTION Viral RNA/DNA Swab Kit product line.

11 May 2021

The "key" to vaccine development depends on virus’ binding to human cells

New variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus most likely will necessitate the development of more vaccine options in the years ahead, and a biomedical scientist at Iowa State University believes the "key" to that development lies in the way the virus binds to human cells.

11 May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 UK variant more infectious because of higher viral load

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was triggered by the uncontrolled spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A year and a half later, the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 viral load and infectiousness remains a matter of scientific debate. Now, a new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv server aims to quantify this relationship

11 May 2021

Researchers discover the second possible effective mechanism of remdesivir

The virostatic agent remdesivir was developed to disrupt an important step in the propagation of RNA viruses, to which SARS-CoV-2 also belongs: the reproduction of the virus's own genetic material. This is present as RNA matrices with which the host cell directly produces virus proteins.

11 May 2021

Severe COVID-19 linked to genetic clotting predisposition

Thus, the need to stratify the risk of severe or critical disease in patients presenting with SARS-CoV-2 infection remains a crying necessity. A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv server discusses the relationship between severe disease and pre-existing susceptibility to clots and other diseases of the cardiovascular system.

11 May 2021

New approach targeting viral RNA could lead to broad spectrum anti-viral drugs

A new approach to tackling viruses by targeting the 'control center' in viral RNA could lead to broad spectrum anti-viral drugs and provide a first line of defense against future pandemics, according to new research at the University of Birmingham.

11 May 2021

The travel-related origin and spread of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.620 strain

A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv* server describes a new variant B.1.620, which appeared in Lithuania, and is now prevalent in several countries in Europe, as well as in central Africa.

11 May 2021

FDA expands emergency use authorization for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age.

10 May 2021

Natural products a rich source for novel antiviral compounds

In a recent review in the journal Viruses, researchers look at natural products that can be identified as potential alternative antiviral agents. The reviewers discussed the antiviral activities of several natural products towards DNA and RNA viruses with an analytical approach. The researchers detailed the cellular/viral targets of the active molecules and their impact on the infection and viral replication cycle.

10 May 2021

Lab reports 1st instance of SARS-CoV-2 variants affecting antigen test performance

Researchers from the US recently determined the sensitivity of the Quidel Sofia SARS Antigen FIA test (Sofia 2). They found a high viral load specimen that tested negative repeatedly while using this antigen test. The study is published on the preprint server, medRxiv.

10 May 2021

New spray protocol improves delivery of nasal antiseptic to reduce COVID-19 infection

A trip to visit family in Kolkata, India, put South Dakota State University assistant professor Saikat Basu in the middle of that country's second wave of COVID-19 infections.

10 May 2021

New vaccine shows potential to protect from a variety of coronavirus infections

A potential new vaccine developed by members of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute has proven effective in protecting monkeys and mice from a variety of coronavirus infections -- including SARS-CoV-2 as well as the original SARS-CoV-1 and related bat coronaviruses that could potentially cause the next pandemic.

10 May 2021

Research suggests Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine reprograms innate immune responses

Researchers in The Netherlands have warned that Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine induces complex reprogramming of innate immune responses that should be considered in the development and use of mRNA-based vaccines.

10 May 2021

Researchers identify first biomarker to predict severity of COVID-19

Severe cases of COVID-19 can now be detected at an early stage. Researchers at the University of Zurich have identified the first biomarker that can reliably predict which patients will develop severe symptoms.

10 May 2021

Scientists produce a universal flu vaccine using nanoparticles to induce long-lasting immunity

Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)’s Vaccine Research Center (VRC) and the University of Washington School of Medicine’s Institute for Protein Design (IPD) developed a universal flu vaccine candidate using small particles (nanoparticles), which can induce a long-lasting immune response.

10 May 2021

$Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with impaired first-phase ejection fraction have higher death risk$

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with impaired first-phase ejection fraction have higher death risk

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with impaired first-phase ejection fraction were nearly 5 times more likely to die compared to patients with healthier measures of this early, often undetected sign of heart failure, according to new research published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

10 May 2021

Cardiac complications found to be rare in college athletes who contracted COVID-19

In a small study, researchers found college athletes who contracted COVID-19 rarely had cardiac complications. Most had mild COVID symptoms that did not require treatment, and in a small percentage of those with abnormal cardiac testing, there was no evidence of heart damage on special imaging tests.

10 May 2021

Researchers show SARS-CoV-2 genes can be integrated into the human genome

Researchers in the United States have shown that genes from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – can be integrated into the genome of infected human cells.

10 May 2021

Preclinical study finds sex differences in neurological response to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Neurological problems during and after COVID-19 are persistent and frequent. However, research is still ongoing as to why certain people exhibit specific symptoms. Research led by Yi-Ping Hsueh from the Institute of Molecular Biology in Taiwan suggests SARS-CoV-2 infection in the brain could be sex-dependent.

10 May 2021

Study identifies most persistent neurological problems during long COVID-19

Neuropsychiatric issues have been frequently reported in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) long-haulers. A new study on the medRxiv* preprint server has found which neurological symptoms are likely to persist after a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

10 May 2021