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How has the UK-derived SARS-CoV-2 mutant strain spread internationally?

Researchers analyzed Facebook-based mobility data and found that travelers from UK may have spread the new SARS-CoV-2 strain that originated in the UK to at least 16 countries by the beginning of December 2020.

13 Jan 2021

Moderna to develop three new mRNA-based vaccines against HIV, influenza, and the Nipah virus

Morderna has announced plans to develop a range of new mRNA-based vaccines against other viruses, including the influenza virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the Nipah virus.

13 Jan 2021

Researchers map genetic changes that may have facilitated SARS-CoV-2’s jump from bats to humans

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Pirbright Institute in the UK have identified key genetic changes in SARS-CoV-2 that may be responsible for the virus’s jump from bats to humans. The team also determined which animals contain cellular receptors that allow the virus to enter cells more effectively, zoning in on potential animals that acted as an intermediary host in facilitating SARS-CoV-2’s zoonosis.

13 Jan 2021

New N501 SARS-CoV-2 mutation may have been circulating in Italy since August 2020

A recent study shows that mutated SARS-CoV-2 strains with a substitution at position 501 might have circulated unnoticed even before the end of September 2020, when the rapid emergence of B.1.1.7 lineage (carrying the N501Y mutation) was initially reported.

13 Jan 2021

New UK-derived SARS-CoV-2 variant does not affect neutralizing antibodies efficiency, study says

A team of scientists conducted structural analysis of a newly emerged UK variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They present evidence that suggests that while the new variant has increased infectivity it is not resistant to neutralizing antibodies.

13 Jan 2021

Researchers use urine test to identify and verify a patient's type of asthma

In a new study, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have used a urine test to identify and verify a patient's type of asthma.

13 Jan 2021

Could fenofibrate be an effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2?

The resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2, has led to renewed efforts to find effective antivirals, both newly developed or repurposed drugs. A study reports the efficacy of the cholesterol-reducing drug fenofibrate in reducing infection rates of SARS-CoV-2 in cultured cells.

13 Jan 2021

Study summarizes effectiveness of cloth masks in protecting clinicians from COVID-19

A rapid, evidence-based review summarizes the effectiveness of cloth masks in protecting health care clinicians from respiratory viral infections, such as COVID-19. Nine studies were included in the review, and all but one were conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

13 Jan 2021

Study outlines steps to prepare patients for elective surgery following COVID-19

Acknowledging that COVID-19 may be here to stay, Oregon Health & Science University has laid out a series of steps to prepare patients for elective surgery following their illness.

13 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2 may join the ranks of mild cold-causing coronaviruses

What is the endgame for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that is causing worldwide devastation? If it becomes endemic -- circulating in the general population -- and most people are exposed in childhood, SARS-CoV-2 may join the ranks of mild cold-causing coronaviruses that currently circulate in humans, according to a model developed by Emory and Penn State scientists.

13 Jan 2021

New taxonomic classification of non-skeletal rare congenital disorders with impact on bone physiology

Thanks to major progress in the understanding and management of rare congenital diseases and syndromes, many patients with these rare disorders are now living longer lives.

13 Jan 2021

Medical institutions should support health care workers with COVID-19 infection, say experts

By mid-November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported that 218,439 health care workers in the U.S. had been infected with COVID-19 -- a likely underestimate due to incomplete data from states.

13 Jan 2021

FAU researchers develop simplified, rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection protocol

To properly monitor and help curb the spread of COVID-19, several millions of diagnostic tests are required daily in just the United States alone.

13 Jan 2021

Study shows how neurons can become a target of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Using both mouse and human brain tissue, researchers at Yale School of Medicine have discovered that SARS-CoV-2 can directly infect the central nervous system and have begun to unravel some of the virus's effects on brain cells.

13 Jan 2021

Antibody-Fc-mediated innate immunity shapes COVID-19 severity

A short paper that appeared recently on the preprint bioRxiv server pointed to a link between specific characteristics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies associated with the severity of COVID-19.

12 Jan 2021

Intranasal vaccination effectively reduces viral shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in monkeys

A new preprint that appeared on the bioRxiv server reports that intranasal vaccination with the D614G variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in rhesus monkeys reduces viral shedding. This is an experiment in non-human primates (NHP), and its extrapolation to humans is unclear as yet.

12 Jan 2021

Structure of SARS-CoV-2 cytoplasmic tail uncovered

The virus's cytosolic tail also interacts with the host cell to promote its entry into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). A new study appearing on the bioRxiv preprint server elucidates the conformation of this region of the virus, which will help understand how its form is related to its function in viral entry.

12 Jan 2021

Effect of mutations in the South African SARS-CoV-2 variant on transmission and neutralization

One such strain is the South African 501.V2 and UK B1.1.7 strains, which have been isolated from many countries and seem to spread faster than the ancestral strain. A preprint that recently appeared on the bioRxiv server reports the computational structure of this strain and the possible effect of the mutations on infectivity and neutralization.

12 Jan 2021

Bleeding disorder linked to poor clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients

The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the pathogen responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Approximately 20-55% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are reported to have deranged hemostatic laboratory parameters, which suggests coagulopathy.

12 Jan 2021

Antigenic "supersite" could improve design of COVID-19 vaccines

Researchers in the United States have defined an antigenic “supersite” within the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that could have important implications for the design of vaccines to protect against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

12 Jan 2021

Respiratory News and Research

How has the UK-derived SARS-CoV-2 mutant strain spread internationally?

Moderna to develop three new mRNA-based vaccines against HIV, influenza, and the Nipah virus

Researchers map genetic changes that may have facilitated SARS-CoV-2’s jump from bats to humans

New N501 SARS-CoV-2 mutation may have been circulating in Italy since August 2020

New UK-derived SARS-CoV-2 variant does not affect neutralizing antibodies efficiency, study says

Researchers use urine test to identify and verify a patient's type of asthma

Could fenofibrate be an effective antiviral against SARS-CoV-2?

Study summarizes effectiveness of cloth masks in protecting clinicians from COVID-19

Study outlines steps to prepare patients for elective surgery following COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 may join the ranks of mild cold-causing coronaviruses

New taxonomic classification of non-skeletal rare congenital disorders with impact on bone physiology

Medical institutions should support health care workers with COVID-19 infection, say experts

FAU researchers develop simplified, rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection protocol

Study shows how neurons can become a target of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Antibody-Fc-mediated innate immunity shapes COVID-19 severity

Intranasal vaccination effectively reduces viral shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in monkeys

Structure of SARS-CoV-2 cytoplasmic tail uncovered

Effect of mutations in the South African SARS-CoV-2 variant on transmission and neutralization

Bleeding disorder linked to poor clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients

Antigenic "supersite" could improve design of COVID-19 vaccines

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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