Coronavirus News and Research

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COVID-19 mortality rate declines significantly in Sweden

A new observational study by Swedish researchers shows a significant decline in death rates among hospitalized patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Their study titled, "Decline in mortality among hospitalized covid-19 patients in Sweden: a nationwide observational study," was released online as a preprint on the medRxiv* server.

28 Oct 2020

Genome-wide CRISPR screens reveal resistance and sensitization mechanisms of drugs used in COVID-19

By leveraging nucleotide triphosphate analog-induced cell death, Chinese researchers unveiled genes that affect the import, export, and metabolism of pervasively used antiviral drugs in the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This exciting study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

28 Oct 2020

Study: Nearly 17% of recovered COVID-19 patients could still carry the virus

A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, presents new data that address important questions pertaining to the containment of the coronavirus pandemic: When should COVID-19 quarantine really end and which continuing symptoms may be more indicative of a positive test in recovered patients?

28 Oct 2020

Staff and families support use of COVID-19 mitigation measures in UK schools

Researchers in the UK have conducted a study showing that families and school staff support the use of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mitigation measures in secondary schools as young people return to face-to-face education.

28 Oct 2020

Genomic analysis of early SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in the UK

By analyzing 50,887 SARS-CoV-2 genomes, the team has provided insights into the micro-epidemiological patterns underlying the features of one of the world's largest national COVID-19 epidemics.

28 Oct 2020

A systematic review and meta-analysis of stroke in COVID-19 patients

Fourteen out of every 1,000 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital experience a stroke, a rate that is even higher in older patients and those with severe infection and pre-existing vascular conditions, according to a report published this week.

28 Oct 2020

Study assesses mental health, sleep quality among physically active adults during lockdown

In the middle of the pandemic this spring, researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) conducted a survey among members of Kondis, a Norwegian fitness training organization.

28 Oct 2020

Deep learning models help hunt for COVID-19 drugs

Michigan State University Foundation Professor Guowei Wei wasn't preparing machine learning techniques for a global health crisis. Still, when one broke out, he and his team were ready to help.

28 Oct 2020

For each critically ill COVID patient, a family is suffering, too

The weeks of fear and uncertainty that Pam and Paul Alexander suffered as their adult daughter struggled against COVID-19 etched itself into the very roots of their hair, leaving behind bald patches by the time she left the hospital in early May.

28 Oct 2020

Readers and tweeters shed light on vaccine trials and bias in health care

In the piece about the AstraZeneca vaccine trial subject who suffered severe spinal cord inflammation, that person was repeatedly referred to as a "patient" ("NIH 'Very Concerned' About Serious Side Effect in Coronavirus Vaccine Trial," Sept. 14).

28 Oct 2020

Scientists warn Americans are expecting too much from a vaccine

The White House and many Americans have pinned their hopes for defeating the COVID-19 pandemic on a vaccine being developed at "warp speed." But some scientific experts warn they're all expecting too much, too soon.

28 Oct 2020

Scientists compare ACE2 interaction with SARS-CoV-2 across species

Like other pathogenic coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 crossed the species barrier to cause human disease. This fact motivated the current study, published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020, which explores the way coronaviruses engage their host cell receptors in a range of animals.

28 Oct 2020

Structure and mechanisms of ribosomal frameshifting during SARS-CoV-2 translation

The structure of a 3’ stimulatory pseudoknot in the viral genome or by itself has been proposed recently. Researchers report the structure and mechanisms of mammalian ribosomes during translation of the -1 frameshifting of the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome in a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv.

28 Oct 2020

Researchers demonstrate potent antibody that fights against coronavirus

Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have shown that a potent antibody from a COVID-19 survivor interferes with a key feature on the surface of the coronavirus's distinctive spikes and induces critical pieces of those spikes to break off in the process.

28 Oct 2020

Study highlights need for safe disposal of opioid drugs during COVID-19 pandemic

During the global coronavirus pandemic, the opioid crisis in the United States "has grown into a much more complicated and deadly drug overdose epidemic," according to a new report by the American Medical Association (AMA).

28 Oct 2020

Scientists design 3D map to understand the behavior of novel coronavirus

To better understand how the novel coronavirus behaves and how it can be stopped, scientists have completed a three-dimensional map that reveals the location of every atom in an enzyme molecule critical to SARS-CoV-2 reproduction.

28 Oct 2020

Lianhuaqingwen capsule is effective for treating COVID-19 pneumonia

Lianhuaqingwen (LHQW) capsule, a herb medicine product, has been clinically proved to be effective in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia treatment. However, human exposure to LHQW components and their pharmacological effects remain largely unknown.

28 Oct 2020

Mathematical model for COVID-19 allows for dynamic social distancing and relaxation

Recently, researchers from York University, Toronto, Canada, presented a mathematical model for COVID-19 comprising groups of people with various levels of exposure to the disease based on data from Ontario, Canada. Their work is published on the preprint server medRxiv.

27 Oct 2020

Furin cleavage site and D614G on SARS-CoV-2 spike evolved to balance infectivity, stability, cytopathicity

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 disease, currently raging across the world. The virus has now infected more than 43.89 million individuals and claimed over 1.16 million lives. The study titled, "Spike glycoprotein and host cell determinants of SARS-CoV-2 entry and cytopathic effects," is released on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020.

27 Oct 2020

Gut's immune response to SARS-CoV-2 very different from the lung

Megan L. Stanifer et al. study the immune response in the human gut upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study published as a bioRxiv* preprint reveals a robust proinflammatory response: a cell type-specific or a tissue-specific regulation of interferon-mediated signaling during SARS-CoV-2 infection.

27 Oct 2020