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Individuals with severe forms of COVID-19 disease can have compromised type I interferon responses

Individuals with severe forms of COVID-19 disease can present with compromised type I interferon (IFN) responses based on their genetics, according to results published in two papers today in the journal Science.

25 Sep 2020

New experiments reveal how viruses initiate translation of genetic material into proteins

Infectious viruses come in many shapes and sizes and use slightly different attack mechanisms to make humans and animals sick.

25 Sep 2020

New study may explain why more men than women die from COVID-19

New findings by scientists at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators help explain why some people with COVID-19 develop severe disease.

25 Sep 2020

Berlin researchers are pursuing the development of passive vaccination

Researchers at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have identified highly effective antibodies against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and are now pursuing the development of a passive vaccination.

25 Sep 2020

Talc and non-absorptive creams provide long-lasting skin protection for PPE wearers

For frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) like face visors, googles, and respiratory protective equipment is an essential part of working life.

25 Sep 2020

Human-to-cat transmission of SARS-CoV-2 confirmed

Cat-to-cat transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been experimentally proven, but little is known about the significance of this novel virus as a feline pathogen or its reverse zoonotic potential. The establishment of new animal reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 could pose serious problems for human health in the future.

24 Sep 2020

A possible inverse relationship between Dengue and COVID-19 in Brazil

Their study titled, “How super-spreader cities, highways, hospital bed availability, and dengue fever influenced the COVID-19 epidemic in Brazil,” was released pre-peer review on the preprint medRxiv* early this week.

24 Sep 2020

Experimental cancer drug AR-12 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 virus

Nine months into the global pandemic, which has infected more than 32 million people, there is still no approved effective and safe drug or vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

24 Sep 2020

Linoleic acid binds SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Now, a team of researchers at the Max Planck-Bristol Center for Minimal Biology and Bristol's School of Biochemistry has identified a druggable pocket in the virus's spike protein that can be used to prevent the infection of cells. The study findings, published in the journal Science, are a groundbreaking discovery that will help develop new therapies and drugs to stem the growing pandemic.

24 Sep 2020

School re-openings in US may increase COVID-19 spread unless targeted interventions are in place

In a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv, a team of researchers on behalf of the Imperial College London COVID-19 Response Team used longitudinal and age-specific population mobility and COVID-19 mortality data to model and predict SARS-CoV-2 spread in the US.

24 Sep 2020

Cold plasma inactivates SARS-CoV-2

In one such effort, Zhitong Chen et al., in a recent medRxiv* preprint paper find that by employing an efficient cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) with argon feed gas on different surfaces inactivates the infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus.

24 Sep 2020

Genetic variation not linked with differences in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality

A comprehensive search of genetic variation databases has revealed no significant differences across populations and ethnic groups in seven genes associated with viral entry of SARS-CoV-2.

24 Sep 2020

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 with D614G mutation in a second wave infection in Houston

A recent study reveals that the genetic variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detected in the initial phase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic differ from the variants detected in a massive second wave of infection in Houston, Texas. The study is currently available on the medRxiv preprint server.

24 Sep 2020

Cellular and molecular map of the human heart could guide personalized medicine

Scientists have created a cellular and molecular map of the healthy human heart, to understand how this vital organ functions, and to shed light on what goes wrong in cardiovascular disease.

24 Sep 2020

Ethnic minority groups disproportionally affected by COVID-19

The study, which assessed the clinical records of more than 17 million adults, also identified inequalities in the risk of needing admission to ICU and the risk of COVID-19-related death.

24 Sep 2020

Tokyo citizens may have developed COVID-19 herd immunity, say researchers

Researchers in Japan and the United States have conducted a study showing that herd immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may have developed among the citizens of Tokyo during the summer.

24 Sep 2020

Molecular analysis of COVID-19's second wave shows mutant viruses linked to rapid spread

Molecular analysis of COVID-19's powerful second wave in Houston – from May 12 to July 7 – shows a mutated virus strain linked to higher transmission and infection rates than the coronavirus strains that caused Houston's first wave.

24 Sep 2020

Automated computational protocol identifies potential SARS-CoV-2 MPro inhibitor

As scientists race to discover new and effective antiviral drugs against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), many novel approaches are being utilized. Now, a new study published on the preprint bioRxiv in September 2020 reports on the discovery of a potentially beneficial enzyme blocker that could inhibit SARS-CoV-2 viral replication.

24 Sep 2020

AI used to define the cytokine storm implicated in fatal COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify an invariant or universal host immune response found in all viral pandemics so far. The association of this response with severe COVID-19 phenotypes indicates a new understanding of the human immune response in viral pandemics.

24 Sep 2020

Research says in SARS-CoV-2 canine infection, transmission unlikely

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 shows that pet dogs have been falling sick and dying of a mysterious respiratory infection, often showing the presence of anti- severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies, even though in many cases they do not test positive for COVID-19.

24 Sep 2020