SARS CoV 2 News and Research

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AI powered screening-test for COVID-19

A new study by researchers at the University of Oxford and Harvard University and published on the preprint server medRxiv in July 2020 reports the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to screen patients presenting or admitted to hospital for COVID-19. This could help triage patients in low-testing settings and help reduce infection risk.

10 Jul 2020

As winter comes other viruses will compete with SARS-CoV-2 for susceptible hosts

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in July 2020 traces how COVID-19 became the predominant cause of respiratory infection in the period from early January until the present.

10 Jul 2020

Scientists recommend a decentralized biosurveillance system to protect from diseases

The emergence of COVID-19 is a powerful reminder of how unchecked wildlife trade can lead to the spillover spread of viruses between wildlife and humans.

10 Jul 2020

Study of 17 million patients pinpoints COVID-19 mortality risk factors

Now, an analysis of 17 million people in England, the most extensive study of its kind, sheds light on certain factors that can increase a person’s chances of dying from COVID-19, the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

10 Jul 2020

Volunteers can now register for coronavirus disease vaccine trials

In an attempt to recruit many volunteers, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has established a new clinical COVID-19 Prevention Trials Network (COVPN) that aims to enroll thousands of volunteers to test various investigational vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

10 Jul 2020

WHO confirms 'emerging evidence' of airborne coronavirus

Scientists from around the world wrote a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO), urging the agency to acknowledge that the novel coronavirus is airborne. More than 230 scientists presented evidence that people can catch the virus from droplets floating in the air.

9 Jul 2020

Pigs and chickens not susceptible to SARS-CoV-2

A team of researchers in Germany aimed to investigate the susceptibility of potential animal hosts and the risk of zoonosis spill-over infections, which are illnesses transmitted to humans from animals. On the other hand, reverse zoonosis pertains to infections in humans that jump to animals.

9 Jul 2020

Manifestations of COVID-19 in newborn babies

In a new study titled, “The clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 positive neonates,” Italian researchers led by Guiseppe De Bernado from Division of Pediatrics Neonatology and NICU, Ospedale Buon Consiglio Fatebenefratelli, Naples, explain the course of the infection among newborn babies.

9 Jul 2020

Challenges in evaluating the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines

With more than 140 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in development, the race is on for a successful candidate to help prevent COVID-19.

9 Jul 2020

Remdesivir potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in human lung cell cultures

The news about remdesivir, the investigational anti-viral drug that has shown early promise in the fight against COVID-19, keeps getting better.

9 Jul 2020

Novel antibody test for SARS-CoV-2

A team of researchers in the United States have developed highly specific and sensitive assays that could improve understanding of the antibody response in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and help to determine the effectiveness of vaccines.

9 Jul 2020

New silicone rubber face mask can be easily sterilized and worn many times

Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital have designed a new face mask that they believe could stop viral particles as effectively as N95 masks.

9 Jul 2020

SARS-CoV-2 a dagger to the aging heart

Researchers in Europe have shown that genes involved in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are expressed to a higher degree in older heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) than they are in younger cardiomyocytes.

9 Jul 2020

Use of whole blood transcriptomes may improve COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment

In a new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv*, a multinational group of researchers provide the first evidence for the use of whole blood transcriptomics to distinguish coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from other infections, and also to monitor and potentially predict disease outcomes.

9 Jul 2020

Pasteurization of breast milk inactivates novel coronavirus

Pasteurizing breast milk using a common technique inactivates severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) making it safe for use, according to new research in CMAJ.

9 Jul 2020

Bats offer clues to combat COVID-19

Bats are often considered patient zero for many deadly viruses affecting humans, including Ebola, rabies, and, most recently, the SARS-CoV-2 strain of virus that causes coronavirus.

9 Jul 2020

Structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein provides clues to its evolution

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have characterized the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein as well as its most similar relative in a bat coronavirus. The structures provide clues about how the spike evolved and could help inform vaccine design.

9 Jul 2020

Attomarker's new COVID-19 Triple Antibody Test approved for use in the UK

A new COVID-19 Triple Antibody Test, produced by Attomarker Ltd, a spin-out company from the University of Exeter, could represent the next-generation of rapid and accurate COVID-19 antibody testing.

9 Jul 2020

LGC acquires The Native Antigen Company, strengthening its offer to the IVD sector

Today, LGC announced the acquisition of The Native Antigen Company (NAC), one of the world’s leading suppliers of high quality infectious disease antigens and antibodies.

9 Jul 2020

Ozone gas can provide a safe means to disinfect personal protective equipment

A new study shows that ozone gas, a highly reactive chemical composed of three oxygen atoms, could provide a safe means for disinfecting certain types of personal protective equipment that are in high demand for shielding health care personnel from Covid-19.

9 Jul 2020