Respiratory News and Research

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Spike protein and human ACE2 binding ability shows SARS-CoV-2 viral adaptation

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports some important findings that could shed light on this question. As the pandemic marches on, having claimed over 500,000 lives and caused well over 10 million infections to date, the task of defining and predicting factors that predispose to infectivity across species becomes ever more critical.

30 Jun 2020

Researchers search for SARS-CoV-2 fomites on an operational Italian bus

A new study reports the results of a viral detection study carried out in buses used for public transport across the final week of lockdown, as travel restrictions were being lifted step by step. This study by Italian researchers and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020, may help to understand how a virus can spread within a city bus during normal operation and how effective are the measures used to protect against such transmission.

30 Jun 2020

Study: Even the sickest COVID-19 patients produce T cells that help fight the virus

A new study from researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) and Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC) shows that even the sickest COVID-19 patients produce T cells that help fight the virus.

30 Jun 2020

Identification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in healthcare HVAC units

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 reports that viral RNA has been found to occur in HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and AC) units in healthcare facilities. However, it is not clear if this represents a possible mechanism of viral transmission.

30 Jun 2020

Modified Vaccinia Ankara-based vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2

Now, a new study by researchers at Emory University, the University of Texas Medical Branch and the Ragon Institute and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports the development of a promising new vaccine candidate that may rapidly and effectively induce the production of neutralizing antibodies against the spike protein of the virus.

30 Jun 2020

China imposes lockdowns as new coronavirus cases surge

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic first emerged in a seafood market in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019. Since then, it has spread to 188 countries and territories and infected more than 10 million people. The viral infection has so far killed more than 500,000 people worldwide.

29 Jun 2020

COVID-19 survivors should be screened for PTSD, experts warn

Contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be a stressful and traumatic experience. Patients who became seriously ill with the viral infection should be screened for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to their experiences in fighting for their lives, mental health experts recommended.

29 Jun 2020

WHO says worst is yet to come as COVID-19 pandemic speeds up

The true number of global infections and deaths, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is likely to be significantly higher due to lack of testing. Some people are also asymptomatic, which means they had no symptoms of the illness.

29 Jun 2020

A glycan analysis of SARS-CoV-2 ACE2 complex

Researchers in the U.S. have produced molecular dynamic simulations of the Spike protein found on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its interaction with the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

29 Jun 2020

Stanford's Nobel Laureate develops a prediction model for SARS-CoV-2

The researchers from Stanford School of Medicine and ShangaiTech University show that the growth of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak does not behave in accordance with an exponential growth law, but instead slows down exponentially with time from the very first days. Their thought-provoking findings can be currently found in the medRxiv* preprint server.

29 Jun 2020

SARS-CoV-2 circulating in Italy in December 2019

Researchers at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health) have shown that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had already been circulating in Italy many weeks before the first autochthonous (native) case was documented on February 21st this year.

29 Jun 2020

Wearable technology for health-related applications

There is more than cool looks about hip clothing for top performance: Thanks to a variety of smart technologies, high-tech clothing today is capable of analyzing body functions or actively optimizing the microclimate.

29 Jun 2020

Overactive neutrophils may drive life-threatening blood clots in some COVID-19 patients

Scientists have new evidence that overactive neutrophils--a common type of circulating immune cell--may drive the life-threatening blood clots and inflammation that occur in some patients with COVID-19.

29 Jun 2020

Nanofiber filters can be reused through a simple ethanol cleaning process

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads around the world, masks have become an essential personal hygiene product as the first line of defense to protect one's respiratory system against the viruses and germs that spread through droplets in the air.

29 Jun 2020

RCSI begins clinical trial of promising therapy for critically ill COVID-19 patients

Clinician scientists at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences have begun a clinical trial of a promising therapy for critically ill COVID-19 patients in intensive care.

29 Jun 2020

Virus re-emergence after lockdown ends

A new report in the journal Nature Human Behaviour in June 2020 reports predictions as to the effects of removing lockdown restrictions on the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and suggests that individual responsibility concerning social distancing and other precautions could avoid the need for lockdowns.

28 Jun 2020

Similarities between coronaviruses and human genes promote infection

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 shows that the proportion of A/T pairing in viral genomes may increase the tendency to infect humans because of the matching molecular features in some host genes, that increases the susceptibility of the host to the virus.

28 Jun 2020

Genomics used to trace origin of SARS-CoV-2 in Canada

A new study published in June 2020 on the preprint server bioRxiv discusses the use of phylogenetic analysis to trace the origin of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and its spread into and then within Canada. The study findings may help optimize public health policies in the case of future outbreaks.

28 Jun 2020

Study identifies small molecule inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 which block key cellular kinases

Antiviral drug screen of kinase inhibitors, which was done by researchers from the University of California and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, identified cellular signaling pathways critical for SARS-CoV-2 replication and revealed an important mechanism of host-pathogen interaction vital for further drug research. Their results are available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

28 Jun 2020

Mathematical model reveals the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection after fecal microbiota transplantation

In their new paper available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, US researchers from the OpenBiome nonprofit organization used a mathematical model to simulate the usefulness of different testing strategies for fecal samples and showed that the probability of releasing a fecal microbiota donation with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is low when several important variables are taken into account.

28 Jun 2020