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Single-dose Israeli vaccine candidate protective against SARS-CoV-2

Now, a new Israeli study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports a new recombinant vaccine expressing the S or spike protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to be highly protective with a single dose in an animal model. This could be a gamechanger in the fight to contain the outbreak.

23 Jun 2020

Colombian corona hounds: SAR-CoV-2 detection by dogs

A new Colombian study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 describes the use of trained dogs to identify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected humans by scent alone. This would allow uninfected people to work together safely, rescuing the economy without driving up medical costs.

23 Jun 2020

Growth, adaptation and neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 with acute-phase serum

One recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports the results of growing and characterizing the virus, as well as the development of neutralizing antibodies in the serum of acutely infected hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

22 Jun 2020

Dire warning on contamination of water and COVID-19 spread

A recent report by scientists in the United Kingdom and Poland and published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 describes the presence of stable severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in water for up to 25 days, with the risk of infection by the contaminated water varying by the country’s environment.

22 Jun 2020

Prior infection provides protection against SARS-CoV-2 virus in hamsters

In an animal model for COVID-19 that shares important features of human disease, scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the University of Tokyo and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai show that prior infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus provides protection against reinfection, and treatment with convalescent serum limits virus replication in their lungs.

22 Jun 2020

Early COVID-19 cases may be 80 times greater than originally reported

Many epidemiologists believe that the initial COVID-19 infection rate was undercounted due to testing issues, asymptomatic and alternatively symptomatic individuals, and a failure to identify early cases.

22 Jun 2020

SARS-CoV-2 paradox: Lower death rate during early stages of the pandemic

An analysis of national weekly mortality rates between December 2019 - March 2020, compared to the same period for the previous five years, by researchers at WMG and WMS, University of Warwick, has shown that there have been fewer deaths registered this year during the lead up to the Covid-19 pandemic.

22 Jun 2020

Three vaccine candidates race to combat SARS-CoV-2

As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) ravages across the globe, scientists are racing to develop an effective vaccine to combat the viral infection. Caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the disease has infected nearly 9 million people.

22 Jun 2020

Favipiravir has weak effect on SARS-CoV-2 and Hydroxychloroquine none at all in hamster model

A new study from Belgian researchers shows that antiviral drug Favipiravir could have a weak effect against the dreaded novel coronavirus or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as seen in hamster models. However, the study also finds there is no efficacy of the much-touted drug Hydroxychloroquine.

22 Jun 2020

Novel vaccine platform against COVID-19 based on engineered human mesenchymal stem cells

In a recent groundbreaking bioRxiv paper, Chinese researchers describe a novel approach towards coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine design based on engineered human mesenchymal stem cells, with favorable and promising antibody response.

22 Jun 2020

Reassuring news on the Oxford vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2

A new paper from the UK vaccine research group, currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server, reveals that a single dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) can induce antigen-specific antibody and T cells responses against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and a booster shot additionally enhances antibody production with an increase in neutralizing titers – particularly in pigs.

22 Jun 2020

Inhaled corticosteroids have no effect on COVID-19 mortality, say researchers

A study conducted by UK researchers has found no evidence to support the hypothesis that regular use of inhaled corticosteroids may have a beneficial effect on mortality outcomes among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

22 Jun 2020

Further confirmation Holder pasteurization inactivates SARS-CoV-2 in breast milk

Researchers in Australia have shown that a standard pasteurization method commonly used in human milk banks is effective at inactivating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

22 Jun 2020

Homeless patients with respiratory infections more likely to be treated with ventilators than non-homeless

Researchers from UCLA, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Tokyo found that during a recent six-year period, homeless people in New York state were more likely to hospitalized and treated with mechanical ventilators for respiratory infections than people who are not homeless.

22 Jun 2020

Researchers provide evidence-based review on COVID-19 respiratory transmission

In a new article, scientists provide an exhaustive, evidence-based review of how COVID-19 droplets from infected patients spread through the air and describe how health care professionals can protect themselves.

22 Jun 2020

How weather affects COVID-19 in India

With India now having endured six months of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, there are now over 410,000 official cases in and more than 13,000 deaths recorded. Almost all these deaths have occurred in the last three months, April to June, with 100 deaths on April 4, 2020, increasing almost 16-fold by May 4, and 63-fold by June 4, 2020.

21 Jun 2020

SARS-CoV-2 saliva testing that omits the RNA extraction step

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses throughout the world, the lack of consistent diagnostic testing has been a bugbear, preventing public health control of the spread of infection. A new study by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports a new testing method that uses saliva, does not require RNA extraction, and can be scaled up quickly and inexpensively.

21 Jun 2020

Massive proteomics investigation of COVID-19 infection

Researchers from Germany and Switzerland revealed functional effects of individual severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) proteins on cellular level after infection. They placed the findings into the context of host signaling pathways in order to identify vulnerable parts of the virus amenable to treatment. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

21 Jun 2020

A highly sensitive and specific antibody test for COVID-19

A new proof-of-concept study by UK researchers, currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server, describes the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that can be used when lower levels of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) specific-antibodies are present in serum and saliva samples.

21 Jun 2020

Research explores the biophysical behavior of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein

In a groundbreaking paper currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, the researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine and Stony Brook University showed how nucleocapsid protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is dynamic, disordered and phase separates with RNA – informing, in turn, the discovery of drugs that disrupt viral packaging.

21 Jun 2020