SARS CoV 2 News and Research

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Comparison of flu deaths with COVID-19 deaths

A new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine in May 2020 reports that false comparisons between the count of COVID-19 deaths as reported by various hospitals in the US, and the estimated flu-related deaths, causes significant confusion and may impair the ability to design public health policies.

14 May 2020

Research reveals how long SARS-CoV-2 survives on surfaces, in feces and urine

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 shows that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease can remain viable for a maximum of one week on smooth environmental surfaces, for several hours in human feces, and for a maximum of 4 days in human urine. This knowledge could help guide disinfection policies to control the virus spread.

14 May 2020

Relaxation of social and physical distancing measures may result in profound mortality

Even as the world struggles to live and make a living, faced with the dual threat of a rapidly spreading viral illness and economic slowdown, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 says that relaxing non-pharmacological interventions will allow the SARS-CoV-2 virus to become endemic.

13 May 2020

Lessons for COVID-19 from 2009 H1N1

The world has experienced many outbreaks of viral diseases. Over the past two decades, we have also seen the emergence of zoonotic human respiratory coronaviruses with pandemic potential.

13 May 2020

Low albumin levels could predict poor outcome in COVID-19

A Spanish study has revealed that COVID-19 patients who have a low level of albumin have a poorer outcome compared to those with normal levels of blood albumin. The study titled, “Low albumin levels are associated with poorer outcomes in a case series of COVID-19 patients in Spain: a retrospective cohort study,” was released prior to peer-review on the open-access preprint server site Medrxiv*.

13 May 2020

Leave packages unopened and untouched for 72 hours to prevent the spread of COVID-19

Researchers have advised that people need to leave their parcels and packages unopened and untouched for 72 hours to help stop the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease. The virus, as is evident from the raging pandemic across the world, is highly infectious and could survive on surfaces for up to 72 hours.

13 May 2020

COVID-19 lockdown exit strategies: deliverance or disaster?

A new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge, Universidad de Sevilla, and the University of Massachusetts, published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020, shows that it is essential to choose a restrictive exit strategy while easing COVID-19 lockdowns, because failure to do so may lead to catastrophic results.

13 May 2020

Researchers identify CoV Mac1 proteins as a potential SARS-CoV-2 drug target

A recent study by researchers at the University of Kansas and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* reveals that Mac1 protein implicated in the infection process of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has a strikingly similar structure and activity in all coronaviruses – suggesting that possible future treatments targeting this protein may exert broad antiviral activity.

13 May 2020

U of A researchers and Tonix Pharmaceuticals join forces to develop, test COVID-19 vaccine

University of Alberta researchers launched a joint effort with U.S.-based Tonix Pharmaceuticals to develop and test a vaccine against COVID-19.

13 May 2020

Should school closures related to COVID-19 be continued long-term?

Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, many countries have introduced restrictive measures to curb the circulation and spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

13 May 2020

Placentas of pregnant women with COVID-19 showed abnormalities

A study conducted by researchers at Northwestern University, Chicago, has found that the placentas of pregnant women who were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) showed abnormalities, compared with those of uninfected women.

13 May 2020

Research explores how COVID-19 is spreading and mutating in the environment

A multi-disciplinary team of experts in virology and computer modeling has quickly assembled at San Diego State University to learn more about how the new coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads in the environment and how its trajectory can be better predicted.

13 May 2020

Study on airborne virus transmission in buildings launched

As society prepares to reopen indoor spaces and ease back into some sense of normalcy during the COVID-19 pandemic, a team of researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is launching a study of the risk of airborne transmission of viruses within buildings and how to mitigate those risks.

13 May 2020

Study shows why older individuals are vulnerable to COVID-19

A group of tiny RNA that should attack the virus causing COVID-19 when it tries to infect the body are diminished with age and chronic health problems, a decrease that likely helps explain why older individuals and those with preexisting medical conditions are vulnerable populations, investigators report.

13 May 2020

Experts review symptoms, diagnosis, and current treatment of COVID-19

The ongoing economic and social impact of the pandemic is staggering, but despite a daily flood of news on the disease, few laypeople know that paradoxically, COVID-19 mostly kills through an overreaction of the immune system, whose function is precisely to fight infections.

13 May 2020

Vaccine design can face specific challenges, say researchers

The goal of a vaccine is to trigger a response that safely protects against an infection and/or the burden of disease.

13 May 2020

Quest and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics join forces to expand COVID-19 antibody testing

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, a global leader of in vitro diagnostics with a rich history of bringing critical tests for infectious diseases to market, today announced it is working with Quest Diagnostics, the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services, to expand COVID-19 antibody testing to more than 20 Quest laboratories across the U.S.

13 May 2020

Analysis of single-cell data indicates that SARS-Cov-2 targets many cell types

Before it can sicken people, the new coronavirus must first sneak into their cells. But not any cell will do. The virus can enter only those with a certain combination of molecules on their surfaces.

13 May 2020

Scientists are looking for alternate methods to predict the spread of COVID-19

With the ongoing challenges associated with large-scale testing for COVID-19--including test kit shortages, stringent testing criteria and the inherent limitations of current tracking systems on mildly symptomatic and asymptomatic populations, scientists are looking for alternate methods to boost testing in order to predict the spread of the disease.

13 May 2020

New rapid CRISPR-based test for sensitive SARS-CoV-2 detection

A new study reports the approval of a new CRISPR-based coronavirus test that is both sensitive and rapid and intended to help reduce the time required to test symptomatic or potentially contagious cases.

13 May 2020