SARS CoV 2 News and Research

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Researchers to test the strength and contact time of disinfectants used against viruses

Cleaning products, alcohol-based sanitizers and other common chemicals are all being used on surfaces to try to kill the virus that causes COVID-19, but knowing how much to use and how long to use it for is unknown, according to Craig Meyers, distinguished professor of microbiology and immunology and obstetrics and gynecology, College of Medicine, Penn State, who is looking at testing these chemicals to find out.

13 May 2020

New method to control inflammatory response induced by COVID-19

Severe COVID-19 illness can result in excessive inflammation throughout the body, including the lungs, heart and brain. University of Minnesota Twin Cities student Molly Gilligan recently published an article in the journal Cancer & Metastasis Reviews that studied the human body's robust inflammatory response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is now recognized as a hallmark symptom.

13 May 2020

Passive immummization can offer instant, short-term fortification against infectious agents

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has infected more than 4 million people and killed close to 280,000.1 Finding a vaccine has become a global public health priority.

13 May 2020

Are pregnant women at higher risk from COVID-19? A Swedish study

A new study published by the Public Health Agency of Sweden in its Brief Report shows that compared to non-pregnant women, pregnant and postpartum women with COVID-19 have a higher risk of requiring intensive care.

12 May 2020

Johns Hopkins offers a free online course to become a contact tracer

Aside from mass testing, one of the most important methods to curb the transmission of the novel coronavirus is through extensive contact tracing. Now there's an opportunity to become a contact tracer as the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has launched a six-hour online course.

12 May 2020

Organ transplantations plummet amid coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus disease has spread rapidly across nearly all countries across the globe, with more than 4.25 million people infected. The pandemic has taken a toll on the lives of people, especially those in locked down nations. Aside from the negative impact on economic and social aspects, patients who are sick with other diseases may also suffer from the effects of the pandemic.

12 May 2020

Could JAK blockers help treat COVID-19?

A new study published in the journal Science Immunology in May 2020 reports that compounds that safely inhibit the JAK protein could be useful in treating COVID-19.

12 May 2020

A 'multi-omics' approach to the development of drugs against COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 reports a multi-omics approach that could make it easier to develop drugs that are effective against COVID-19.

12 May 2020

Study provides further insights into the relationship between smoking and COVID-19

A Canadian study available on the preprint server medRxiv* shows that current smokers are slightly more likely than never smokers to test positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but cautions about the possibility of reverse causality where smokers actually quit to avoid the disease.

12 May 2020

COVID-19 may contribute to exponential growth of Parkinson's disease in future

Parkinson's disease (PD) is expected to reach over 14 million cases worldwide by 2040. As longevity increases, so does the number of persons living with PD.

12 May 2020

SARS-CoV-2 cell entry affinity varies across different host species

A new study from India, currently available on the preprint server bioRxiv*, estimated the probability and readiness of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to infect cells of different animal species – and revealed many of them that could act as disease carriers.

12 May 2020

Clinical trial to test the efficacy of defibrotide medicine for reducing COVID-19 death rate

The Neurosciences Institute, mixed centre of the Spanish National Research Council and the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, have collaborated on the first clinical trial conducted in the world to test whether the defibrotide medicine, which has already been authorized to treat a severe obstruction of the hepatic sinusoidal veins of people who have undergone a bone marrow transplant, can be used as therapy against COVID-19.

12 May 2020

Neovii and Tel Aviv University partner to develop novel COVID-19 vaccine

Ramot, Tel Aviv University's technology transfer company, and Neovii, a Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company and a member of Israel-based Neopharm Group, announced today that they have signed a research and license agreement to develop a novel and potentially life-saving COVID-19 vaccine.

12 May 2020

Clinical trial to evaluate two-drug immunotherapy combination in cancer patients with COVID-19

A unique two-drug immunotherapy combination first evaluated at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center as an approach for treating some cancers will soon be available to cancer patients with COVID-19 through a clinical trial at Roswell Park.

12 May 2020

Sanford director receives major grant to advance broad-spectrum antivirals for respiratory diseases

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute is pleased to announce that Sumit Chanda, Ph.D., has received a $10.2 million, four-year grant from the Department of Defense to develop and advance broad-spectrum antivirals for respiratory diseases.

12 May 2020

New molecular analysis system warns the presence of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Valencia University (UV) have developed a molecular analysis system that can warn of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 (which causes the Covid-19 disease) in a community based on the study of its waste water.

12 May 2020

Leica Microsystems Donate an Advanced Microscopy System to Charité’s Institute of Virology to Progress Covid-19 Research

Since the start of the current coronavirus outbreak, the Institute of Virology on Campus Charité Mitte, led by Director Prof. Dr. Christian Drosten, has been at the forefront of viral research into SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

From Leica Microsystems GmbH 12 May 2020

Potential for COVID-19 transmission from human eye

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in May 2020 reports the presence of ACE2 receptors in the eye at high concentrations. These molecules are the entry points for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is causing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

12 May 2020

Does cholesterol play a role in COVID-19?

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in May 2020 suggests that the strikingly increased mortality in COVID-19 patients who are either old or also have high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease is due to high tissue cholesterol levels. It also indicates the role of a healthy diet, by showing that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in blood oppose the effects of cholesterol and thus the risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms.

12 May 2020

Symptomatic COVID-19 patients less likely to be smokers

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages in many parts of the world, a new study shows that smoking may not play a significant role in increasing the severity of illness in these patients. The study is published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020.

12 May 2020