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What affects the case fatality rate of COVID-19? Analysis of top 50 affected countries

Ever since the beginning of the international spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease, researchers have been trying to identify the risk factors that increase the chances of infection. Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 discusses various potential factors and reports the observed associations.

27 May 2020

Study finds very low level of SARS-CoV-2 in two San Francisco Bay areas

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports a very low prevalence of antibodies in two separate populations living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

26 May 2020

Study offers new insight into how cells fuse

Scientists have known for a decade that cells that fuse with others to perform their essential functions - such as muscle cells that join together to make fibers - form long projections that invade the territory of their fusion partners.

26 May 2020

Heparin resistance among COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU

A new study has shown that COVID-19 patients admitted to the Intensive care unit may be resistant to the naturally occurring anticoagulant Heparin. The study titled, “Heparin resistance in COVID‑19 patients in the intensive care unit,” was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis.

26 May 2020

IgG antibodies reduce viral load of SARS-CoV-2

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington has highlighted the importance of serological testing for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

26 May 2020

Deaths from COVID-19 appear to be on the decline in Italian provinces

Researchers in Italy have found that the proportion of people dying from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be on the decline in Italy.

26 May 2020

'Good' bacteria have a niche in our noses, study suggests

Beneficial strains of bacteria residing in our guts, genital tracts, and skin have been shown to play a role in human health, and now, researchers publishing May 26 in the journal Cell Reports suggest that some of these "good" bacteria also have a niche in our noses.

26 May 2020

Zero benefit of Hydroxychloroquine or Chloroquine in COVID-19, says extensive study

The purported "game-changer" anti-malarial drug Hydroxychloroquine, which was claimed to be effective in preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and also helping better outcomes in COVID-19 patients, seems to have failed in clinical trials.

25 May 2020

Newly identified gene may have contributed to rapid evolution of COVID-19

An international team of researchers has identified a previously uncharacterized gene within the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome that may be important in understanding the origins and evolution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

25 May 2020

New study pinpoints ideal antiviral targets within the SARS-CoV-2 viral cycle

A specific biophysical model for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) shows how potential drugs inhibiting both viral transcription and translation would be particularly effective against coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The model was developed by University of Minnesota researchers and described in their recent publication available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

25 May 2020

Can Chlorpromazine help treat COVID-19?

A new research paper published in the journal L'Encéphale in May 2020 reports on the planned ReCoVery Study, which will examine the possibility of repurposing the antipsychotic drug chlorpromazine for the treatment of COVID-19.

25 May 2020

Capillary leakage important in COVID-19 respiratory distress

Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv reports the pivotal role played by protein leakage through lung capillaries and promotes the use of serum albumin as a biomarker of disease progression and severity.

24 May 2020

Teens develop septic shock due to COVID-19

Since the emergence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), most people who develop severe illness are older adults, those with underlying medical conditions, and those who are immunocompromised. Though children are mostly spared, some adolescents developed septic shock due to COVID-19, a new study has found.

24 May 2020

New biomarkers to consider for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have made new discoveries about how the immune system responds to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that could be important to consider in vaccine research.

24 May 2020

Hydrocarbon bonds may help synthesize large range of novel organic molecules

The most common chemical bond in the living world -- that between carbon and hydrogen -- has long resisted attempts by chemists to crack it open, thwarting efforts to add new bells and whistles to old carbon-based molecules.

22 May 2020

Study evaluates the effectiveness of interferon beta 1b in COVID-19 pneumonia

As the world struggles to overcome the current COVID-19 pandemic with non-pharmacological interventions, in the absence of an effective drug or vaccine, existing immunomodulators are being repurposed. A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 shows no clinical benefit to the use of one such drug, called interferon beta 1b (IFN beta1b).

22 May 2020

COVID-19 may damage the central nervous system

Researchers at University Hospital Düsseldorf, Germany, have provided important insights into the potential impact that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could have on the central nervous system.

21 May 2020

Researchers collaboratively evaluate mask effectiveness to prevent coronavirus pandemic

In the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, masks were in such short supply they were nearly impossible to find. As a result, people began creating substitute masks out of anything possible - scarves, repurposed old T-shirts, even vacuum bags.

21 May 2020

Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 may explain its dominance and spread

Researchers at Dokuz Eylül University, Turkey, have identified mutations in the genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that may have contributed to its dominance in Europe and elsewhere.

21 May 2020

Study shows selenium-containing compounds inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication and assembly

A recent paper by researchers from the Netherlands and Poland provides evidence that modified ebselen derivatives may serve as highly promising prospective drugs against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The manuscript is freely available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

21 May 2020