covid 19 News and Research

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RAMBO can cut indexing times for huge DNA databases

Rice University computer scientists are sending RAMBO to rescue genomic researchers who sometimes wait days or weeks for search results from enormous DNA databases.

28 Jun 2021

Greater screen time usage among preteens associated with higher BMI one year later

A new national study finds that children in the United States with greater screen time usage at ages 9-10 are more likely to gain weight one year later.

28 Jun 2021

Blood cancer patients show widely variable response to COVID-19 vaccines

Patients with a type of blood cancer called multiple myeloma had a widely variable response to COVID-19 vaccines--in some cases, no detectable response--pointing to the need for antibody testing and precautions for these patients after vaccination, according to a study that will be published in Cancer Cell this week.

28 Jun 2021

Philippines stamps out polio outbreak after a 16-month drive

COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy did not stop the Philippines from stamping out a polio outbreak in a 16-month drive that ended June 2021, a feat commended by WHO and UNICEF.

28 Jun 2021

Could the activation of FcγRIII/CD16 by anti-spike SARS-CoV-2 antibodies independently determine COVID-19 severity?

A team of scientists from Germany recently investigated whether hyperactivation of immune receptors that recognize the Fc part of an IgG molecule (FcγR) can lead to immunopathologic changes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. They have observed that hyperactivation of FcγRIII (CD16) by proinflammatory IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can significantly contribute to COVID-19 related immunopathology.

28 Jun 2021

Novel face mask can diagnose Covid-19 in 90 minutes

Engineers at MIT and Harvard University have designed a novel face mask that can diagnose the wearer with Covid-19 within about 90 minutes. The masks are embedded with tiny, disposable sensors that can be fitted into other face masks and could also be adapted to detect other viruses.

28 Jun 2021

UK study finds SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in domestic cats and dogs

Researchers analyzed sera from pet cats and dogs and found them to have developed antibodies against the virus later on during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings suggest that viral prevalence among the human populations could have led to the pets becoming infected.

28 Jun 2021

Study associates higher antibody titers with naïve B cells post-mRNA vaccination

Researchers compared peripheral blood mononuclear cells in people with high and low antibody titers after two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccine. They found a positive correlation between naïve B cells present before vaccination and high antibody titers.

28 Jun 2021

What have been the main drivers of COVID-19's rapid spread in Brazil?

New research suggests that if a lockdown had been imposed earlier on in superspreader cities like São Paulo, mandatory road traffic restrictions had been enforced, and ICU beds had been allocated more equitably across geographical regions, Brazil’s experience of the COVID-19 pandemic might have been mitigated.

28 Jun 2021

Study finds minimal SARS-CoV-2 viral load in vaginal secretions

The virus has also been observed to be present in blood, urine, feces, and tears, though not in semen. Vaginal secretions have not been consistently shown to be positive for the virus in most studies. The authors of a new study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine affirm that the presence of the virus in the vagina is rare, irrespective of pregnancy.

28 Jun 2021

Resting heart rate variability predicts emotional resilience during COVID-19 restrictions

An interesting new study available as a preprint on the medRxiv* server suggests that vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is a physiological marker of resilience to stress by indicating how well an individual handles the emotions when faced with changes in the surroundings.

28 Jun 2021

Could microalgae-derived antiviral compounds combat SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses?

A new review article published in the journal Antibiotics reports the presence of a large number of bioactive compounds in microalgae that target chemical structures present only in their structure.

28 Jun 2021

Vaccines and drugs must be adapted to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, says study

A new review of the emerging variants of concern (VOCs) of the SARS-CoV-2, which has caused the COVID-19 pandemic, shows that there is a major need to constantly re-evaluate the utility of existing therapeutics and vaccines against the virus and to develop new ones.

28 Jun 2021

Achieving gender equality within global health

News-Medical spoke to Dr. Claire Bayntun about her incredible career in global health, and how we can achieve gender equality within healthcare settings.

28 Jun 2021

COVID-19 patients with traumatic injuries have six times higher risk of complications, death

In addition to sickening and taking the lives of millions across the globe, COVID-19 complicated patient care in a range of less-direct ways, from increased incidence of heart attacks to decreased cancer screenings.

28 Jun 2021

Tocilizumab and sarilumab shown to be effective in critical COVID-19

A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, describes how a team of researchers from the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands explored the efficacy of four monoclonal antibodies that antagonize powerful pro-inflammatory pathways. The team sought to determine which were useful in treating critically ill COVID-19 patients on organ support.

28 Jun 2021

An affordable, scalable and highly sensitive virus-genome-based testing approach

Aiming to reduce human suffering, economic costs, and restrictions on personal freedom caused by COVID-19 to a minimum, researchers from Germany and Austria proposed an alternative method - efficient population-based genome-based testing.

28 Jun 2021

Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine induces robust T cell-based immunity

A recent study conducted by an international team of scientists has revealed that the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, AZD1222, is capable of inducing strong spike-specific CD4+ T cell helper type 1 (Th1) and CD8+ T-cell responses in vaccinated individuals. A detailed description of AZD1222-induced cellular immunity is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

28 Jun 2021

Why SARS-CoV-2 delta variant is more infectious

German experts recently explained why the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) delta variant is more infectious and pathogenic than its ancestor. By conducting a series of in vitro experiments, they have revealed that increased ability to induce cell-to-cell fusion (syncytia) and reduced susceptibility to vaccine and infection-induced antibodies make the delta variant more infectious than previously circulating variants. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

28 Jun 2021

An oral pill for COVID-19? Molnupiravir shows promise

Recently, researchers reported molnupiravir as the first oral and direct-acting antiviral that is highly effective at reducing SARS-CoV-2 levels.

27 Jun 2021

covid 19 News and Research

RAMBO can cut indexing times for huge DNA databases

Greater screen time usage among preteens associated with higher BMI one year later

Blood cancer patients show widely variable response to COVID-19 vaccines

Philippines stamps out polio outbreak after a 16-month drive

Could the activation of FcγRIII/CD16 by anti-spike SARS-CoV-2 antibodies independently determine COVID-19 severity?

Novel face mask can diagnose Covid-19 in 90 minutes

UK study finds SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in domestic cats and dogs

Study associates higher antibody titers with naïve B cells post-mRNA vaccination

What have been the main drivers of COVID-19's rapid spread in Brazil?

Study finds minimal SARS-CoV-2 viral load in vaginal secretions

Resting heart rate variability predicts emotional resilience during COVID-19 restrictions

Could microalgae-derived antiviral compounds combat SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses?

Vaccines and drugs must be adapted to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, says study

Achieving gender equality within global health

COVID-19 patients with traumatic injuries have six times higher risk of complications, death

Tocilizumab and sarilumab shown to be effective in critical COVID-19

An affordable, scalable and highly sensitive virus-genome-based testing approach

Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine induces robust T cell-based immunity

Why SARS-CoV-2 delta variant is more infectious

An oral pill for COVID-19? Molnupiravir shows promise

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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