Omicron News and Research

RSS

Study finds chimeric mRNA induces potent and broadly acting neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants

Researchers explored strategies to develop an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine that could elicit safer and wider protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

10 Mar 2022

Study isolated largest panel of β-CoV broadly neutralizing antibodies to date

Researchers isolated a large panel of broadly neutralizing antibodies from COVID-19 recovered-vaccinated donors.

10 Mar 2022

WVU researchers use machine learning and GIS to predict where COVID-19 testing will be most crucial

The National Institutes of Health has called COVID-19 testing "the key to getting back to normal." Yet testing rates have dropped nationwide, even as the Delta and Omicron variants accelerated the virus' spread.

10 Mar 2022

Neutralizing antibody levels before symptomatic breakthrough infection in groups infected before and after Omicron emergence

Researchers assessed the levels of neutralizing antibodies in coronavirus disease patients.

9 Mar 2022

Rates of rapid antigen test positivity after day 5 from a positive COVID-19 test

A recent study evaluated the positivity rates of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests in infected individuals.

9 Mar 2022

Viral load reduction effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA booster vaccine wanes with time

In a new study, researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of the SAR-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase - quantitative polymerase chain reaction test measurements.

9 Mar 2022

Mathematical model for evaluating factors driving SARS-CoV-2 transmission and pathogenesis

A new study provides an overview of the use of mathematical modeling to determine severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 kinetics.

9 Mar 2022

One California university has unified town and gown to fight covid. Why haven’t others?

Once a week, Lori Janich drives down the street from her office and partakes in an ongoing success story. Phone in hand to confirm her appointment, she strolls into the massive Activities and Recreation Center on the University of California-Davis campus, reaches a covid-19 testing station, swirls water in her mouth, spits into a tube, and leaves. Within a day, she receives her test result.

9 Mar 2022

The CDC’s new guidelines on covid risk and masking elicit mixed feelings

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month unveiled updated covid-19 guidelines that relaxed masking recommendations, some people no doubt sighed in relief and thought it was about time.

9 Mar 2022

How will mutations change the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in the future?

A new Cells review discusses the factors that affect the function of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein and provides theoretical limits of this viral protein.

8 Mar 2022

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein characteristics responsible for viral evolution in human hosts

Researchers directly compared the pre-fusion spikes of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Beta variants with the original Wuhan strain and the D614G-only variant.

8 Mar 2022

Study explores immune escape mutations caused by prolonged viral shedding in immunocompromised COVID-19 patient

A new study examined a unique case of extended viral shedding in an immunocompromised patient that produced a series of SARS-CoV-2 immune escape mutations over a seven-month period.

8 Mar 2022

Omicron-based vaccine candidate generated to assess whether immunogenicity could be further improved

Researchers developed a vaccine candidate termed Ad26.COV2.S.529, encoding a stabilized Omicron-based S protein resembling ancestral SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan-Hu-1 S protein.

8 Mar 2022

Thermostable next-generation vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern studied in mice

Researchers developed a highly thermo-tolerant vaccine candidate that elicited high nAb titers in mice against several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concerns.

8 Mar 2022

Comparative immunogenicity of reduced and standard BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 boosters in CoronaVac vaccinees

Researchers compared the immunogenicity of the reduced and standard doses of the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccine in adults immunized with two doses of the CoronaVac vaccine.

8 Mar 2022

The NFL has been using an unproven measure to get players with covid back on the field fast

Two months before the Super Bowl, the omicron surge was decimating NFL rosters as players tested positive for covid-19. In mid-December, the NFL postponed a game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks because the Rams, who would go on to win the Super Bowl, had 29 players out with covid.

8 Mar 2022

Recurrent mutations across the SARS-CoV-2 genome associated with long-term infections in immunodeficient patients

Researchers identified recurrent mutations in SARS-CoV-2.

8 Mar 2022

Study finds Omicron BA.2 responsible for more but less infectious breakthrough infections

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* pre-print server, researchers evaluated the severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron (B.1.1.529) infections between December 23, 2021, and February 20, 2022, in Qatar to understand how Omicron subvariants, vaccination, and prior infection status impacted these cases.

8 Mar 2022

SARS-CoV-2 variant identification by RT-qPCR assays targeting mutations

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers investigated the efficacy of diagnostic tests for identifying severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs).

8 Mar 2022

Development of RT-qPCR assays for differentiating SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv*preprint server, a team of researchers from Israel developed and validated novel reverse transcriptase - quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays. The new assays enable the rapid and high throughput identification and differentiation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants.

8 Mar 2022

Omicron News and Research

Study finds chimeric mRNA induces potent and broadly acting neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants

Study isolated largest panel of β-CoV broadly neutralizing antibodies to date

WVU researchers use machine learning and GIS to predict where COVID-19 testing will be most crucial

Neutralizing antibody levels before symptomatic breakthrough infection in groups infected before and after Omicron emergence

Rates of rapid antigen test positivity after day 5 from a positive COVID-19 test

Viral load reduction effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA booster vaccine wanes with time

Mathematical model for evaluating factors driving SARS-CoV-2 transmission and pathogenesis

One California university has unified town and gown to fight covid. Why haven’t others?

The CDC’s new guidelines on covid risk and masking elicit mixed feelings

How will mutations change the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in the future?

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein characteristics responsible for viral evolution in human hosts

Study explores immune escape mutations caused by prolonged viral shedding in immunocompromised COVID-19 patient

Omicron-based vaccine candidate generated to assess whether immunogenicity could be further improved

Thermostable next-generation vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern studied in mice

Comparative immunogenicity of reduced and standard BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 boosters in CoronaVac vaccinees

The NFL has been using an unproven measure to get players with covid back on the field fast

Recurrent mutations across the SARS-CoV-2 genome associated with long-term infections in immunodeficient patients

Study finds Omicron BA.2 responsible for more but less infectious breakthrough infections

SARS-CoV-2 variant identification by RT-qPCR assays targeting mutations

Development of RT-qPCR assays for differentiating SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

Latest News