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Structure of the full SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome in infected cells

The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by a single-stranded RNA virus, thought to have jumped across species barriers to infect humans, has spread rapidly across the globe infecting over 10 million individuals. The virus, now known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the causative agent of COVID-19 disease. COVID-19 disease is a respiratory illness where symptoms can range from very mild to severe and include fever, coughing, a sore throat, and shortness of breath.

2 Jul 2020

New tool to increase accessibility for COVID-19 testing

A research group from the University of California Santa Barbara recently demonstrated a cost-effective, simple, and much less toxic method to isolate host and pathogen nucleic acids and proteins in order to streamline the detection of DNA and RNA viruses – including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

1 Jul 2020

Phosphorylation of SARS-CoV-2 N protein affects its function

Now, a new study by researchers at the University of California San Francisco and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 shows the effect of phosphorylation on the state and function of the N protein.

1 Jul 2020

Large-scale analysis of COVID-19 risk among different groups of UK hospital staff

Staff who shared a household with an infected person were at the greatest risk of infection, and those working in COVID-19-facing areas were also at an increased risk. Other groups that were identified as a high risk included Black and Asian individuals, porters, and cleaners.

30 Jun 2020

Newly identified molecules can help develop COVID-19 therapeutics

SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing the global COVID-19 pandemic, uses a protein called polymerase to replicate its genome inside infected human cells.

30 Jun 2020

Researchers search for SARS-CoV-2 fomites on an operational Italian bus

A new study reports the results of a viral detection study carried out in buses used for public transport across the final week of lockdown, as travel restrictions were being lifted step by step. This study by Italian researchers and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020, may help to understand how a virus can spread within a city bus during normal operation and how effective are the measures used to protect against such transmission.

30 Jun 2020

SARS-CoV-2 circulating in Italy in December 2019

Researchers at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health) have shown that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had already been circulating in Italy many weeks before the first autochthonous (native) case was documented on February 21st this year.

29 Jun 2020

NUS researchers develop portable COVID-19 micro-PCR diagnostic system

COVID-19 screening can soon be conducted directly at various testing stations, and patients can get their test results in about an hour from the time they get a nasal swab.

29 Jun 2020

Chilblains and COVID-19

The current COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is primarily a respiratory infection, though the majority of cases are asymptomatic or mild disease. However, other manifestations are also being reported, such as gastrointestinal features, neurological signs, and skin symptoms. A new study published online in the journal JAMA Dermatology in June 2020 examines the possibility that chilblains could be a manifestation of COVID-19.

26 Jun 2020

Platelets may be contributing to COVID-19

The current pandemic of COVID-19 is characterized mainly by severe acute respiratory distress of the lungs, but other organ dysfunctions are also being observed, including the heart and blood vessels. Now, a new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 describes the abnormal activation of platelets in this disease and the link between this phenomenon and poor outcomes for COVID-19 patients.

24 Jun 2020

New project aims to track coronavirus using human waste

Recent studies in the Netherlands and other places have shown that the presence of SARS-Coronavirus-2, or the novel coronavirus, can be detected in human waste.

24 Jun 2020

New assay rapidly tests SARS-CoV-2 neutralization and screens antivirals

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, have developed a new platform that can rapidly test neutralizing antibody activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and perform high-throughput screening of potential antiviral agents.

24 Jun 2020

Effective neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by synthetic nanobodies targeting the spike protein

In their recent bioRxiv paper, a multinational group of researchers reported rapid isolation and characterization of nanobodies from a synthetic library (known as sybodies) that target the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein – with a strikingly high neutralization ability.

24 Jun 2020

New technique helps measure dNTP concentrations with greater sensitivity

A highly sensitive and easy-to-use technique applicable for tissue samples can be useful, for example, to researchers specialised in mitochondrial diseases and cancer.

24 Jun 2020

Evidence of link between ACE2 genotype and COVID-19 disease severity

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 shows that variants in the ACE2 gene which encodes the enzyme receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, are linked to the risk of severe disease.

24 Jun 2020

Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 can induce virus-specific T cell responses without seroconversion

A new study by researchers at Strasbourg University Hospital and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020 shows that COVID-19 antibody responses may sometimes be lacking following exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This could lead to a significant underestimation of the number of infections and the number of individuals who have achieved immunity.

24 Jun 2020

FDA approved drugs active against COVID-19

With the rapid spread of the virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) throughout the world, causing the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need for new antivirals and vaccines to combat its spread. The current study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 shows some of the results of the extensive repurposing of already FDA-approved drugs.

23 Jun 2020

8.5 percent of COVID-19 patients do not seroconvert

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 reports on the use of inexpensive and accurate ELISA and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) to identify the demographic and clinical factors that affect the antibody response in COVID-19 patients.

23 Jun 2020

Colombian corona hounds: SAR-CoV-2 detection by dogs

A new Colombian study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 describes the use of trained dogs to identify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected humans by scent alone. This would allow uninfected people to work together safely, rescuing the economy without driving up medical costs.

23 Jun 2020

Widespread testing could help stop the spread of COVID-19

The world is now in the grips of a historic pandemic. The death toll from the novel coronavirus has climbed to more than 117,000 in the United States and 448,000 around the world.

18 Jun 2020