Respiratory News and Research

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Overcrowding and multigenerational housing arrangements increase SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk

Researchers at the Weill Cornell Medical College aimed to determine the role of overcrowded households as a risk factor for COVID-19. The study's objective, which appeared in the medRxiv* pre-print server, was to examine the link between overcrowded and multigenerational households and COVID-19 in New York City.

25 Jun 2021

Renowned scientists recover deleted SARS-CoV-2 data from Wuhan

Renowned evolutionary researcher, Jesse Bloom from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, has conducted a phylogenetic analysis suggesting that the early severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequences that were obtained from the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China, are not fully representative of the viruses circulating in the city at the time of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

24 Jun 2021

Pronation maneuvers for critically ill COVID-19 patients - multidisciplinary management reduce complications

A recent study aimed to determine the efficacy of pronation maneuvers by the ICU physiotherapy team when used on critically ill COVID-19 patients.

24 Jun 2021

Mask-wearing reduces COVID-19 transmission significantly, study finds

Researchers from the University of Bristol found that an entire population that wears masks in public leads to a reduction in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by almost 26%.

24 Jun 2021

Care home staff burdened by increased workload caused by COVID-19 pandemic

A recent group of researchers aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the working practices of care home staff, particularly those caring for people with dementia.

24 Jun 2021

Scientists predict driver mutations of future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

A team of scientists from the USA has recently predicted the driver mutations that may appear in future variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The prediction is based on currently available genetic surveillance data on amino acid mutations present in SARS-CoV-2 variants. A detailed description of the study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

24 Jun 2021

Is COVID-19 more severe in pregnancy?

A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, indicates that pregnant women are more likely to develop severe disease following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

24 Jun 2021

Could polio vaccines induce cross-reactive antibodies that target SARS-CoV-2?

A new preprint released on the medRxiv* server explores a link between immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the earlier SARS-CoV, and childhood poliovirus vaccination. Almost 90% of the world’s people have received this vaccine, but antibodies elicited by it reduce over time and are almost absent at the end of adolescence.

24 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 causes ER-stress-activated unfolded protein response leading to cell death

A new study describes the varying ways in which the virus co-opts the machinery of the host cell following infection to evade or modulate the host immune response, alter the pattern of translation of viral proteins, and the release of new viral particles.

24 Jun 2021

New study suggests an earlier and faster spread of COVID-19 than initially thought

Researchers from Kent University in the UK have shown that the first coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient likely dates back to October 2019. They also found that the spread to other continents of its causative pathogen – the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – occurred faster and sooner.

24 Jun 2021

Long COVID has low prevalence in school-age children, UK study suggests

A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, offers some insights into what may be expected in this field, how common it is, how it presents, and how it compares with chronic sequelae of other respiratory viruses.

24 Jun 2021

New insights can pave the way for targeted therapies to fight blood clots in COVID-19 patients

Driven by the mystery of the blood clots reported in both living and deceased COVID-19 patients, researchers from Shoolini University, India, dig deeper into the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and other similar viral diseases, looking for ways in which these clots could be formed.

24 Jun 2021

Long covid has reignited polarisation in approaches to treat chronic fatigue syndrome

Many long covid patients are experiencing extreme fatigue, a situation which has reignited the polarization in approaches to treatment and rehabilitation of chronic fatigue syndrome, according to a special report today.

24 Jun 2021

Researchers reanalyze COVID RECOVERY trial data on tocilizumab

A Bayesian analysis of the RECOVERY trial suggests the immunosuppressive drug tocilizumab can reduce deaths in hospitalized COVID-19 patients taking corticosteroids as well as patients on oxygen or non-invasive ventilation and likely increases hospital discharge rates. However, it is not clear if patients on invasive ventilation also benefit.

24 Jun 2021

Green tea catechins might be useful as pan-coronavirus inhibitors

Scientists from the Queen’s University, Canada, have recently uncovered the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of epigallocatechin gallate, a bioactive compound from green tea, against highly pathogenic coronaviruses found in humans and animals. The compound prevents viral infection by interfering with virus-host cell attachment. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

24 Jun 2021

Bivalent DNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine induces strong humoral and cellular immunity in mice

A team of UK-based scientists has developed and validated a DNA vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that encodes both spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) and nucleocapsid of the virus as vaccine immunogens.

24 Jun 2021

Researchers identify the best masks for blocking respiratory droplets

During the COVID-19 pandemic, cloth face masks became a way to help protect yourself and others from the virus. And for some people, they became a fashion statement, with many fabric choices available.

24 Jun 2021

Resurgent SARS-CoV-2 infections in England linked to Delta variant

A major factor contributing to the ongoing pandemic of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been the emergence of new variants. Because the mutations of the original virus make variants more transmissible, there is more potential for the contagion to spread through social mixing due to the easing of lockdown.

24 Jun 2021

A study of circulating biomarkers in hospitalized patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant

Now, a new study published on the medRxiv* preprint server proposes a rapid method to identify the mutations in B.1.1.7 (N501Y mutation and H69/V70 deletion) and the impact of this variant on various biomarkers in hospitalized patients. This is the first study that correlates the biomarker levels to SARS-CoV-2 variants.

23 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 detection with a simple, inexpensive, and sensitive molecular test

Researchers from the US recently described a rapid molecular test named WHotLAMP for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva. WHotLAMP is easy to use, very sensitive at 3.6 viral RNA copies per microliter of saliva, specific, and inexpensive. This study is published on the medRxiv*preprint serve.

23 Jun 2021

Respiratory News and Research

Overcrowding and multigenerational housing arrangements increase SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk

Renowned scientists recover deleted SARS-CoV-2 data from Wuhan

Pronation maneuvers for critically ill COVID-19 patients - multidisciplinary management reduce complications

Mask-wearing reduces COVID-19 transmission significantly, study finds

Care home staff burdened by increased workload caused by COVID-19 pandemic

Scientists predict driver mutations of future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Is COVID-19 more severe in pregnancy?

Could polio vaccines induce cross-reactive antibodies that target SARS-CoV-2?

SARS-CoV-2 causes ER-stress-activated unfolded protein response leading to cell death

New study suggests an earlier and faster spread of COVID-19 than initially thought

Long COVID has low prevalence in school-age children, UK study suggests

New insights can pave the way for targeted therapies to fight blood clots in COVID-19 patients

Long covid has reignited polarisation in approaches to treat chronic fatigue syndrome

Researchers reanalyze COVID RECOVERY trial data on tocilizumab

Green tea catechins might be useful as pan-coronavirus inhibitors

Bivalent DNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine induces strong humoral and cellular immunity in mice

Researchers identify the best masks for blocking respiratory droplets

Resurgent SARS-CoV-2 infections in England linked to Delta variant

A study of circulating biomarkers in hospitalized patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant

SARS-CoV-2 detection with a simple, inexpensive, and sensitive molecular test

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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