Respiratory News and Research

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Impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on neonatal immunology

Although extensive studies have been carried out on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and evidence exists that pregnant women are at elevated risk of severe COVID-19, the impact of maternal infection on the fetus is not clear. The majority of pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 are asymptomatic or experience mild symptoms.

7 Jun 2021

Comparison of immunological profiles of SARS-CoV-2 variants

Mutations to the spike protein and receptor-binding domain are responsible for these changes in immunogenic profile, and in a paper recently uploaded to the open access journal Antibiotics by Ambrose et al. (May 6th, 2021) these mutations are correlated with various disease parameters by in silico methods, finding that particular features are responsible for the increased infectiousness and lesser disease severity observed in these lineages.

6 Jun 2021

COVID-19 symptoms in the feet

In a review paper recently uploaded to the Journal of Clinical Medicine by Jimenez-Cebrian et al. (May 19th, 2021), the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in feet, in particular, are reviewed, finding that vascular, dermatological, and neurological symptoms have been widely reported.

6 Jun 2021

High baseline levels of inflammatory cytokines linked to thrombotic events in patients with COVID-19

In a recent open-access paper published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, researchers from Iran and Germany show that high baseline levels of inflammatory cytokines measured during admission put patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at increased risk of developing coagulopathy, thrombotic events – and even death.

6 Jun 2021

Standardizable assay detects T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers in the UK have developed a high-throughput standardizable assay that accurately detects T cell responses to infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

6 Jun 2021

New data from CDC on effectiveness of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines

Researchers in the United States have conducted a study demonstrating the real-world effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines at preventing infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

6 Jun 2021

Metformin potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2-induced cytokine release in monocytes

An interesting new bioRxiv* preprint reports the suppression of monocyte glycolysis and cytokine production when exposed to the virus, following pretreatment with the commonly used drug, metformin.

6 Jun 2021

Gene offers some level of protection from severe Covid

The first evidence of a genetic link explaining why some people who catch Covid-19 don't become sick has been discovered.

5 Jun 2021

Mason researchers examine the potential anti-coronavirus activities of an over-the-counter drink

Could an over-the-counter health "shot" help fight COVID-19? George Mason University researchers think it just might.

5 Jun 2021

First human case of H10N3 influenza reported in Jiangsu, China

As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread and wreak havoc globally, another health threat emerged in China. The country has reported its first confirmed case of the rare H10N3 bird flu in a patient admitted to the hospital in April 2021 in Zhenjiang, China.

4 Jun 2021

Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection imprints immune response in the newborn

A new bioRxiv* preprint reports the immunological footprint in the newborn left by maternal infection with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy.

4 Jun 2021

Risk of SARS-CoV-2 spread to bats

A recent bioRxiv* preprint offers a powerful risk assessment approach to estimate the risk of bat exposure to SARS-CoV-2 from humans during their interactions in the wild.

4 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 evades neutralizing antibodies and rapidly spreads by cell fusion, finds study

In a new study by researchers in the UK, Germany and South Africa, this process is visualized using time-lapse microscopy of a human cell lung line, demonstrating that SARS-CoV-2 can induce cell-to-cell fusion within 6 hours post-infection. Further, the application of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma was unable to prevent the spread of the virus by this mechanism, suggesting that removing SARS-CoV-2 from cells permissive of cell membrane fusion could be more difficult than other types of cell.

4 Jun 2021

Post-COVID-19 assessment shows long-lasting consequences for many non-hospitalized individuals

Complications following COVID-19 infection require quick identification and management to help plan policy and health system responses. Researchers in the UK recently described the 12-month experience of the first dedicated post-COVID clinical service in the UK to include both hospitalized and non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. This study has been released on the medRxiv* the preprint server.

4 Jun 2021

Mental health effects common among mild and severe cases of COVID-19

Findings on mental health outcomes of COVID-19 infection show frequent symptoms associated with lasting neurological symptoms.

4 Jun 2021

Another symptom of the COVID-19 pandemic: unhealthy eating

In a study of 2,000 people, researchers found that the recent abrupt change in our daily routines caused us to change our eating behaviors.

4 Jun 2021

Researchers report how the tobacco and e-cigarette industry capitalized on COVID-19 to promote smoking

Scientific papers suggesting that smokers are less likely to fall ill with covid-19 are being discredited as links to the tobacco industry, reveals an investigation by The BMJ today.

4 Jun 2021

Novel insights can open doors to combating clotting-related problems in COVID-19

Researchers scour what is known to come up with a hypothesis of why blood clots can be a major problem in COVID-19

4 Jun 2021

Study brings to light the role of a cellular protein in COVID-19 infections

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a protein found on the surface of lung cells, facilitates the entry of the novel coronavirus into host cells.

4 Jun 2021

Clinical trial evaluating mixed COVID-19 vaccine schedules begins at NIH

Vaccination efforts against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus behind the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, are well underway in many countries. Over 2 billion vaccines have been administered to date, and campaigns continue to encourage more people to get vaccinated.

4 Jun 2021