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Severe complication of COVID-19 in children reveals distinct features of virus

A new study of patients with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a rare but severe complication of COVID-19 in children, reveals distinct immune features of COVID-19 not seen in adults that may clue scientists in to why SARS-CoV-2 infection manifests differently in children compared with adults.

3 Mar 2021

New tool can define how infectious pathogens transport in the air

In the 1995 movie "Outbreak," Dustin Hoffman's character realizes, with appropriately dramatic horror, that an infectious virus is "airborne" because it's found to be spreading through hospital vents.

3 Mar 2021

How SARS-CoV-2 proteins affect vascular functionality

The study, published on the pre-print server medRxiv, can pinpoint and isolate how each of the SARS-CoV-2 proteins independently affects the endothelial response and directly gauge endothelial functionality.

3 Mar 2021

Study demonstrates long-term neuropsychological consequences following SARS-CoV-2 infection

The study, published in the pre-print server medRxiv, demonstrates the presence of long-lasting neuropsychological sequelae after COVID-19, regardless of the respiratory disease's severity.

2 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 viremia predicts severe COVID-19 disease outcomes

The SARS-CoV-2 plasma viremia has been linked to severe disease and death in COVID-19 cases in small-scale cohort studies. The current study, published on the pre-print server medRxiv, aimed to study the mechanisms behind this relationship.

2 Mar 2021

Early antibody response predicts COVID-19 outcome

To address this gap, researchers from the U.S. evaluated the timing of antibody production against SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized patients. They used a highly sensitive multiplexed bead-based immunoassay that allows for early detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The study is published on the preprint server medRxiv.

2 Mar 2021

Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 viral load in hospitalized patients

A new paper, published on the medRxiv preprint server, investigates the role of subgenomic RNA transcripts in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Earlier, scientists believed that subgenomic RNA could be traceable infective markers to monitor infectivity.

2 Mar 2021

Concerning mutation in New York SARS-CoV-2 should be monitored, warn researchers

Researchers at the New York State Department of Health in the United States have said concerning mutations within the B.1.526 lineage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has recently become prevalent in New York State warrant further monitoring.

2 Mar 2021

Survey reveals impact of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination in the UK

Researchers at Imperial College London in the UK have reported on round five of the REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission-2 (REACT-2) program – a cross-sectional community survey measuring the prevalence of antibodies against the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among adults in England.

2 Mar 2021

Children with MIS-C have highly activated immune systems, study finds

Taking the first deep dive into how the immune system is behaving in patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found that children with this condition have highly activated immune systems that, in many ways, are more similar to those of adults with severe COVID-19.

2 Mar 2021

Readers and tweeters dispense timely advice for difficult times

Your body’s immune system has produced antibodies that will kill a few thousand kinds of germs and virus. Since you are alive, the chances are quite high you will survive its producing another. Here is how the system works.

2 Mar 2021

Could small synthetic antigen proteins be diagnostic tools for SARS-CoV-2?

Researchers have developed small proteins from sequences in SARS-CoV-2's RBD that bind to ACE2. These were as effective in binding to neutralizing antibodies as larger RBD proteins.

2 Mar 2021

Evonik partners with BioNTech to manufacture lipids for COVID-19 vaccine

Caused by SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread across the globe.

From Evonik 2 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 UK variant shows low virulence and high shedding in hamster model

A new study compares the pathogenicity and infectiousness of one such variant, the VOC 202012/01 (B.1.1.7 lineage) from the United Kingdom, with the globally dominant D614G mutation-carrying strains.

2 Mar 2021

Successful SARS-CoV-2 vaccination hinges on non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccine deployment strategies

A thought-provoking new study server discusses the factors that determine the successful use of available vaccines to mitigate incidence and mortality rates for COVID-19.

2 Mar 2021

Optimal storage protocols of wastewater samples for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection

A new preprint released on the medRxiv* server by researchers at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, takes this further in order to establish the limits of storage procedures while working on viral surveillance in this area.

2 Mar 2021

Moderna vaccine reduces viral spread by at least 60 percent, finds study

An interesting new study by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the U.S. suggests that the currently used Moderna vaccine reduces viral shedding by about 60%.

2 Mar 2021

Graphene oxide-silver nanoparticles shown to rapidly neutralize RNA viruses

While the vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are administered, and extensive research is conducted for targeted therapeutics to control the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), it is equally crucial to develop more novel, broad-spectrum antiviral compounds.

2 Mar 2021

Study shows how SARS-CoV-2 affects cytokines compared to other respiratory viruses

Respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 (causing COVID-19) can often catalyze an overactive immune response that leads to a life-threatening cycle, known as a cytokine storm.

2 Mar 2021

Study shows asthma mediator IL-13 prevents SARS-CoV-2 infection

In a paper published on the bioRxiv preprint server, researchers reported the results on whether IL-13 expression in asthma patients reduces their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

1 Mar 2021