Respiratory Virus News and Research

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COVID-19 pandemic illuminates the importance of airborne transmission of respiratory viruses

SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind today's global coronavirus pandemic, spreads primarily by inhalation of virus-laden aerosols at both short and long ranges -;and a comprehensive new assessment of respiratory viruses finds that many others probably do as well.

27 Aug 2021

Improved understanding of aerosol transmission could help control airborne respiratory viruses

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed critical knowledge gaps and assumptions concerning how respiratory viruses spread between hosts.

27 Aug 2021

Oral mucosa identified as potential target for SARS-CoV-2 infection

A recent study suggested that ACE2 receptors are expressed in oral tissues, making the oral cavity an important potential entry point of SARS-CoV-2.

26 Aug 2021

Study examines COVID vaccination in California state prisons

In a new retrospective cohort study, researchers determined the efficacy of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 among incarcerated people in California.

22 Aug 2021

A combination of oral bacteria and intranasal vaccine provide protection from influenza A virus and COVID-19

A new study published in the journal mBio focuses on the role of nasal bacteria in eliciting virus-specific adaptive immunity.

20 Aug 2021

Millions of Africans are at risk of contracting COVID-19 due to lack of public health tools

Millions of people across the African continent are at risk of contracting COVID-19 because of a lack of the most basic public health tools to protect themselves - including the essentials of soap and water.

20 Aug 2021

White-tailed deer are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been shown to infect a wide range of animals naturally and experimentally, and prior studies indicate deer are susceptible to infection. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns have been found to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2.

19 Aug 2021

Off-season resurgence of respiratory viruses poses a threat to vulnerable infants

Canada should anticipate a resurgence of a childhood respiratory virus as COVID-19 physical distancing measures are relaxed, authors warn in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

27 Jul 2021

Researchers use mass spectrometry to study immunogenic SARS-CoV-2 epitopes

A new study has been published on the bioRxiv* preprint server, which has used MS to identify T cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 conserved protein, i.e., the membrane glycol protein (MGP) and the non-structure protein-13 (NSP13).

23 Jul 2021

Wildfire smoke drives people in low-vaccinated areas indoors, raising outbreak fears

Missoula's new downtown library was teeming with people who might typically spend a Saturday afternoon hiking, biking or otherwise making the most of Montana's abundant outdoor recreation. One look at the soupy haze blanketing the city and it was clear why.

22 Jul 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variants show distinct humoral response and transcriptional profiles in hamster model

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel, highly infectious respiratory virus, and the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. SARS-CoV-2, which first originated in Wuhan, in Hubei province of China, is a member of the Coronavirdae family and has a large, non-segmented RNA genome.

14 Jul 2021

SARS-CoV-2 infects and replicates in the salivary glands, study finds

In Brazil, researchers at the University of São Paulo's Medical School (FM-USP) have discovered that SARS-CoV-2 infects and replicates in the salivary glands.

6 Jul 2021

Study explores the effects of SARS-CoV-2 (and other betacoronaviruses) on cellular mRNA processing

A new study has been released on the bioRxiv* preprint server, which deals with a comprehensive survey on alternative splicing concerning SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study has also included two other betacoronavirurses (SARS-CoV and MERS), a control set of unrelated viruses, and a bacterium, namely, Streptococcus pneumonia. The study findings suggest that several cellular parameters are affected owing to a betacoronavirus infection, which in turn affects some genes and invariably various biological functions.

6 Jul 2021

Salivary markers of oxidative stress during severe COVID-19

An interesting study from researchers at the University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, presents evidence that an elevated level of expression of oxidant molecules may be correlated with severe infection and lung injury.

2 Jul 2021

The use of flavonoids as antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in Iran have undertaken a comprehensive review of flavonoids and their antiviral potential against SARS-CoV-2.

2 Jul 2021

Specific lung cell exhibits immune properties and improves respiratory viral disease outcomes

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have discovered that a specific type of lung cell exhibits unconventional immune properties and may contribute to the outcome of respiratory viral infections.

28 Jun 2021

Vaccines and drugs must be adapted to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, says study

A new review of the emerging variants of concern (VOCs) of the SARS-CoV-2, which has caused the COVID-19 pandemic, shows that there is a major need to constantly re-evaluate the utility of existing therapeutics and vaccines against the virus and to develop new ones.

28 Jun 2021

Scientists develop low-cost lab-on-paper device for rapid and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the University of Connecticut, USA, has developed a low-cost lab-on-paper technology to rapidly and easily detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The work has recently been published in a Royal Society of Chemistry’s Lab on a Chip journal.

18 Jun 2021

Exposure to common cold virus can protect against COVID-19 infection

Exposure to the rhinovirus, the most frequent cause of the common cold, can protect against infection by the virus which causes COVID-19, Yale researchers have found.

15 Jun 2021

Immune memory responses differ between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A

Researchers in Canada have shown that the long-lasting immunity that develops following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is characterized by different T cell responses than those observed for influenza A virus-specific immune memory.

14 Jun 2021