Severe Acute Respiratory News and Research

RSS

Angiopoietin-2 is a crucial determinant of COVID-19 prognosis, study finds

A team of scientists from the United States and Sweden has recently demonstrated that increased levels of a proinflammatory cytokine, angiopoietin-2, is responsible for hypercoagulation observed in severe COVID-19 patients.

18 Jan 2021

Could procalcitonin indicate bacterial co-infections in COVID-19 patients?

A recent study conducted by Austin Health, Australia, has revealed that the serum level of procalcitonin can be a strong indicator of bacterial co-infection with COVID-19.

18 Jan 2021

Can transgenic mice studies illuminate neurological complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 in humans?

The potentially deadly COVID-19 has not affected animals with corresponding severity. To understand the mechanism of severe disease, animal models have been used. This includes a mouse model that expresses human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) under the cytokeratin 18 promoter (K18-hACE2). A new study indicates that this may not be a faithful model of human lethal infection with SARS-CoV-2.

18 Jan 2021

What are the key factors and impact of interventions in England’s COVID-19 epidemic?

Researchers from Imperial College London provide a mathematical model to help understand how SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen of (COVID-19), spread across England in the first two waves of the epidemic, and the effect of various interventions by the government.

18 Jan 2021

New SARS-CoV-2 variant emerges in the U.S.

Even as the rollout of vaccines all over the world brings a glimmer of hope that the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may end in the near future, new variants continue to emerge, some with the potential to escape vaccine-induced or therapeutic antibodies. Now, a new preprint research paper published on the bioRxiv server describes a new American variant that may have become the dominant strain in the USA.

18 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2 anti-N rigid monoclonal antibodies provide accurate early diagnosis

An interesting new preprint research paper that was posted on the bioRxiv* server recently describes the use of rigid monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in contrast to flexible mAbs, and how this affects the binding of multiple mAbs to the same antigen.

17 Jan 2021

A high-temperature tolerant SARS-CoV-2 derived immunogen as a potential vaccine candidate

There have been significant efforts worldwide to combat COVID-19, the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). One prominent strategy has been to develop vaccines against the virus. Numerous vaccine candidates are under development, and a handful have now been approved for use by several countries.

17 Jan 2021

Research suggests St. John's Wort and Echinacea could protect against COVID-19

Researchers in Saudi Arabia have conducted a study demonstrating the antiviral effects of two medicinal herbs against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

17 Jan 2021

Analysis supports phase 3 trials of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine

Researchers in the Netherlands, the United States, and Belgium have presented early-stage clinical trial results demonstrating the safety and efficacy of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine candidate for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

17 Jan 2021

Study reveals possible SARS-CoV-2 escape mutant that may re-infect immune individuals

A recent study by US researchers shows how the 501Y.V2 variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), characterized by several mutations, is able to escape neutralization by present first-wave anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and potentially re-infect COVID-19 convalescent individuals.

17 Jan 2021

Severe COVID-19 linked to genetic make-up of both host and virus, say researchers

A recent study conducted by a team of international scientists has revealed that the infectivity and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 strongly depend on the genetic background of both the virus and the host.

15 Jan 2021

White-tailed deer susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, study finds

A team of scientists recently demonstrated that white-tailed deer are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, the infected animals are capable of transmitting the virus to their non-infected counterparts via indirect contact.

15 Jan 2021

Image-based deep learning haplotype-guided study maps the global adaptation of SARS-CoV-2

A new study used deep learning with image recognition technology to trace the emergence of variants with increased viral fitness. Higher fitness leads to rapid expansion of these lineages in the areas where they are introduced. This type of study could facilitate the development of more effective antibodies and vaccines to help contain the pandemic.

15 Jan 2021