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Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine may not be associated with adverse effects on fertility and breastfeeding, says study

A recent study by researchers in Singapore shows the absence of evidence for adverse effects on fertility or the presence of the vaccine mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) in breast milk, following the administration of the Pfizer BNT162B2 COVID-19 vaccine. This supports efforts to prevent the spread of false information about the effects of the vaccine.

27 May 2021

Plant-based food can reduce heart disease risk by 10% research shows

In a new study, researchers have found that substituting an animal protein for dinner with a plant protein could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 10%.

27 May 2021

Could the marine compound plitidepsin promote recovery from moderate COVID-19?

A new paper by an international team of researchers describes experimental evidence of the antiviral efficacy of a marine compound called plitidepsin against SARS-CoV-2. The findings show that plitidepsin inhibits SARS-CoV at low concentrations, as observed by a thousand-fold reduction in genomic RNA and viral titers in cells exposed to the virus in culture when treated.

27 May 2021

Nanobody inhalation found to be effective against COVID-19 in hamsters

In a recent paper, researchers describe an aerosolized nanobody formulation that was found to effectively block SARS-CoV-2 in Syrian hamsters.

27 May 2021

New DNA COVID-19 vaccine proven effective in mice

A new study has shown that a new DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine successfully induced immunization against SARS-CoV-2 in mice and hamsters.

27 May 2021

Study shows CoronaVac to have high seroconversion rate after 40 days

Researchers from the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil, looked into the seroconversion rate after vaccination with the CoronaVac. Using immunoassays, they measured the immunoglobulins (IgG) for anti-nucleocapsid protein (anti-N) antibodies and anti-spike-1 (anti-S1) protein antibodies.

27 May 2021

Vagus nerve stimulation may be a potential adjunct therapy for COVID-19

COVID-19 was initially described as lung inflammation, or pneumonia, in older adults. However, we now know that SARS-CoV-2 infections can cause a wide range of symptoms in people of all ages, ranging from no symptoms at all to systemic inflammation and even death.

27 May 2021

Protein-RNA interactions in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells reveal key regulators of infection

Researchers in the UK, including the University of Oxford and Glasgow, as well as the University of Heidelberg, published their analysis of protein-RNA interactions in SARS-CoV-2 and the subsequent significance in the journal Molecular Cell. This research could help to uncover novel antiviral strategies for COVID-19 due to a broader understanding of how the virus works.

27 May 2021

Study sheds new light on complex dynamics involved in microbial infections

Included in the vast fallout stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists are paying closer attention to microbial infections and how life forms defend against attacks from pathogens.

27 May 2021

Astodrimer sodium exhibits potent virucidal and antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Researchers from the US and Australia recently conducted some studies to assess the in vitro antiviral and virucidal (irreversible) activity of astodrimer sodium against SARS-CoV-2.

26 May 2021

Neurocognitive symptoms persist 6 months post-infection with long COVID

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 long-haulers are people who experience symptoms such as body ache, fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, difficulty concentrating, loss of taste or smell, or other health issues long after they test negative for the virus. It can be defined as having serious and prolonged symptoms three months after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

26 May 2021

Disproportionate number of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections are caused by variants of concern

A study conducted by researchers in the United States has shown that among twenty patients with breakthrough infection following vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – all of the infections were caused by variants of concerns.

26 May 2021

Reducing COVID-19 burden with monoclonal antibodies and vaccination

Researchers in the United States, the UK and France have shown that using antiviral monoclonal antibodies in combination with vaccination can be expected to suppress the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) and reduce the burden of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) more than vaccination alone.

26 May 2021

Will SARS-CoV-2 eventually become just another seasonal coronavirus?

Could SARS-CoV-2 become just a seasonal nuisance in the next decade, causing just coughs and sniffles like a common cold, suggests new research? Scientists at the University of Utah, USA, tried to predict the possible future of the novel coronavirus using mathematical models that use learnings from the current pandemic on changes in human immunity over time.

26 May 2021

CASdetec: new CRISPR-based SARS-CoV-2 detection platform detects nucleic acids with high sensitivity and specificity

To add to existing CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection protocols, a team of researchers recently established a new SARS-CoV-2 detection protocol based on their previously reported platform - CDetection (Cas12b-mediated DNA detection). They combined nucleic-acid amplification methods and sample treatment protocols with CDetection and established an integrated nucleic acid detection platform called CRISPR-assisted detection or CASdetec. CASdetec has a detection limit of 1×104 copies/mL for SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, without any observed cross-reactivity.

26 May 2021

New COVID-19 test can deliver highly accurate results in less than 15 minutes

A new rapid coronavirus test developed by KAUST scientists can deliver highly accurate results in less than 15 minutes.

26 May 2021

Intensity and duration of SARS-CoV-2 immunity may depend on ABO blood group

A team of scientists from Canada and Spain recently evaluated the durability of antigen-specific immune responses in COVID-19 recovered individuals. They have also identified potential host factors associated with robust and long-lasting anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity.

26 May 2021

Researchers develop a method to detect SARS-CoV-2 and variants simultaneously

Researchers demonstrate a method of detecting the presence and mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus using the smaller and cheaper Oxford Nanopore sequencer, a method they believe could make pandemic surveillance faster and cheaper.

26 May 2021

Could GRP78 be a therapeutic target against COVID-19?

A new study by a team of researchers at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, USA, reports a potentially important therapeutic target in the form of a molecule called GRP78 that promotes the entry and protein production by many viruses. The team's paper has been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

26 May 2021

New SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge among children in United States, suggests study

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic approaches its eighteenth month, new variants of concern (VOCs) of the causative pathogen – severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – continue to emerge all over the world. A new study explores the emergence of such VOCs among young children, below 12 years of age, and the potential consequences of this phenomenon.

26 May 2021