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Scientist explains why COVID-19 targets only some organs while others are spared

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses the enzyme angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to enter and infect human cells. It causes COVID-19 and can lead to a multitude of complications, including multi-organ impairment, partially due to the abundant expression of ACE2 in all human tissues.

11 Aug 2020

Focusing on human enzymes and not SARS-CoV-2 could help treat COVID-19

Now, breakthrough research into malaria suggests targeting enzymes from the human host, rather than from the pathogen itself. The new research could pave the way for effective treatments for a wide range of infectious diseases, including the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

11 Aug 2020

1st human data for Sinovac's SARS-CoV-2 CoronaVac vaccine is out

A group of Chinese researchers recently conducted a phase 2 clinical trial to further evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine known as CoronaVac. The results are currently available on the medRxiv preprint server and demonstrate that the vaccine is well tolerated and without any notable dose-related safety concerns, which opens the door for phase 3 clinical trial.

11 Aug 2020

Inhaled delivery of a potent neutralizing nanobody effective against SARS-CoV-2

A recent study by researchers from China, available on the bioRxiv preprint server, shows how stable neutralizing nanobody Nb11-59 might be a promising prophylactic and therapeutic molecule against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – especially if administered via the inhalatory route.

11 Aug 2020

Study shows home monitoring program improves survival rates in infants with heart defects

Interstage Home Monitoring (IHM) programs for infants with single ventricle heart defects help families recognize potential complications early and improve infant survival rates and growth prior to the second of multiple surgeries.

11 Aug 2020

Research looks at how long SARS-CoV-2 antibodies last

A new study by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 deals with the changes in neutralizing antibodies in the following months.

11 Aug 2020

New research on COVID-19 and aging

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in August 2020 shows that genetic factors, chronic disease, and biological aging define the relationship between aging and the severity of COVID-19.

11 Aug 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission possible in North American deer mice

The current COVID-19 pandemic began as a zoonosis in China, at the end of 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel betacoronavirus with significant similarity to an earlier virus of the same family.

11 Aug 2020

Study finds amplification of coronavirus transmission risk along wildlife supply chains

Coronaviruses were detected in a high proportion of bats and rodents in Viet Nam from 2013 to 2014, with an increasing proportion of positive samples found along the wildlife supply chain from traders to large markets to restaurants, according to a study published August 10 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Amanda Fine of the Wildlife Conservation Society and colleagues.

10 Aug 2020

Persistent hiccups an unusual COVID-19 symptom

Now, a team of researchers revealed another atypical symptom reported by patients infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – persistent hiccups.

10 Aug 2020

Scientists reveal the best and worst face masks to use for COVID-19 protection

Duke University went about testing 14 different types of masks to determine which offers the best protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The team has found that bandannas, gaiters, and knitted masks are some of the least effective face coverings for preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

10 Aug 2020

Screening for malnutrition may help identify ACS patients at high risk of adverse outcomes

In a study published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology of more than 5,000 acute coronary syndromes (ACS) patients, 71.8% were considered malnourished by at least one nutrition screening test, and worsening malnutrition status was associated with higher mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), such as another heart attack or stroke.

10 Aug 2020

CRISPR-based COVID-19 surveillance

A recent US study available on the medRxiv preprint server supports the use of self-collected oropharyngeal swabs, together with CRISPR- and PCR-based diagnostic assays, as rapid, feasible and reliable approach for the surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in university students and other asymptomatic individuals

10 Aug 2020

AI-enhanced precision medicine approach lays groundwork for identification of autism subtype

A novel precision medicine approach enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) has laid the groundwork for what could be the first biomedical screening and intervention tool for a subtype of autism, reports a new study from Northwestern University, Ben Gurion University, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

10 Aug 2020

Miscarriage risk increases with each additional week of alcohol exposure in early pregnancy

Each week a woman consumes alcohol during the first five to 10 weeks of pregnancy is associated with an incremental 8% increase in risk of miscarriage, according to a study by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers.

10 Aug 2020

A 'short list' of signature peptides for tracking down SARS-CoV-2 virus

SPI researchers (Marcoule) used proteomics to identify signature peptides of the SARS-CoV-2 virus expressed in vitro.

10 Aug 2020

Mass spectrometry shows potential for rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection

A team from SPI in Marcoule detected by mass spectrometry, in 3 minutes and without specific reagents, signature peptides of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in clinical samples. It thus provides a proof of concept of the use of this method as a possible alternative to PCR, currently the reference method.

10 Aug 2020

Reopening after COVID-19 lockdown and impact on disease

The study shows that 8 of 11 European countries had significantly more cases after reopening, but Germany, the UAE, and Poland had fewer. In five of the eight, the cases increased, peaked, and then dropped before the reopening happened, while Romania and Serbia showed a rapid rise before reopening.

10 Aug 2020

SARS-CoV-2 droplets travel further and last longer than thought, and even more in humid air

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is spread by respiratory aerosols, in which tiny droplets of saliva and mucus containing the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are expelled from the upper respiratory tract. Though quite a few studies have investigated the viral load of such droplets, not much is known about how far these droplets move or how long they linger in the air, even though such information is crucial to determining how infectious they are.

10 Aug 2020

Planning low-risk school re-opening in the U.S.

With the rapid and extensive spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the USA witnessed an almost universal closure of schools in March 2020. Now, after months of enforced online schooling, federal authorities are impatient for schools to re-open. However, how should this be done without endangering the lives of teachers, administrative and other non-teaching staff, and students at school, and parents/other family members at home?

10 Aug 2020