covid 19 News and Research

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Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 may explain its dominance and spread

Researchers at Dokuz Eylül University, Turkey, have identified mutations in the genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that may have contributed to its dominance in Europe and elsewhere.

21 May 2020

Study shows selenium-containing compounds inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication and assembly

A recent paper by researchers from the Netherlands and Poland provides evidence that modified ebselen derivatives may serve as highly promising prospective drugs against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The manuscript is freely available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

21 May 2020

Computational immunology paves the way for SARS-CoV-2 peptide cocktail vaccine candidate

By employing an immunoinformatics approach, a new study available on the preprint server bioRxiv* shows how the combination of peptides designed from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid phosphoprotein and spike glycoprotein may trigger an improved immunological response with respectable safety profile, informing, in turn, further vaccine development.

21 May 2020

COVID-19 in farmed Mink in the Netherlands

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in May 2020 reports the development of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in farmed mink in two locations in the Netherlands.

21 May 2020

Does abdominal fat affect COVID-19 outcomes?

As the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be slowing down in some parts of the world slightly but accelerating in others, scientists are investigating the role played by a host of factors that might impact the final outcome. A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 examines the role of abdominal fat (visceral obesity, VO) in severe COVID-19.

21 May 2020

Lower mean number of household members associated with more COVID-19 cases

Regions of Italy with higher family fragmentation and a high number of residential nursing homes experienced the highest rate of COVID-19 infections in people over age 80, according to a new study published May 21, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Giuseppe Liotta of the University of Rome, Italy, and colleagues.

21 May 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: When it comes to COVID-19, states are on their own

At least so far, states that reopened their economies are not seeing a major spike in cases of COVID-19. But it remains unclear if that is because the coronavirus is not spreading, because the data is lagging or because the data is being manipulated.

21 May 2020

LLNL engineers address shortage of nasopharyngeal swabs for COVID-19

In this era of COVID-19, tracking the disease adequately enough to allow state and local officials to lift shelter-in-place orders and return to a semblance of normalcy in the absence of a vaccine will require widespread testing, according to medical experts.

21 May 2020

Study: COVID-19 infection may cause subacute thyroiditis

COVID-19 infection may cause subacute thyroiditis, according to a new case study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

21 May 2020

Medical rationing could cause unlawful death from COVID-19

While the initial coronavirus peak is starting to pass - in Europe, at least - without the ventilator shortages many feared, the spectre of a second wave or future outbreak means questions of medical rationing still hold sway.

21 May 2020

Producing virus-specific antibodies after COVID-19

In order to design effective vaccines for COVID-19, we need to understand our immune responses. News-Medical speaks to Professor Chen Dong to find out more.

21 May 2020

Bioinsider launches COVID-19 virtual meeting series

Bioinsider has opened registration and a call for speaker proposals for its four-part virtual meeting series, Together as One COVID-19 Series.

21 May 2020

Bio-Techne and Kantaro Biosciences announce partnership to develop and scale production of COVID-19 serology test

Bio-Techne Corporation and the Mount Sinai Health System in New York, through its commercial affiliate Kantaro Biosciences LLC (Kantaro), today announced a partnership to initiate scaled manufacturing and distribution of testing kits based on the Mount Sinai-developed COVID-19 serology test.

From Bio-Techne 21 May 2020

Analysis: Get ready for the vaccine — they’re never simple

If there is a silver lining to the flawed U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, it is this: The relatively high number of new cases being diagnosed daily — upward of 20,000 — will make it easier to test new vaccines.

21 May 2020

Reopening dental offices for routine care amid pandemic touches a nerve

Tom Peeling wanted his teeth cleaned and wasn't going to let the coronavirus pandemic get in the way.

21 May 2020

Scientist has ‘invisible enemy’ in sights with microscopic portraits of coronavirus

From her laboratory in the far western reaches of Montana, Elizabeth Fischer is trying to help people see what they're up against in COVID-19.

21 May 2020

Nasopharyngeal swab vs. saliva for COVID-19 diagnosis

One thing has become apparent in the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19. Early diagnosis and treatment, when necessary, is crucial to prevent the progression of the disease to critical and life-threatening stages where the mortality rate is much higher than otherwise. Rapid diagnosis is also key to containing outbreaks by allowing for efficient contact tracing in hospitals as well as in communities.

21 May 2020

Research looks at COVID-19 in cancer patients

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, new questions arise as to the risk posed by the virus to different patient populations, including the elderly and those with underlying disease. A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 deals with the risk of COVID-19 in the subgroup of patients with cancer.

21 May 2020

Quarantine improves air quality, prevents premature deaths in China

Soon after coronavirus appeared, an all-encompassing quarantine put into effect by the Chinese government slowed the spread of the disease and saved lives, but the quarantine also produced another unanticipated health benefit.

20 May 2020

Study: A quarter of the world's population without proper sanitation at high risk for COVID-19

Without access to soap and clean water, more than 2 billion people in low- and middle-income nations - a quarter of the world's population - have a greater likelihood of acquiring and transmitting the coronavirus than those in wealthy countries.

20 May 2020