Disease/Infection News

RSS

SARS-CoV-2 induces broad T cell response in recovering patients

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 shows that T cell responses in COVID-19 patients are broader and more robust in severe disease and are explicitly directed against spike, memory, and ORF3a proteins.

23 Jun 2020

New study to analyze risks posed by heat wave and COVID-19

As the United States nears its hottest time of the year, scientists are launching a research project into whether the public health impacts of extreme heat will be amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

23 Jun 2020

8.5 percent of COVID-19 patients do not seroconvert

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 reports on the use of inexpensive and accurate ELISA and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) to identify the demographic and clinical factors that affect the antibody response in COVID-19 patients.

23 Jun 2020

Scientists find COVID-19 antibodies fade quickly

Now, a new study shows that the levels of antibodies found in recovered coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients declined sharply in just two to three months after infection for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

23 Jun 2020

Economic downturn triggered by COVID-19 crisis can have long-term impact on clean energy innovation

The short-term environmental benefits of the COVID-19 crisis, including declines in carbon emissions and local air pollution, have been documented since the early days of the crisis.

23 Jun 2020

Scientists create 'all-atom' model of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an illness that has spread across the globe, infecting more than 9 million people. The novel coronavirus invades cells through "spike proteins," which sticks and binds itself to a host cell.

23 Jun 2020

Single-dose Israeli vaccine candidate protective against SARS-CoV-2

Now, a new Israeli study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports a new recombinant vaccine expressing the S or spike protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to be highly protective with a single dose in an animal model. This could be a gamechanger in the fight to contain the outbreak.

23 Jun 2020

Colombian corona hounds: SAR-CoV-2 detection by dogs

A new Colombian study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 describes the use of trained dogs to identify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected humans by scent alone. This would allow uninfected people to work together safely, rescuing the economy without driving up medical costs.

23 Jun 2020

Characterizing SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 uses serologic correlates to assess the efficacy of convalescent plasma. This will also help to classify donor plasma as more or less potent at neutralizing the virus.

23 Jun 2020

Growth, adaptation and neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 with acute-phase serum

One recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports the results of growing and characterizing the virus, as well as the development of neutralizing antibodies in the serum of acutely infected hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

22 Jun 2020

Dire warning on contamination of water and COVID-19 spread

A recent report by scientists in the United Kingdom and Poland and published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 describes the presence of stable severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in water for up to 25 days, with the risk of infection by the contaminated water varying by the country’s environment.

22 Jun 2020

Prior infection provides protection against SARS-CoV-2 virus in hamsters

In an animal model for COVID-19 that shares important features of human disease, scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the University of Tokyo and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai show that prior infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus provides protection against reinfection, and treatment with convalescent serum limits virus replication in their lungs.

22 Jun 2020

UTHealth tests arthritis drug's effect on COVID-19-induced cytokine storm

A drug is being studied for its effectiveness in treating a type of severe immune overreaction seen in patients with COVID-19-induced pneumonia by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

22 Jun 2020

Early COVID-19 cases may be 80 times greater than originally reported

Many epidemiologists believe that the initial COVID-19 infection rate was undercounted due to testing issues, asymptomatic and alternatively symptomatic individuals, and a failure to identify early cases.

22 Jun 2020

Hospitals, manufacturers team up with Sandia to increase availability of respirator masks

Sandia National Laboratories is teaming with local hospitals and medical device manufacturers to increase the availability of respirator masks for health care workers.

22 Jun 2020

SARS-CoV-2 paradox: Lower death rate during early stages of the pandemic

An analysis of national weekly mortality rates between December 2019 - March 2020, compared to the same period for the previous five years, by researchers at WMG and WMS, University of Warwick, has shown that there have been fewer deaths registered this year during the lead up to the Covid-19 pandemic.

22 Jun 2020

Cardiac care in the era of COVID-19

As Cedars-Sinai expands telehealth and video visits and resumes surgeries, Joanna Chikwe, MD, chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Smidt Heart Institute, has her focus on one thing: ensuring that patients with heart disease understand it is safe to be seen, and treated, by Cedars-Sinai healthcare teams.

22 Jun 2020

Three vaccine candidates race to combat SARS-CoV-2

As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) ravages across the globe, scientists are racing to develop an effective vaccine to combat the viral infection. Caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the disease has infected nearly 9 million people.

22 Jun 2020

UMN report: STIs continue to rise among Minnesota youth

While pregnancy and birth rates continue to decline to historic lows for 15 to 19-year-olds, Minnesota youth are contracting sexually transmitted infections (STI) at alarmingly high rates.

22 Jun 2020

Favipiravir has weak effect on SARS-CoV-2 and Hydroxychloroquine none at all in hamster model

A new study from Belgian researchers shows that antiviral drug Favipiravir could have a weak effect against the dreaded novel coronavirus or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as seen in hamster models. However, the study also finds there is no efficacy of the much-touted drug Hydroxychloroquine.

22 Jun 2020