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New test detects SARS-CoV-2 in less than 5 mins

A fast and accurate virus detection strategy is very crucial to reduce the rate of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen responsible for COVID-19. The global scientific research community responded to this unprecedented demand in diagnostic testing by developing several detection platforms, the most sensitive of which detect the viral RNA.

10 Jan 2021

COVID-19 ICU patients found to have higher burden of delirium and coma

COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care in the early months of the pandemic were subject to a significantly higher burden of delirium and coma than is typically found in patients with acute respiratory failure.

8 Jan 2021

FDA alerts health care providers and clinical laboratory staff about SARS-CoV-2 viral mutation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting clinical laboratory staff and health care providers that the FDA is monitoring the potential impact of viral mutations, including an emerging variant from the United Kingdom known as the B.1.1.7 variant, on authorized SARS-CoV-2 molecular tests, and that false negative results can occur with any molecular test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 if a mutation occurs in the part of the virus's genome assessed by that test.

8 Jan 2021

Study finds lower degree of myocarditis in athletes with a history of COVID-19

In a letter published in the December issue of the American Heart Association's medical journal Circulation a group of researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) dispute the most recent findings of the incidence of myocarditis in athletes with a history of COVID-19.

8 Jan 2021

Study reveals six-month consequences of COVID-19 in patients discharged from hospital

More than three quarters of COVID-19 patients have at least one ongoing symptom six months after initially becoming unwell, according to research published in The Lancet.

8 Jan 2021

Advanced nanomaterial-based biosensing platform rapidly detects COVID-19 antibodies

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University report findings on an advanced nanomaterial-based biosensing platform that detects, within seconds, antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 Jan 2021

How do SARS-CoV-2 antibodies change over time in recovered patients?

Researchers studied convalescent plasma from recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, with samples collected up to 34 weeks after recovery. They found IgG antibodies gradually declined with a median half-life of about 60 days.

8 Jan 2021

Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is possible in enclosed environments, a study finds

A team of scientists recently revealed that inside a closed room, the chance of airborne SARS-CoV-2 infection directly depends on the number of symptomatic COVID-19 patients in the room and the duration of exposure.

8 Jan 2021

Researchers develop a low-cost, saliva-optimized RT-LAMP assay for faster detection of SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the shortcomings in emergency response globally and has driven a massive demand for in vitro diagnostic testing technologies. In order to address these issues, researchers from the US recently used the new pH dye LAMPShade Violet (LSV) in RT-LAMP. LSV has better visual contrast between high and low pH and a stronger inflection point, both of which enable easy interpretation of results and reduces ambiguity.

8 Jan 2021

Study: Initial COVID-19 severity is not linked to later poor respiratory problems

A new study published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society examines the recovery of lung function and overall wellness in individuals who had varying degrees of COVID-19 severity.

8 Jan 2021

Study explores real-time personal and employee safety experiences during COVID-19 pandemic

A new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier, explores real-time personal and employee safety experiences and perspectives of school nutrition professionals ranging from frontline staff to state leadership across the United States during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic.

8 Jan 2021

Patients taking immunosuppressive drugs did not have worse COVID-19 outcomes

People taking immunosuppressive drugs to prevent organ transplant rejection or to treat inflammatory or autoimmune diseases do not fare worse than others on average when they are hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

7 Jan 2021

Link between fever, diarrhea, severe COVID-19, and persistent anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

A new preprint research paper appearing on the medRxiv server describes a link between the persistence of neutralizing antibodies against the virus, disease severity, and specific COVID-19 symptoms.

7 Jan 2021

Gut and oral microbiomes predict COVID-19 severity

One question that continues to remain unanswered during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been why is there a distinctive hit-and-miss pattern when it comes to severe disease? An interesting new study that appears on the medRxiv* preprint server pinpoints one highly relevant risk factor: the state of the oral and gut microbiomes.

7 Jan 2021

High-affinity SARS-CoV-2 RBD drives mutation spread, forms basis of new COVID-19 inhibitor

Now, an intriguing recent study appeared on the bioRxiv * preprint server describes the use of in vitro evolution to elicit affinity maturation of the viral receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein to bind the host cell angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) with greater affinity.

7 Jan 2021

Potential role of chitinase 3-like-1 in severity of COVID-19

Now, an intriguing preprint research paper on the bioRxiv server reports the identification of an enzyme called chitinase 3-like-1 (CHI3L1) that mediates this age-dependent impact of the virus and could serve as a powerful therapeutic approach in mitigating the severity of COVID-19 in this high-risk group.

7 Jan 2021

Antibodies and inflammatory markers are pervasive in colostrum of SARS-CoV-2 infected women

A recent study, currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server, is among the first to reveal the presence of antibodies against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in colostrum and to demonstrate elevated cytokine levels in colostrum from women exposed to the virus.

7 Jan 2021

Study reveals racial-ethnic inequities among people with type 1 diabetes and COVID-19

Black and Hispanic people with COVID-19 and diabetes are more likely than Caucasians to die or have serious complications, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

7 Jan 2021

Potential treatment approach to new COVID-19 variant

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated a potential new approach to treating infection with the new variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

7 Jan 2021

Facemasks significantly reduce simulated SARS-CoV-2 transmission in classroom setting

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have conducted a study showing that wearing facemasks in the classroom setting can be highly effective at reducing the aerosol transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

7 Jan 2021

Disease/Infection News

New test detects SARS-CoV-2 in less than 5 mins

COVID-19 ICU patients found to have higher burden of delirium and coma

FDA alerts health care providers and clinical laboratory staff about SARS-CoV-2 viral mutation

Study finds lower degree of myocarditis in athletes with a history of COVID-19

Study reveals six-month consequences of COVID-19 in patients discharged from hospital

Advanced nanomaterial-based biosensing platform rapidly detects COVID-19 antibodies

How do SARS-CoV-2 antibodies change over time in recovered patients?

Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is possible in enclosed environments, a study finds

Researchers develop a low-cost, saliva-optimized RT-LAMP assay for faster detection of SARS-CoV-2

Study: Initial COVID-19 severity is not linked to later poor respiratory problems

Study explores real-time personal and employee safety experiences during COVID-19 pandemic

Patients taking immunosuppressive drugs did not have worse COVID-19 outcomes

Link between fever, diarrhea, severe COVID-19, and persistent anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

Gut and oral microbiomes predict COVID-19 severity

High-affinity SARS-CoV-2 RBD drives mutation spread, forms basis of new COVID-19 inhibitor

Potential role of chitinase 3-like-1 in severity of COVID-19

Antibodies and inflammatory markers are pervasive in colostrum of SARS-CoV-2 infected women

Study reveals racial-ethnic inequities among people with type 1 diabetes and COVID-19

Potential treatment approach to new COVID-19 variant

Facemasks significantly reduce simulated SARS-CoV-2 transmission in classroom setting

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

How cohesin mechanics and nanotracker tech are redefining DNA research

Todd Bauman and Chris Povich

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