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Prolonged shedding and multiple mutations 154 days after initial SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis reported

An interesting new preprint published on the medRxiv server describes an immunosuppressed patient with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who continued to shed the virus for an astounding 154 days. During this period, the virus underwent numerous mutations.

19 Jan 2021

Scientists set research priorities for COVID-19 vaccines

More than 2,800 scientists from 130 countries gathered on Friday (January 15) in a virtual forum hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify knowledge gaps and set research priorities for vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

19 Jan 2021

WHO Emergency Committee to review emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), according to the WHO Emergency Committee (EC) on COVID-19.

19 Jan 2021

Global scientists are intensifying research on COVID-19

Global scientists are intensifying research into COVID-19, as the World Health Organization (WHO) moves to expand its scientific collaboration and monitoring of emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

18 Jan 2021

International health organizations establish global Ebola vaccine stockpile

The four leading international health and humanitarian organizations announced today the establishment of a global Ebola vaccine stockpile to ensure outbreak response.

18 Jan 2021

Green Mediterranean diet reduces non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, show randomized trials

A green Mediterranean (MED) diet reduces intrahepatic fat more than other healthy diets and cuts non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in half, according to a long-term clinical intervention trial led by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers and a team of international colleagues.

18 Jan 2021

Genomics reveals distinct patterns of emergence of SARS‐CoV‐2 spike variants in Columbus, Ohio

Recently researchers from the United States reported the results of a SARS‐CoV‐2 genomic surveillance conducted between April 2020 and January 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. Their work is released as a preprint on the bioRxiv server.

18 Jan 2021

Understanding the Philippines' relative success with COVID-19

Many high-income countries have reported rising numbers of cases, while a few low-income countries such as the Philippines report a less severe COVID-19 outbreak. To date, the archipelagic country in Southeast Asia has reported 502,000 cases and 9,900 deaths among its population of around 108 million.

18 Jan 2021

About 60 percent of SARS-CoV-2 cases in England tied to new variant by the end of December

One new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern, called 202012/01, started to spread in England in late October. A new study published on the pre-print server medRxiv found that 60 percent of daily COVID-19 cases screened by the Alderley Park Lighthouse Labs were tied to 202012/01, also known as lineage B.1.1.7 or 20B/501Y.V1. This suggests a rapid spread of the new variant across the country.

18 Jan 2021

Closed SARS-CoV-2 spikes could be a valuable component of future vaccines

Now, researchers at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom, reveal that engineered closed S constructs may be valuable immunogens that can induce neutralizing antibodies against a different pattern of epitopes. This allows for the flexibility of vaccines at both the individual and population levels.

18 Jan 2021

Essential oils from Greek herbs may protect against COVID-19

Researchers in Greece have demonstrated the antiviral effects of Cretan aromatic plant oils on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

18 Jan 2021

Research suggests seaweed used in traditional Chinese medicine could protect against COVID-19

Researchers in China have conducted a study showing that a carbohydrate found in the seaweed Ecklonia kurome blocks the activity of an enzyme that is essential for the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

18 Jan 2021

Two common blood pressure drugs are not tied to increased risk of COVID-19

Research published in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet Digital Health and co-led by a UCLA Fielding School of Public Health faculty member has found that two widely used types of blood pressure drugs are not tied to an increased risk of COVID-19 infection or complications.

18 Jan 2021

Near-universal adoption of masks along with public health measures could eliminate disease spread

Research published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that near-universal adoption of nonmedical masks in public, combined with complementary public health measures, could reduce spread to essentially zero.

18 Jan 2021

Smart vaccine scheme could protect more people from life-threatening rabies

More people could be protected from life-threatening rabies thanks to an agile approach to dog vaccination using smart phone technology to spot areas of low vaccination coverage in real time.

18 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2 RNA in blood serum could predict COVID-19 mortality

Researchers find that the presence of SARS-CoV-2's genetic material in the serum of positive patients could be a sturdy biomarker for predicting COVID-19-related mortality.

18 Jan 2021

Modified natural killer cells show neutralizing and multivalent potential against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

A new study suggests that modified natural killer cells, which express a chimeric antigen receptor using S309 antibody, can bind to and inactivate SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in vitro.

18 Jan 2021

Angiopoietin-2 is a crucial determinant of COVID-19 prognosis, study finds

A team of scientists from the United States and Sweden has recently demonstrated that increased levels of a proinflammatory cytokine, angiopoietin-2, is responsible for hypercoagulation observed in severe COVID-19 patients.

18 Jan 2021

Could procalcitonin indicate bacterial co-infections in COVID-19 patients?

A recent study conducted by Austin Health, Australia, has revealed that the serum level of procalcitonin can be a strong indicator of bacterial co-infection with COVID-19.

18 Jan 2021

Can transgenic mice studies illuminate neurological complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 in humans?

The potentially deadly COVID-19 has not affected animals with corresponding severity. To understand the mechanism of severe disease, animal models have been used. This includes a mouse model that expresses human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) under the cytokeratin 18 promoter (K18-hACE2). A new study indicates that this may not be a faithful model of human lethal infection with SARS-CoV-2.

18 Jan 2021

Disease/Infection News

Prolonged shedding and multiple mutations 154 days after initial SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis reported

Scientists set research priorities for COVID-19 vaccines

WHO Emergency Committee to review emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants

Global scientists are intensifying research on COVID-19

International health organizations establish global Ebola vaccine stockpile

Green Mediterranean diet reduces non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, show randomized trials

Genomics reveals distinct patterns of emergence of SARS‐CoV‐2 spike variants in Columbus, Ohio

Understanding the Philippines' relative success with COVID-19

About 60 percent of SARS-CoV-2 cases in England tied to new variant by the end of December

Closed SARS-CoV-2 spikes could be a valuable component of future vaccines

Essential oils from Greek herbs may protect against COVID-19

Research suggests seaweed used in traditional Chinese medicine could protect against COVID-19

Two common blood pressure drugs are not tied to increased risk of COVID-19

Near-universal adoption of masks along with public health measures could eliminate disease spread

Smart vaccine scheme could protect more people from life-threatening rabies

SARS-CoV-2 RNA in blood serum could predict COVID-19 mortality

Modified natural killer cells show neutralizing and multivalent potential against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Angiopoietin-2 is a crucial determinant of COVID-19 prognosis, study finds

Could procalcitonin indicate bacterial co-infections in COVID-19 patients?

Can transgenic mice studies illuminate neurological complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 in humans?

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