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Study demonstrates that intra-host SARS-CoV-2 variants with reduced infectivity are developed during infection

A new paper discusses the appearance of quasi-species in a single host with prolonged infection, with different rates of infectivity and sensitivity to neutralization by antibodies elicited by the Pfizer vaccine or those present in convalescent plasma.

17 Jan 2022

Study reveals aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via floor drains

A new study investigated COVID-19 cases in an apartment complex in South Korea and explored the possibility of aerosol transmission without direct contact between infected individuals with the help of molecular phylogenetic analysis and epidemiological surveillance.

17 Jan 2022

Nine-month survey of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in North Carolina

A new paper reports increased breakthrough infections with SARS-CoV-2, the agent behind the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

17 Jan 2022

Study investigates whether immune responses to BNT162b2 vaccine differ in subjects with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new paper published in the journal JCI Insight reports on the differential levels of immunity achieved in those with and without a history of prior infection with the virus following one and two doses of the earliest vaccines to be approved for emergency use.

17 Jan 2022

New data fusion method classifies skin lesions more precisely than prior algorithms

Dermatologists typically classify skin lesions based on multiple data sources. Algorithms that fuse the information together can support this classification. An international research team has now developed an algorithm that classifies skin lesions more accurately than previous algorithms by using an improved data fusion process.

17 Jan 2022

COPD: Ion channels in immune cells could potentially be targets for new therapies

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – COPD for short – is one of the most common diseases of the lung. It affects almost 300 million people worldwide, of which about three million die every year.

17 Jan 2022

Monitoring rodents for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, Hong Kong

A new study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal has hypothesized that locations with positive SARS-CoV-2 in sewage could be used as potential surveillance targets to analyze if pestiferous urban rodents shed SARS-CoV-2 into the environment.

16 Jan 2022

Cannabidiol may improve innate immune response against SARS-CoV-2

A recent study shows evidence that cannabidiol, an important active ingredient in the Cannabis sativa plant, can augment the antiviral innate immune response and prophylactically prime the innate antiviral response of cells – enabling in turn improved response against viruses such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

16 Jan 2022

UV-C light prevents airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers demonstrate that ultraviolet light-C (UV-C) effectively prevents airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

16 Jan 2022

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron has similar infectious viral load to Delta

Researchers compare SARS-CoV-2 pre-variants of concern strains to the Delta and Omicron VOCs.

16 Jan 2022

Exploring the relationship between stem cells and COVID-19

Though COVID-19-related stem cell clinical research is still in its infancy, stem cell treatment offers extensive clinical application possibilities and a far-reaching relevance thanks to ongoing exploration of stem cell clinical research and data mining.

14 Jan 2022

Naïve T cells suggested as critical to low mortality of children with COVID-19

A new study discusses how naïve T cells may contribute to lower mortality rates seen in children with COVID-19.

14 Jan 2022

Exploring waning vaccine effectiveness over time

New research provides strong evidence against waning protection against symptomatic disease from both ChAdOx1-S and BNT162b2, but points out that protection against hospitalization and death remains at much higher levels for at least 20 weeks post-vaccination.

14 Jan 2022

Omicron variant spike protein shows significantly weaker membrane fusion activity than other variants

New research suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike protein requires significantly higher levels of ACE2 for efficient membrane fusion, lagging behind other variants.

14 Jan 2022

How has COVID-19 Impacted our Economy?

In this interview, News-Medical talks to Professor Adam Rose and his research team about how direct behavioral responses to COVID-19 have impacted the US economy.

14 Jan 2022

Study shows possible reverse zoonoses of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to animals

A new study describes an instance of natural infection of SARS-CoV-2 in a puma during the first wave and three lions during the third wave in a private zoo in South Africa in at least three transmission events from their handlers.

14 Jan 2022

Study reveals factors responsible for increased risk of aerosol transmission for SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron

A new study describes the expected distribution of viral emission of COVID-19 by an infected population of people who were either silent, speaking softly, or loudly, to determine factors influencing risks of viral transmission.

14 Jan 2022

COVID-19 vaccination breakthrough infections in a real-world setting

Researchers describe the pattern and characteristics of infections after COVID-19 vaccination.

13 Jan 2022

Specific immunoresponse to SARS-CoV-2 in cats and dogs housed with COVID-19 patients

Researchers conducted a detailed epitope mapping of Np and developed an experimental double antigen-based ELISA.

13 Jan 2022

Study advances the understanding of lymphatic vessels serving the heart

Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine led a study to advance the understanding of lymphatic vessels, which transport lymph, a clear fluid containing important molecules, immune cells and fluid, away from organs and tissues and back to the bloodstream.

13 Jan 2022