Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus, called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). SARS was first reported in Asia in February 2003. Over the next few months, the illness spread to more than two dozen countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia before the SARS global outbreak of 2003 was contained.

SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus - the SARS associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) - which can be life-threatening.

How SARS is Spread

SARS, Treatment, Control and Tests

SARS: Tips for Travellers

Early signs of breastfeeding failures after premature birth

A study on breastfeeding after premature birth identifies key factors affecting milk composition and volume, emphasizing the need for early support for mothers.

10 Jun 2025

Electromagnetic waves disrupt SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and lower infectivity

Researchers demonstrated that specific electromagnetic wave frequencies can disrupt the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein structure in virus-like particles, leading to reduced infectivity in cell models. This proof-of-concept study suggests new avenues for non-chemical viral inactivation methods.

18 May 2025

Lower fitness before infection raises risk of long COVID, study finds

Adults who later developed long COVID had lower cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) before infection than those who did not. COVID-19 was not linked to accelerated or clinically significant declines in CRF, even among long COVID cases.

15 May 2025

Nirsevimab slashes RSV hospitalizations in infants by 78% in real-world study

A Spanish study found that nirsevimab prophylaxis significantly reduced infant hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and severe symptoms linked to RSV and other respiratory viruses. Hospitalizations for RSV dropped by 78% following nirsevimab rollout in Madrid maternity wards.

8 May 2025

New evidence shows long COVID’s toll on health across all U.S. states

A nationally representative U.S. study of over 100,000 adults found that post-COVID conditions (PCCs) significantly reduce quality of life. Key risk factors for poor health outcomes include obesity, inactivity, chronic disease, and socioeconomic disadvantage.

8 May 2025

Wildlife trade, not bats, likely moved the ancestors of SARS-CoV-2 to humans

New genetic analyses reveal that the bat virus ancestors of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 likely circulated in Western China or Northern Laos just years before human outbreaks. Their rapid appearance thousands of kilometers away suggests wildlife trade, not bat migration, was the likely transmission path.

8 May 2025

Scientists use AI to build mutation-proof antibodies for SARS-CoV-2

Researchers used AI models to design antibodies that neutralize over 1,300 SARS-CoV-2 strains, including Delta and Omicron. The models demonstrated faster, cheaper, and more adaptable therapeutic development compared to traditional methods.

5 May 2025

New antiviral compounds show broad protection against COVID-19 variants

Novel Mpro inhibitors exhibit broad activity against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.

30 Apr 2025

COVID-19 lowers sperm count and motility, new study confirms

SARS-CoV-2 infection is linked to significant declines in sperm quality, including reduced sperm count, motility, and increased DNA fragmentation, as shown in both cross-sectional and longitudinal observations.

24 Apr 2025

Study reveals cloth masks rival some medical masks, but only N95s deliver near-total protection

A PLOS ONE study tested the real-world filtration efficiency of cloth masks, medical masks, and respirators, revealing large differences in performance based on fit and mask type. Only N95s and CaN99s approached occupational safety standards without formal fit-testing.

23 Apr 2025

Nasal protein levels may predict COVID-19 risk

Higher nasal expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 proteins can predict future SARS-CoV-2 infection.

16 Apr 2025

New quinoline-based antiviral shows strong promise against SARS-CoV-2

Researchers develop quinoline-based drug with inhibitory activity against the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro).

10 Apr 2025

Scientists stop long-COVID symptoms in mice using a new antiviral compound

Australian scientists developed a novel antiviral that targets the SARS-CoV-2 PLpro enzyme, showing strong preclinical efficacy in reducing both acute and long COVID symptoms in mice.

9 Apr 2025

Pregnancy linked to lower long COVID risk in study of over 70,000 women

Pregnant women who contract SARS-CoV-2 may have a lower risk of developing Long COVID than matched non-pregnant women.

2 Apr 2025

Does COVID-19 affect heart rate variability after recovery?

Researchers determine the impact of mild COVID-19 on heart rate variability.

31 Mar 2025

COVID-19 vaccines may cut risk of long COVID

Full COVID-19 vaccination may reduce post-COVID-19 condition risk by 27%, though more research is needed, especially for children and immunocompromised groups.

26 Mar 2025

How your diet and probiotics can improve vaccine effectiveness

Researchers uncover how probiotics and diet shape the gut microbiome to boost vaccine efficacy, offering new avenues for precision immunization.

23 Mar 2025

Scientists reveal how Epstein-Barr virus reactivation triggers MIS-C in children

Scientists reveal that reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), driven by TGFβ-induced immune suppression, is a key driver of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) following COVID-19. Blocking TGFβ may offer a potential new treatment for this life-threatening condition.

13 Mar 2025

COVID-19 hospitalization linked to long-term organ damage and mortality

Researchers determine the risk of long-term health complications following recovery from COVID-19.

7 Mar 2025

Air sampling detects 70–90% of poultry viruses and reveals 50 more hidden threats

Researchers found that environmental sampling in live-bird markets detects 70–90% of poultry viruses, often outperforming traditional swab methods, and identified 50 additional viruses, some from non-avian sources.

26 Feb 2025