Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Molecular simulations reveal detailed structure and dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Recently, researchers reported a study in which they analyzed the structure and dynamics of the spike protein using multiple molecular dynamic simulations. Their study is published on the preprint server bioRxiv.

19 Oct 2020

Promising interim results for Sinopharm's inactivated whole-virion SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to intensive scientific efforts to bring about an effective vaccine for global distribution. Many different vaccine design approaches are underway. A recent study published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases in October 2020 reports a potentially successful inactivated virus vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

19 Oct 2020

Design of an mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles

Now, a new study presented on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 describes the efficient design of an mRNA vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), based on the use of the viral receptor-binding domain (RBD) mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNP).

19 Oct 2020

Antigenic imprinting of sarbecovirus

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020 shows that the design of a vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) must consider the prior history of exposure to coronaviruses since these affect the antibody response to the virus.

19 Oct 2020

Study tackles the role of the renin-angiotensin system on COVID-19 pathophysiology

Vinicius Novaes Rocha, a researcher at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora in Brazil, provides an insight into the role of the renin-angiotensin on the pathophysiology of COVID-19, paving the way for developing new treatment methods in the journal Medical Hypotheses.

19 Oct 2020

Student adherence to control measures could significantly reduce COVID-19 risk

Researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK have conducted a modeling study showing that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could readily spread among students in the university setting if non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are not properly adhered to.

19 Oct 2020

Melatonin may increase survival chances among intubated COVID-19 patients

Researchers at Columbia University in New York have conducted a study showing that patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who require intubation and mechanical ventilation due to respiratory distress may benefit from treatment with the hormone melatonin.

19 Oct 2020

Immunoglobulin M ACE2 autoantibodies associated with severe COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses with little prospect of immediate relief, a recent study by Johns Hopkins University researchers published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020 discusses the association of Immunoglobulin M (IgM) autoantibodies against the host receptor that binds severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with severe disease via vascular endothelial damage. This could help develop better therapies and prognostic criteria.

19 Oct 2020

Engineers visualize how speaking spreads a virus

A team of researchers and engineers at Princeton University has provided a visualization of how speaking produces and expels saliva droplets into the air. The smallest droplets can be inhaled by people, which is the primary mode of transmission of infections such as COVID-19.

19 Oct 2020

Study of patterns of social contacts early on in COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has compelled people worldwide to quarantine. To mitigate the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, countries and workplaces have been under varying stages of lockdown since the detection of the infection in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

19 Oct 2020

Concerti algorithm identifies intra-patient heteroplasmies in SARS-CoV-2 patients

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus that emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 has caused the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has affected more than 39.8 million lives globally and claimed over 1.11 million deaths to date.

18 Oct 2020

Sinopharm's candidate SARS-CoV-2 vaccine BBIBP-CorV shows promise in clinical trials

Researchers in China have conducted a phase 1/2 trial demonstrating the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a candidate vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

18 Oct 2020

Future waves of COVID-19 will likely lead to further school closures

Researchers in the UK have warned that given how future waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seem to be inevitable, it is likely that schools will be put under further pressure to close.

18 Oct 2020

Comparative analysis reveals common vulnerabilities across coronaviruses

Three lethal human respiratory syndromes associated with coronavirus (CoV) infections have emerged in the past two decades. They are severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2019.

18 Oct 2020

WHO study finds Remdesivir and other repurposed drugs ineffective in COVID-19

A large-scale randomized trial has recently been conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to evaluate the efficacy of four repurposed antiviral medicines, including Remdesivir, Hydroxychloroquine, Lopinavir, and Interferon, currently used to treat hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

18 Oct 2020

Return to college classes tied to a 9 percent increase in COVID-19 cases, study finds

Since a vast majority of colleges and universities in the country are bringing students back for in-person instruction amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers from the University of Georgia wanted to determine the effect of this return to campus on the viral case growth in countries with a significant college student population, compared to non-college countries.

18 Oct 2020

Obesity changes ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression in mice: Implications for COVID-19

Researchers studying young obese mice found that expression of ACE2, a receptor in host cells that binds to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is higher in the lungs and trachea of obese mice. The finding could partly explain why obesity is a high-risk factor for COVID-19.

18 Oct 2020

Impact of COVID-19 on Australians with hypertension

Ten months into the COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it is unclear how people with hypertension are coping, given their increased risk. A retrospective case-control study compared people with hypertension to matched healthy controls during COVID-19 lockdown to determine whether they have higher risk perceptions, anxiety, and prevention intentions. The study is published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020.

16 Oct 2020

High-titer convalescent plasma reduced COVID-19 symptom severity in green monkeys

As scientists scramble to find effective vaccines and antivirals for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 reports that the use of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 disease early in the course of the illness may be among the best available strategies at present.

16 Oct 2020

Should Australia re-open international borders?

Australian scientist Jessica Liebig from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), along with fellow researchers at the Queensland University of Technology and the University of New South Wales, studied the risks involved in re-opening the international borders for travelers to Australia.

15 Oct 2020