Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Study suggests 5’UTR of SARS-CoV-2 might be of pangolin coronavirus origin

Findings from a new genomic sequencing study support the hypothesis that the pangolin was the intermediate host for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that enabled transmission of the virus to humans.

26 Oct 2020

Nasal spray formulation of ivermectin for COVID-19 shows promise in pigs

Researchers in Argentina have conducted a pre-clinical study demonstrating the safety and pharmacokinetic performance of a new nasal spray formulation designed to suppress the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

26 Oct 2020

Research uncovers SARS-CoV-2 viral traits critical for the virus in human airways

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in October 2020 reports the discovery of important viral genomic features that are crucial to its replication in the human airway cells, and its enhancing mutations which increase the rate of replication and determine its target cells.

26 Oct 2020

Small molecules block SARS-CoV-2 spike-ACE2 attachment

The search includes immunological agents, enzyme inhibitors, and soluble competitive inhibitors. Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 provides preliminary evidence that small molecules can inhibit viral entry by inhibiting spike-ACE2 attachment.

26 Oct 2020

COVID-19 now likely leading cause of death among 25-44's in USA

A team of researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, aimed to determine changes in all-cause mortality or excess deaths among adults between 25 and 44 years old in the United States. Further, they also want to identify the years of lost life (YLL) among this age group.

26 Oct 2020

Population-based COVID-19 prevalence surveys in Europe and Americas show risk of bias

A team of researchers from the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul performed a systematic review to assess these population-based COVID-19 prevalence surveys' reliability and biases qualitatively. Their study is published on the preprint server medRxiv.

26 Oct 2020

Researchers present COVID RdRp structure at 2.5A

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint publication, Christopher J. Russo et al. report the structure of favipiravir ribonucleoside triphosphate (favipiravir-RTP) in complex with the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) bound to a template: primer RNA duplex. They determine the structure by electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) to a resolution of 2.5 Å.

26 Oct 2020

NRP-1 receptor potentiates SARS-CoV-2 infectivity

The COVID-19 pandemic is still actively spreading in many parts of the world, causing redoubled efforts to develop antivirals and vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A recent study explores the role of a second type of cell surface receptor, called neuropilin, in the virus's entry into the host cell and its subsequent replication.

26 Oct 2020

New inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 RNA translation

As the search for effective severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) inhibitors continues, a recent study by Yale University School of Medicine researchers published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 reports the inhibitory effect of the drug merofloxacin on frameshifting during SARS-CoV-2 replication.

26 Oct 2020

Startling high SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Veracruz, Mexico

A surprising new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 reports a very high seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the city of Vera Cruz, Mexico. They are among the highest to be reported anywhere in the world.

25 Oct 2020

Graphene-enhanced PPE for COVID-19

To tackle this need, nanotechnology researchers from Italy have suggested using bidimensional graphene to improve existing PPE kits. Their research is published on the preprint server medRxiv.

25 Oct 2020

Tocilizumab fails to affect COVID-19 disease outcomes in Boston trial

Researchers from the various Massachusetts hospitals performed the Boston Area COVID-19 Consortium (BACC) Bay Tocilizumab Trial using tocilizumab administered early in the disease course to determine if early IL-6 receptor blockade limits progression of COVID-19 to hypoxemic respiratory failure or death. Their work is published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

25 Oct 2020

Neuropilin-1: A new route of SARS-CoV-2 entry

A new study published in the reputed journal Science in October 2020 reports the potential therapeutic value of the second type of host transmembrane receptor, called neuropilins, which attach to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and may enhance its infectivity.

25 Oct 2020

Air pollution increases SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Evidence from China indicates that higher air pollution could lead to increased transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), leading to more COVID-19 cases.

25 Oct 2020

COVID-19 incubation period potentially much longer than previously thought

Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have provided an updated estimate of the incubation period for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

25 Oct 2020

Universal testing in schools may be needed to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada have warned that within the school setting, even small differences in individuals' contribution, their environment, and their activities to the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) result in highly variable sizes of transmission clusters.

25 Oct 2020

Vitamin C and COVID-19: A Review

In a recent review published in Preprints*, Patrick Holford et al. address vitamin C's role as adjunctive therapy for respiratory infection, sepsis, and COVID-19.

23 Oct 2020

Seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2 among asymptomatic blood donors in New York

New York was the hardest-hit U.S. state during the peak of the outbreak in the country. Now, a team of researchers from the New York Blood Center and Serimmune, an immune intelligence company, aimed to determine the prevalence of seropositive people for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, among healthy blood donors.

23 Oct 2020

Biomimetic virus-like particles for safer positive controls in SARS-CoV-2 detection

In an attempt to overcome these issues, a team of researchers from various departments at the University of California San Diego recently proposed using biomimetic virus-like particles (VLPs) as positive controls for assays used in SARS-CoV-2 detection. Their study is published on the preprint server bioRxiv.

23 Oct 2020

Nutritional status may impact susceptibility to COVID-19, study says

Now, a team of researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the University of Oxford wanted to provide a systematic review of the latest evidence on how malnutrition across all forms, including undernutrition, obesity, and micronutrient status, may influence the susceptibility and severity of COVID-19.

22 Oct 2020