Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Facing COVID-19 patients on ventilators down may cause nerve damage

Some people are more likely to experience severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). These include the elderly, people who are obese and have underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, lung illness, and kidney disease, among others.

14 Sep 2020

Single-molecule imaging of SARS-CoV-2 spikes on virus particles

Using single-molecule FRET analysis, a team of researchers has revealed how the different conformations of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein are interconnected. Figuring out the different conformations in real-time and which conformations antibodies prefer may help design effective vaccines and drugs. The research is published on the preprint server bioRxiv*.

14 Sep 2020

Susceptibility of domestic pigs to SARS-CoV-2

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv sought to determine the susceptibility of domestic swine to SARS-CoV-2. Domestic swine is one of the most highly produced agricultural species that has the potential to impact public health significantly.

14 Sep 2020

Potential sea animal reservoirs for coronaviruses?

The COVID-19 pandemic has focused, yet again, intense research interest on coronaviruses, due to the high toll the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has taken on human life, health, economic well-being, and social activity. A recent paper published on the server Preprints in September 2020 reviews what is known about this viral infection in water life.

13 Sep 2020

Climatic changes may potentially impact COVID-19 pandemic

A recent epidemiological study by Princeton University researchers suggests that the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak during the winter season depends on the susceptibility of the population to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced infection as well as the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical control measures applied to control the virus spread.

13 Sep 2020

New insights into structural stability of SARS-CoV-2 main protease

In a recent bioRxiv preprint paper, researchers from the US and Italy utilized molecular dynamics simulations and revealed that the conformational stability of the SARS-CoV-2 binding site, bound inhibitors, and the hydrogen bond networks of the viral main protease (Mpro) are highly sensitive to protonation assignments.

13 Sep 2020

A map of SARS-CoV-2 escape mutations enables the development of therapeutic antibody cocktails

A recent tour-de-force study by the US researchers describes a comprehensive approach to completely map mutations to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) that escape antibody binding – enabling, in turn, rational design of antibody therapeutics and appraisal of the antigenic consequences of viral evolution. The results are currently available in a bioRxiv preprint paper.

13 Sep 2020

India's whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows promise

Researchers in India have conducted a preclinical study demonstrating the safety and efficacy of a new candidate vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

13 Sep 2020

Danish household SARS-CoV-2 study shows low transmission from children

Using data from the national register in Denmark, researchers studied how likely persons infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmit it within their households. The study found additional household members tested positive in 17% of cases after one person in the household was infected. The research is published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020.

11 Sep 2020

Seroconversion marks recovery from COVID-19

Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists are still seeking to understand the protective immunity that develops against the causative agent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Despite the increasing need for serological tests in epidemiology, their clinical value has not been fully established. A new paper published in the Journal of Medical Virology in September 2020 describes the relationship of COVID-19 disease symptoms with the serological status over time.

11 Sep 2020

Effective, simple, safe self-amplifying RNA vaccines

A recent review paper in the journal Current Opinion in Virology in September 2020 shows how a new generation of RNA vaccines called self-amplifying RNA vaccines are more potent than conventional mRNA vaccines and could hold the key to the global production of cost-effective potent COVID-19 vaccines.

11 Sep 2020

Researchers explore IgA response to SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* and conducted by researchers from The Rockefeller University in New York examined the role of IgA antibodies in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, the team analyzed the IgA response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in 149 individuals.

10 Sep 2020

Bedrails, door handles and ECG monitors hotspots for SARS-CoV-2 in hospital wards

A new study published in the journal Science of The Total Environment in September 2020 reports that the virus can be detected rapidly using already available technology, which will help to monitor viral spread within healthcare facilities more closely and enable better control of the pandemic.

10 Sep 2020

Researchers say Influenza may increase risk of COVID-19

A recent study by researchers suggests that the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is influenced by influenza virus infection during the initial period of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Europe. The study is currently available on the medRxiv preprint server.

10 Sep 2020

Over half a million reported child COVID-19 cases in the United States

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children's Hospital Association have come up with a joint report on the number of children affected by COVID-19 across the United States. Over half a million children have been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), they point out. Their report titled, "Children and COVID-19: State Data Report," was released on 3rd September 2020.

10 Sep 2020

Detecting SARS-CoV-2 in 30 seconds with cheap and sensitive nanotubes

In a fascinating new medRxiv preprint paper, researchers from the University of Nevada, Reno demonstrate the power of cobalt-functionalized titanium dioxide nanotubes by selectively detecting the spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in less than 30 seconds.

10 Sep 2020

Alternative UK air travel guidance likely needed to address COVID-19

Researchers have said that the UK guidance on preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from being imported via air travel does prevent a significant proportion of infectious travelers from putting people at risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

10 Sep 2020

Scientists explain how SARS-CoV-2 attacks the brain

Now, a team of scientists at Yale University revealed the changes that happen in the brain caused by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that has caused over 27.86 million people and claimed over 903,000 lives.

10 Sep 2020

Scientists claim serious data discrepancies in RaTG13 sequence

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic enters its ninth month, scientists continue to debate the origin of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) intensely. A new preprint published in September 2020 discusses the current issues with the bat coronavirus (CoV) strain that is often considered to have very close homology with the above-mentioned virus, concluding that there are inadequate grounds to consider it to be the ancestral pool of SARS-CoV-2.

10 Sep 2020

Convalescent plasma fails to improve outcome of COVID-19 in India

A new study based in India and published on the medRxiv preprint server explores the role of convalescent plasma (CP) in the treatment of moderate COVID-19 within the limitations on resources faced in a developing country.

9 Sep 2020