Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Tobacco smoking and vaping nicotine may exacerbate COVID-19 inflammation

Researchers in San Diego have conducted a study showing that both smoking and the use of e-cigarettes containing nicotine and flavorings may critically exacerbate inflammation in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and significantly worsen clinical outcomes.

14 Jul 2020

Saliva promising alternative to upper airway swabs for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2

The standard diagnostic test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in July 2020 describes the use of saliva as a sample in RT-PCR for diagnosis in place of nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs.

14 Jul 2020

Current assays reflect non-neutralizing antibodies, finds study

Several serologic tests have been developed to help diagnose the presence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), either currently or in the past. However, all of them are not equally effective.

14 Jul 2020

Researchers stabilize the closed SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer

Now, a new study by researchers at Janssen Vaccines & Prevention BV and Leiden University and published on the preprint server bioRxiv uses cryoEM to reveal the structure of this trimer, in order to support both vaccine development and diagnostic testing based on antibody production.

14 Jul 2020

Coronavirus disease immunity fades within a few months, study finds

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread rapidly across the globe, with more than 13 million people infected. Of these, an estimated 7 million have recovered from the viral infection. However, it was unclear whether being exposed to the virus would provide long-lasting immunity. Now, a new study says that SARS-CoV-2 immunity may only last for months.

13 Jul 2020

Patients with high blood sugar at higher risk of COVID-19 complications

The COVID-19 causes severe disease in patients with underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, severe lung disease, heart disease, and a weakened immune system.

13 Jul 2020

COVID-19 – researchers sum up the “Tsunami” of information

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) infection leading to COVID-19 is a raging pandemic across the world at present. It has infected 13 million and killed 571,000 individuals around the world as of today. The infection was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China in late December 2019.

13 Jul 2020

Clots, COVID-19 and survival

The novel coronavirus, now known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), that causes COVID-19 disease, was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China in late December 2019. Since then, it has infected a large population across the world with the current number of SARS-CoV-2 infections standing at over 13 million and COVID-19 disease having killed over 571,000 individuals.

13 Jul 2020

Study identifies three novel broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 cell entry inhibitors

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Cornell University in the U.S. just described several new inhibitors of human coronavirus spike proteins by screening a library of approved drugs with SARS-S and MERS-S pseudotyped particle entry assays. Their exciting findings are currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server.

13 Jul 2020

Serology distinguishes children with MIS-C associated with COVID-19

Researchers in the United States say that measuring antibody titers against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may help to distinguish between multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and other clinically similar syndromes.

13 Jul 2020

Skin rash may be a symptom of COVID-19

Researchers at King’s College London and Zoe Global Ltd have conducted a study suggesting that skin rashes could be valuable predictors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

13 Jul 2020

South Carolina reports first cases of coronavirus-related pediatric inflammatory syndrome

Coronavirus-related pediatric inflammatory syndrome, also known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, is a rare inflammatory condition that affects children and adolescents and is tied to exposure to the novel coronavirus.

13 Jul 2020

Researchers develop COVID-19 mortality risk calculator

A new study published in July 2020 on the preprint server medRxiv describes the use of machine learning to provide a better understanding of the risk factors in large and mixed groups. The use of algorithms can help objectively evaluate these factors and perhaps capture interactions that could be missed in a purely observational study.

13 Jul 2020

No unique viral sequences found in pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2

In contrast to previous hypotheses, researchers from the University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust found no evidence of unique viral sequences from patients with pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS). Their study is published on the medRxiv* preprint server.

12 Jul 2020

Digestive manifestations common but mild among hospitalized COVID-19 patients

A team of 121 researchers from the United States and Canada reports that while digestive manifestations seem to be common among people hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the majority appear to be mild and not associated with severe clinical outcomes.

12 Jul 2020

Increasing level of SARS-CoV-2 detected in Montpellier wastewater

Researchers at The French National Centre for Scientific Research have identified a recent increase in the amount of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA at the main wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of the Montpellier metropolitan area.

12 Jul 2020

Study documents intrauterine transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy

A baby girl in Texas - born prematurely to a mother with COVID-19 - is the strongest evidence to date that intrauterine (in the womb) transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can occur, reports The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, the official journal of The European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases.

12 Jul 2020