Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

New animal model for COVID-19

As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to ravage the world, scientists are frantically searching for a vaccine or new drug that will effectively counter the lethal effects of the virus that leads to COVID-19 disease.

19 May 2020

New UV disinfection technology is effective for deactivating SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces

Surfaces contaminated with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, pose a grave threat to the safety of healthcare workers, patients, frontline responders, military service members, cruise line passengers, hotel guests and people everywhere.

19 May 2020

Spraying disinfectants on streets can be harmful, WHO warns

The interim guidance released by the WHO aims to help health authorities formulate and implement policies on the disinfection of environmental surfaces during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

18 May 2020

Countries back Australia's plan to investigate the coronavirus pandemic

Amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, a coalition of 116 countries backs up a joint Australian and European Union plan to launch an independent inquiry into the coronavirus outbreak.

18 May 2020

Human immune repertoire may not commonly produce cross-neutralizing antibodies to coronaviruses

Patients infected with either severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) or SARS-CoV-2 produce antibodies that bind to the other coronavirus, but the cross-reactive antibodies are not cross protective, at least in cell-culture experiments, researchers report May 17 in the journal Cell Reports.

18 May 2020

Tocilizumab improves survival in COVID-19 patients with ARDS

The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2), has already nearly 4.8 million confirmed cases and more than 318,000 deaths.

18 May 2020

Common mutations in SARS-CoV-2 related to non-variable segments of structural proteins

The ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is thought to have originated from an animal species, most likely bats, which succeeded in crossing over to humans. However, the exact species of origin has not yet been confirmed.

18 May 2020

Potential new treatment approach to fatal COVID-19

Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Pathways Bioscience in the United States have found that activating a transcription factor involved in oxidative stress regulation, antiviral activity, and inflammation may serve as a new treatment approach to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

18 May 2020

Novel insights on SARS-CoV-2 cell entry may inform further vaccine and treatment development

A research group from Harvard Medical School reported two cryo-electron microscopy structures derived from a single preparation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein in their paper available on the preprint server bioRxiv. Understanding the nuances of prefusion and postfusion conformations shed light on viral cell entry and may, in turn, guide the development of vaccines and drugs.

18 May 2020

Cross-neutralization of SARS and COVID-19 coronaviruses by a monoclonal antibody

An antibody first identified in a blood sample from a patient who recovered from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003 inhibits related coronaviruses, including the cause of COVID-19.

18 May 2020

Drugmakers tout COVID-19 vaccines to refurbish their public image

Johnson & Johnson researchers working on a vaccine against the coronavirus are "just like the heroes in the hospitals" fighting to save patients, J&J CEO Alex Gorsky said on the "Today" show a few weeks ago.

18 May 2020

COVID-19 clinical trials show positive early results, says GlobalData

With the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths increasing with each passing day, the need for a therapeutic or a vaccine for the pandemic intensifies.

18 May 2020

Oxford University vaccine prevents SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in rhesus macaques

As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, many scientists, institutions, and pharmaceutical companies are working hard to develop an effective vaccine.

18 May 2020

Inadequate vaccine and epidemic control in the US

A new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 shows that vaccination must be combined with nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) to achieve rapid and effective control of the ongoing pandemic.

17 May 2020

New and unexplored angle in the binding of SARS-CoV-2 to host cells

Researchers in the Netherlands, Cuba, and Italy have made important discoveries about the carbohydrate-mediated binding of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein to host cell lectin receptors and host lung microbiota.

17 May 2020

Well-known cancer drugs may prevent SARS-CoV-2 viral replication say researchers

Researchers in Frankfurt, Germany, have described cell signaling events that occur when severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects host cells and have identified pathways that are essential for the virus to replicate.

17 May 2020

Study shows human monoclonal antibodies can effectively neutralize SARS-CoV-2

US researchers have published a proof of concept on the efficacy of human monoclonal antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in laboratory conditions, as well as their pioneering use in a mouse model. The study is available on the preprint server bioRxiv*.

17 May 2020

Study shows broad geographic and evolutionary dispersal of betacoronaviruses from African bats

A research group from Nigeria found evidence of long-distance transmission and dispersal between bat coronaviruses isolated in Africa and the ones Europe and Asia, as described in a new paper available on the preprint server bioRxiv.

17 May 2020

Hot temperatures, air pressure, UV radiation may decrease COVID-19 incidence

A new scientific paper published on the preprint server medRxiv shows that the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory illness that has spread across the world to kill hundreds of thousands in 2020, shows that weather conditions reduce the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

15 May 2020

Research investigates COVID-19 virus origin using artificial intelligence (AI)

The coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the globe with unprecedented speed and lethality, killing hundreds of thousands of people and forcing countries’ entire populations to self-quarantine.

15 May 2020