Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Researchers investigate link between air pollution and SARS-CoV-2 lethality in Italy

The world has been hit hard by coronavirus, and health services and authorities everywhere are struggling to reduce the spread, combat the disease and protect the population. Nevertheless, the pandemic will cost lives throughout the world.

6 Apr 2020

Asthma and coronavirus disease - COVID-19

On the 11th of March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS CoV-2, a pandemic.

5 Apr 2020

COVID-19 and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors

A new viewpoint article published in the journal JAMA Network in April 2020 deals with the use of a widely used category of cardiovascular medications in COVID-19 patients with hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). These are the most common medical conditions that are found in COVID-19 patients and contribute disproportionately to mortality.

5 Apr 2020

Clinical trial to evaluate experimental COVID-19 drug is underway at Montefiore and Einstein

Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine has joined a clinical trial to evaluate the experimental drug remdesivir to treat people who are hospitalized with severe COVID-19 infection.

5 Apr 2020

Antibody recovered from SARS survivor reveals potential vulnerability of new coronavirus

An antibody recovered from a survivor of the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s has revealed a potential vulnerability of the new coronavirus at the root of COVID-19, according to a study from scientists at Scripps Research.

3 Apr 2020

UIC participates in two clinical trials for COVID-19 treatments

The University of Illinois at Chicago is participating in two clinical trials for COVID-19 treatments.

2 Apr 2020

How (easily) does the novel coronavirus spread?

Viruses are tiny bundles of DNA or RNA which have the ability to infect host cells, hijack the machinery of the host cell and then replicate. Once the host cell’s resources are exhausted, the viral particles are released to infect other cells. In this way, the viruses ensure their survival, often at the expense of the host.

1 Apr 2020

What are coronaviruses and COVID-19?

The current COVID-19 pandemic is caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.

1 Apr 2020

What are the challenges facing palliative care during COVID-19?

The current COVID-19 outbreak affecting 180 countries and territories across six continents is taking its toll on healthcare systems globally. In particular, there is growing pressure on and concern for triage and palliative care departments. Now, researchers from the University of Toronto, Université Laval, Québec, and the University of Ottawa have published a new study titled, “Pandemic palliative care: beyond ventilators and saving lives,” in the latest issue of the journal Canadian Medical Association Journal that looks to address the challenges in providing palliative care during a viral pandemic.

1 Apr 2020

Estimating the case fatality ratio for COVID-19

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease has affected 932,605 individuals and has taken 46,809 lives worldwide. Now, researchers have published a review on the likelihood of survival after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study titled, “Likelihood of survival of coronavirus disease 2019” is published in the latest issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

1 Apr 2020

Pancreatitis drug Nafamostat shows promise for coronavirus

With the increasing number of infections across the globe, scientists have resorted to studying existing drugs in the hope of discovering a cure for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A team of researchers has found that an existing drug, Nafamostat or Fusan, a drug used to treat acute pancreatitis, may effectively block the process used by the novel coronavirus to spread and cause illness.

1 Apr 2020

'Pool testing' for COVID-19 may help increase testing capacities across the globe

Now, a team of researchers at the German Red Cross Blood Donor Service and the Institute for Medical Virology at the University Hospital Frankfurt at Goethe University have developed a pool testing procedure that will make it possible to rapidly increase worldwide testing capacities for SARS-CoV-2.

1 Apr 2020

Researchers say that NSAIDs, JAK inhibitors and TNF blockers are safe to use in COVID-19

Amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, many theories have emerged about the disease and the treatments that can in supportive care. A recent theory emerged that suggests non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) might exacerbate the symptoms of the novel coronavirus. Now, a new study shows that there is no evidence for or against the use of NSAIDS, particularly ibuprofen, for patients with COVID-19.

1 Apr 2020

Antihypertensive drugs may protect against COVID-19 in heart patients

Common drugs used in high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetic patients with kidney damage, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), could be protective in patients with COVID-19.

31 Mar 2020

Spit and feces test positive for SARS CoV-2 even after recovery

A new study reveals that samples of sputum and feces continue to test positive for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus even after a person has recovered from COVID-19 and nasopharyngeal secretions test negative for the virus.

31 Mar 2020

Paper-based device to detect coronavirus in wastewater

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread to180 countries and territories, affecting more than 850,000 people. The transmission of the coronavirus is through respiratory droplets. However, the risk of transmission through feces is low, based on data from previous coronavirus outbreaks. Though transmission of the novel coronavirus through sewerage systems is low, testing could help predict coronavirus outbreaks or spread.

31 Mar 2020

FDA to trial malaria drugs Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week provided the necessary authorization for clinical trials of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of the novel coronavirus. These two drugs have been claimed by President Donald Trump to be a potential treatment for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which causes COVID-19 disease. To date, there has been no conclusive proof regarding the safety and efficacy of these drugs in COVID-19 cases, say officials.

31 Mar 2020

Three Australian experts explain the course of COVID-19

Researchers have been studying the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) closely since its beginning in December 2019. To date, the virus has infected over 850,000 individuals across the globe and killed over 41,000.

31 Mar 2020

Understanding the novel coronavirus genome

The novel coronavirus emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, in China, and since then, it has rapidly spread to over 170 countries across the globe. Our knowledge of the virus, now officially named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still in the early stages. However, scientists around the world are racing to better understand the virus, in the hope of shedding light on potential vaccines and therapies.

31 Mar 2020

Eight strains of coronavirus afflicting the world

Scientists around the world are racing to study the novel coronavirus strain severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Now, it appears that there are eight strains of SARS-CoV-2 circulating the globe. The good news is that according to infectious disease physician and clinical microbiologist Charles Chiu, “The virus mutates so slowly that the virus strains are fundamentally very similar to each other.”

31 Mar 2020