Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Has COVID-19 vaccine confidence dropped following the pause of Johnson & Johnson/Janssen?

A new study, which was conducted by Vishala Mishra and Joseph P. Dexter at Madras Medical College, Chennai, India, suggests that the infamous pause in the administration of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, advised by the FDA, has left doubt about the veracity of vaccine safety claims. This is a development that may have engendered vaccine hesitancy in a segment of the population.

11 Jun 2021

Scientists detect delayed and reduced antibody responses after BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination in older adults

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected delayed and reduced antibody and T cell responses after immunization with BNT162b2 or the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in older adults compared with healthcare workers in Germany.

11 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 infection detected in a poodle living with a COVID-19 positive family

Researchers in Italy identified a case of reverse zoonosis wherein animals contract the virus from humans. The team detected SARS-CoV-2 in a healthy poodle living with four family members who had COVID-19.

11 Jun 2021

Study identifies mechanisms by which COVID-19 can lead to Alzheimer's disease-like dementia

A new Cleveland Clinic-led study has identified mechanisms by which COVID-19 can lead to Alzheimer's disease-like dementia.

11 Jun 2021

Metformin prevents pulmonary or lung inflammation in animals infected with SARS-CoV-2

Metformin is a widely prescribed blood sugar-lowering drug. It is often used as an early therapy (in combination with diet and lifestyle changes) for type 2 diabetes, which afflicts more than 34 million Americans.

11 Jun 2021

In vivo protection from emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants by protein nanoparticle vaccine

Researchers in the United States have developed a new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine that induced potent neutralizing antibodies against variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in animal models.

10 Jun 2021

Shark vNAR antibodies inhibit SARS-CoV-2 variants in vitro

Researchers in the UK and Austria have identified a novel class of antibodies that is highly effective at neutralizing the original strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) and maintaining blocking activity against certain viral variants that have emerged.

10 Jun 2021

Compound may block COVID-19 virus from entering lung cells, study reports

Research conducted at LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence reports that Elovanoids, bioactive chemical messengers made from omega-3 very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids discovered by the Bazan lab in 2017, may block the virus that causes COVID-19 from entering cells and protect the air cells (alveoli) of the lung.

10 Jun 2021

Researchers develop new method to make CRISPR gene editing more precise

CRISPR Researchers from Aarhus University and University of Copenhagen have developed a new method, which makes CRISPR gene editing more precise than conventional methods.

10 Jun 2021

ACTG launches phase 1 HIV cure study evaluating two promising therapies

The AIDS Clinical Trials Group, the largest global HIV research network, today announced the launch of A5386, a phase 1 HIV cure study evaluating two promising therapies.

10 Jun 2021

Elimination of HIV transmission by 2030 might be within reach among MSM in England

The annual number of new HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) in England is likely to have fallen dramatically, from 2,770 in 2013 to 854 in 2018, showing elimination of HIV transmission by 2030 to be within reach - suggests work by researchers from the MRC Biostatistics Unit at the University of Cambridge and Public Health England (PHE), published in The Lancet HIV.

10 Jun 2021

The longevity of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and their cross-neutralization against variants of concern

In a new study by researchers in the UK, the activity of neutralizing antibodies collected from the sera of individuals that contracted COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic is tested against variants of concern the B.1.1.7 (or UK) variant and the B.1.351 (or South African) variant, demonstrating somewhat reduced potency of neutralization towards these strains.

10 Jun 2021

Is B.1.617.2 more transmissible than earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants?

A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, reports that the B.1.617.2 variant is possibly more transmissible than earlier variants, based on the discovery that the serial intervals were not prolonged with this strain.

10 Jun 2021

Are pre-existing Vitamin D deficiencies linked to COVID-19 severity and mortality?

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread and new variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerge, much remains to be known about why severity varies so unpredictably between individuals. A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, elucidates the relationship between Vitamin D and COVID-19 severity.

10 Jun 2021

Could the COVID-19 vaccination rollout protect against future coronavirus outbreaks?

A new study suggests that the rollout of vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic may be significant not only in preventing infections by SARS-CoV-2 but other endemic and pandemic-potential coronaviruses (CoVs) as well.

10 Jun 2021

Study highlights the dynamic role of social media in epidemics

Researchers from York University and the University of British Columbia have found social media use to be one of the factors related to the spread of COVID-19 within dozens of countries during the early stages of the pandemic.

10 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 detection associates with viral RNA prevalence in patients and hospital environment

Watching what was happening around the world in early 2020, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers knew their region would likely soon be hit with a wave of patients with COVID-19, the infection caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

10 Jun 2021

Normal breathing without mask can transport saliva droplets to more than 7 feet

The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control recommend keeping a certain distance between people to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These social distancing recommendations are estimated from a variety of studies, but further research about the precise mechanism of virus transport from one person to another is still needed.

10 Jun 2021

Local anesthetic procaine inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Research has shown that procaine and procaine-hydrochloride can reduce replication of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A viruses in infected cells and reduce the production of cytokines by the viruses, making them potentially useful for treating COVID-19.

10 Jun 2021

New article explains the pros and cons of nasal vaccines

Vaccines are mostly synonymous with needles, an efficient and effective way to provide immunity to myriad infections. As COVID-19 vaccination efforts roll out across the U.S. and the world, some experts believe that a vaccine administered through the nose could be just as effective and easier to administer.

10 Jun 2021

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Has COVID-19 vaccine confidence dropped following the pause of Johnson & Johnson/Janssen?

Scientists detect delayed and reduced antibody responses after BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination in older adults

SARS-CoV-2 infection detected in a poodle living with a COVID-19 positive family

Study identifies mechanisms by which COVID-19 can lead to Alzheimer's disease-like dementia

Metformin prevents pulmonary or lung inflammation in animals infected with SARS-CoV-2

In vivo protection from emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants by protein nanoparticle vaccine

Shark vNAR antibodies inhibit SARS-CoV-2 variants in vitro

Compound may block COVID-19 virus from entering lung cells, study reports

Researchers develop new method to make CRISPR gene editing more precise

ACTG launches phase 1 HIV cure study evaluating two promising therapies

Elimination of HIV transmission by 2030 might be within reach among MSM in England

The longevity of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and their cross-neutralization against variants of concern

Is B.1.617.2 more transmissible than earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants?

Are pre-existing Vitamin D deficiencies linked to COVID-19 severity and mortality?

Could the COVID-19 vaccination rollout protect against future coronavirus outbreaks?

Study highlights the dynamic role of social media in epidemics

SARS-CoV-2 detection associates with viral RNA prevalence in patients and hospital environment

Normal breathing without mask can transport saliva droplets to more than 7 feet

Local anesthetic procaine inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

New article explains the pros and cons of nasal vaccines

Does the number of siblings you have affect your health?

International Day of Action for Women’s Health: An Interview with Dame Claire Bertschinger

International Day of Action for Women’s Health: An Interview with UN Women

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