Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

How one state’s public health defunding led to vaccination chaos

Missourians have driven hours to find vaccines in rural counties — at least those with cars and the time. Tens of thousands of doses are waiting to be distributed, slowly being rolled out in a federal long-term care program.

26 Mar 2021

One dose of Pfizer vaccine generates strong immune response against COVID-19

A new study led by the Universities of Sheffield and Oxford with support from the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium (UK-CIC) has found that 99 per cent of people generate a robust immune response against Covid-19 after just one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

26 Mar 2021

Can COVID-19 cause hearing loss, vertigo, and tinnitus?

Researchers at the University of Manchester, UK, aimed to systematically review the literature to provide evidence on SARS-CoV-2 and audio-vestibular symptoms. They found that COVID-19 has been tied to hearing loss, vertigo, and tinnitus.

26 Mar 2021

Newly identified pathway controls dangerous overreactions in the body's immune system

Scientists at Sinai Health say they have discovered a new pathway that controls dangerous overreactions in a body's immune system, including deadly forms of hyper-inflammation.

26 Mar 2021

Genomic sieve analysis can inform the development of SARS-Cov-2 vaccine

As concern has grown over COVID-19 variants and their implications for how well COVID-19 vaccines will protect against the virus, researchers have proposed a method to examine instances of SARS-COV-2 infections in people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.

26 Mar 2021

Study: COVID-19 vaccines may remain effective against new influenza viruses

Influenza vaccines need to be evaluated every year to ensure they remain effective against new influenza viruses.

26 Mar 2021

Antibody used for COVID-19 therapy does not inhibit SARS-Cov-2 variants

Cell culture studies show that mutated viruses are less susceptible to inhibition by antibodies from recovered or vaccinated individuals.

26 Mar 2021

Scientists reveal salivary gland cells as sites of COVID-19 infection

Scientists have shown that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can infect specific cells in the salivary gland in the mouth.

25 Mar 2021

Study shows substantial benefit of combination therapy for advanced Marburg infections

A new study conducted at the Galveston National Laboratory at the The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has shown substantial benefit to combining monoclonal antibodies and the antiviral remdesivir against advanced Marburg virus.

25 Mar 2021

Drugging RNA synthesis in SARS-CoV-2 as novel therapeutic avenue

In a new study, the role of a coronavirus-specific protein domain in SARS-CoV-2 viral synthesis initiation is investigated, and potential therapeutic solutions have been explored.

25 Mar 2021

Identification of specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with cross-neutralization potency

A team of scientists from the USA and Canada recently characterized the cross-neutralizing potency of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies isolated from COVID-19 patients. The findings reveal that some of the isolated antibodies targeting the spike RBD and the S2 subunit are capable of cross-neutralizing other members of the human beta-coronavirus family.

25 Mar 2021

Nosing in on kids who had Covid and lost their sense of smell

Orange. Eucalyptus. Lavender. Peppermint. Doctors at Children's Hospital Colorado and Seattle Children's Hospital will use scents like these to treat children who lost their sense of smell to Covid-19. Parents will attend clinics and go home with a set of essential oils for their child to sniff twice a day for three months. Clinicians will check their progress monthly.

25 Mar 2021

Inmates’ distrust of prison health care fuels distrust of Covid vaccines

One November night in a Missouri prison, Charles Graham woke his cellmate of more than a dozen years, Frank Flanders, saying he couldn't breathe. Flanders pressed the call button. No one answered, so he kicked the door until a guard came.

25 Mar 2021

Dual-antigen COVID-19 vaccine elicits humoral and cellular immune responses in mice

The scientific consensus is that safe and highly effective vaccines are required to end the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2. A new study describes a new vaccine that presents two viral antigens to the human immune system, in order to elicit a more efficacious response.

25 Mar 2021

Could an mRNA vaccine second dose reduce cellular immunity in previously infected individuals?

A new study, which was released on the bioRxiv* preprint server, shows the differential effect that a standard vaccine protocol may have on individuals, based on their history of prior infection with the virus.

25 Mar 2021

Could dry swabs provide cheaper, safer and faster material for SARS-CoV-2 testing?

A new study deals with the feasibility of using dry swab samples to isolate the virus, as compared to wet swabs, to reduce costs while improving safety.

25 Mar 2021

Researchers find evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infects cells in the mouth

An international team of scientists has found evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, infects cells in the mouth.

25 Mar 2021

Researchers examine SARS-CoV-2 RNA interactome

A new study focuses on the identification of RNA-binding protein by mass spectrometry (ChIRP-M/S) approach. This study develops a global map that contains the complete set of host proteins that involve the SARS-CoV-2 genome during infection. This study has successfully identified new SARS-CoV-2 host dependency factors by merging proteomics data with gene silencing experiments. Such a discovery has paved new roads to develop more antiviral therapies.

25 Mar 2021

Researchers conduct online survey on people’s intentions regarding COVID-19 vaccination

Ahead of the first U.S. emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine, only half of Americans said they were likely to get vaccinated as soon as possible, according to an in-depth study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

25 Mar 2021

COVID vaccines have only 17% detectable antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 virus

When clinical trials were conducted to determine the immunogenicity -- the ability to elicit an immune response -- for the first two vaccines marshaled against SARS-CoV-2the virus that causes COVID-19, one group was not among those included: people who have received solid organ transplants and others (such as those with autoimmune disorders) who are immunocompromised.

25 Mar 2021