Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Study shows how SARS-CoV-2 affects cytokines compared to other respiratory viruses

Respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 (causing COVID-19) can often catalyze an overactive immune response that leads to a life-threatening cycle, known as a cytokine storm.

2 Mar 2021

Study shows asthma mediator IL-13 prevents SARS-CoV-2 infection

In a paper published on the bioRxiv preprint server, researchers reported the results on whether IL-13 expression in asthma patients reduces their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

1 Mar 2021

Scientists establish infection models for SARS-CoV-2 UK & South African variants

New research suggests Syrian golden hamsters could be a potentially useful preclinical model for testing vaccine immunity against the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.17 and B.1.351 variant.

1 Mar 2021

Enduring antibody response observed after natural immunity and first Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shot

Immunity gained after natural infection from the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is boosted when people take the first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to a new study led by Iain C. Chapple from the University of Birmingham.

1 Mar 2021

Tier 3 interventions needed to contain SARS-CoV-2 transmission, especially with emergence of variants

Studies have shown that non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as social distancing and partial lockdowns effectively contain severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. However, because of these measures' huge economic and social cost, the UK introduced a less socially disruptive tier system. This system was aimed at providing a consistent set of control measures with geographic flexibility.

1 Mar 2021

Study: Repurposed arthritis drug did not improve outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia

In a study published online February 25, 2021 in The New England Journal of Medicine, a repurposed drug used to treat arthritis did not significantly improve the outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

1 Mar 2021

Study: Highly efficient and balanced immune response key to avoiding COVID-19 symptoms

By analyzing blood samples from individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, researchers in Singapore have begun to unpack the different responses by the body's T cells that determine whether or not an individual develops COVID-19.

1 Mar 2021

Digital version of popular COVID-19 memorial launched

In fall 2020, thousands visited the COVID-19 public art installation "IN AMERICA How Could This Happen...," which took place just two miles east of the U.S. Capitol. People traveled from across the country to see personalized flags for those who had died. Today, the artist, Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg, with help from the George Washington University and University of Maryland, has launched a digital version in an effort to continue honoring those who have died.

1 Mar 2021

Cellular maps capture COVID-19 pathogenesis in detail

Researchers in the United States and Finland have used tissues from people who died from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to generate detailed cellular maps of the pathogenetic processes that occur within affected organs during severe disease.

1 Mar 2021

A backbone free energy study of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

A recent study by scientist Robert Penner at the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in France utilizes free energy calculations to predict effective antiviral targets that are highly conserved, surface-accessible for interaction, and resistant to mutation.

1 Mar 2021

Is transposable element expression affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection?

A study by researchers in Israel aims to establish whether TE expression is altered in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells, and explores the implications for host immune response.

1 Mar 2021

Protein kinase inhibitors could help treat immunodeficiency in HIV patients

HIV infections are treated with antiviral drugs which effectively prevent the disease from developing. While pharmacological HIV therapy has advanced considerably, the virus cannot be entirely eliminated from the body with currently available drugs.

1 Mar 2021

Comparative analysis of SARS-CoV-2 antivirals leads to new potential treatment for COVID-19

Scientists compared the in vitro efficacy and cytotoxicity profiles of PF-00835231 and remdesivir in two human model systems for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

1 Mar 2021

Researchers evaluate surrogate large-scale SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance test

A team of international scientists has recently evaluated a surrogate virus neutralization test for severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and observed that it is highly efficacious for detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in serum samples. According to the scientists, the test can be effectively used for population-level serosurveillance and evaluation of vaccine efficacy. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

1 Mar 2021

Single-dose of BNT162b2 vaccine may not be protective without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study by researchers at Imperial College London, UK, discusses the effect of a vaccine dose, specifically the BNT162b2 candidate (also known as the ‘Pfizer-BioNTech’ vaccine), on neutralizing antibody titers in individuals who have already been infected with the virus.

1 Mar 2021

New paper discusses how smoking may affect risk for COVID-19

A new paper published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society discusses how smoking may affect risk for COVID-19 and the types of research that are needed to better understand the link between smoking and COVID-19 risk.

1 Mar 2021

One in seven people in England show SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, finds study

The REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission-2 (REACT-2) program completed its fifth round of community surveys in the days between January 26 and February 8, 2021. The findings appear in a new article in the BMJ on February 25, 2021, showing that natural infection and vaccination together account for around 14% seropositivity rates in England at present.

1 Mar 2021

Connecticut is doling out vaccines based strictly on age. It’s simpler, but is it fair?

With Covid vaccines expected to remain scarce into early spring, Connecticut has scrapped its complicated plans to prioritize immunizations for people under 65 with certain chronic conditions and front-line workers. Instead, the state will primarily base eligibility on age.

1 Mar 2021

‘Into the Covid ICU’: A new doctor bears witness to the isolation, inequities of pandemic

This week marks a grim milestone: Half a million Americans have died of Covid-19. KHN reporter Jenny Gold, in collaboration with Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, spent eight months following one first-year medical resident working on the front lines of the pandemic.

1 Mar 2021

New method boosts research efforts to eradicate cancer at its source

A new method, described in a study published today in the journal Nature Communications, has the potential to boost international research efforts to find drugs that eradicate cancer at its source.

1 Mar 2021

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Study shows how SARS-CoV-2 affects cytokines compared to other respiratory viruses

Study shows asthma mediator IL-13 prevents SARS-CoV-2 infection

Scientists establish infection models for SARS-CoV-2 UK & South African variants

Enduring antibody response observed after natural immunity and first Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shot

Tier 3 interventions needed to contain SARS-CoV-2 transmission, especially with emergence of variants

Study: Repurposed arthritis drug did not improve outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia

Study: Highly efficient and balanced immune response key to avoiding COVID-19 symptoms

Digital version of popular COVID-19 memorial launched

Cellular maps capture COVID-19 pathogenesis in detail

A backbone free energy study of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Is transposable element expression affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection?

Protein kinase inhibitors could help treat immunodeficiency in HIV patients

Comparative analysis of SARS-CoV-2 antivirals leads to new potential treatment for COVID-19

Researchers evaluate surrogate large-scale SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance test

Single-dose of BNT162b2 vaccine may not be protective without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection

New paper discusses how smoking may affect risk for COVID-19

One in seven people in England show SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, finds study

Connecticut is doling out vaccines based strictly on age. It’s simpler, but is it fair?

‘Into the Covid ICU’: A new doctor bears witness to the isolation, inequities of pandemic

New method boosts research efforts to eradicate cancer at its source

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

How can super-resolution technology help study neurotransmission?

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

How can super-resolution technology help study neurotransmission?

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

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