Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Study pinpoints potential transmission advantage of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7

Researchers in the UK have shown that the increased transmissibility of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineage B.1.1.7 that emerged in the UK during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic does not appear to be the result of increased viral replication or immune escape.

25 Feb 2021

Researchers study how glycans activate SARS-CoV-2

One thing that makes SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, elusive to the immune system is that it is covered in sugars called glycans.

25 Feb 2021

Texas Tech professor receives DARPA grant for developing indoor COVID-19 detector

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause headaches, dizziness and even death in certain circumstances.

25 Feb 2021

New, more reliable testing program rolled-out to hospital staff to curb Covid transmission rates

Frontline staff at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals are among the first in the country to benefit from the rollout of more accurate saliva tests in a bid to curb Covid transmission rates.

25 Feb 2021

Current screening guidelines may not detect liver cancer soon enough in African Americans

Early detection could reduce the number of African Americans dying from liver cancer, but current screening guidelines may not find cancer soon enough in this community, according to a study published in Cancer in February.

25 Feb 2021

SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a mutation limits host immune suppression, finds study

Researchers have identified a high variability in the C-terminal end of ORF7a in SARS-CoV-2 sequences collected from around the globe. They noted that mutations result in a defective suppression of interferon and lowered replication rate.

25 Feb 2021

Have a case of a Covid variant? No one is going to tell you

Covid-19 infections from variant strains are quickly spreading across the U.S., but there's one big problem: Lab officials say they can't tell patients or their doctors whether someone has been infected by a variant.

25 Feb 2021

Covid vaccine websites violate disability laws, create inequity for the blind

Many Covid vaccination registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels violate disability rights laws, hindering the ability of blind people to sign up for a potentially lifesaving vaccine, a KHN investigation has found.

25 Feb 2021

Canadian pilot study uses gene therapy to successfully treat patients with Fabry disease

Results of a world-first Canadian pilot study on patients treated with gene therapy for Fabry disease show that the treatment is working and safe.

25 Feb 2021

Research shows effective strategy to target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

The virus that causes COVID-19 belongs to the family of coronaviruses, "corona" referring to the spikes on the viral surface. These spikes are not static - to infect cells, they change shapes.

25 Feb 2021

Research shows how antibodies attach to and block Zika virus

The Zika outbreak of 2015 and 2016 are having lasting impacts on children whose mothers became infected with the virus while they were pregnant.

25 Feb 2021

Study reveals molecular details of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with human cells

In order to infect cells, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, needs to insert itself into the membrane of human cells. New molecular models show what parts of SARS-CoV-2 are critical for that interaction, revealing new potential drug targets.

25 Feb 2021

Study reports lasting immune response in convalescent COVID-19 patients

Researchers report the cellular immune response of convalescent patients in Germany, who recovered from mild or moderate infection compared to that of healthy people with no history of COVID-19.

25 Feb 2021

Study addresses COVID-19 pandemic concerns and guidelines for increasing food safety

A team of researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture examined how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed food practices and safety protocols for workers in food-processing plants.

25 Feb 2021

COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test from Siemens Healthineers receives special approval in Germany for self-use by laypeople

Siemens Healthineers announced today that the CLINITEST Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test has received limited special approval from the Federal Office for Drugs and Medical Devices.

From Siemens Healthineers 25 Feb 2021

Study of children hospitalized with COVID-19 shows 2% mortality

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been observed to be less serious in infants and children. However, this age group is also subject to certain complications following infection. A new study describes the findings of an observational study of children hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection in several different hospitals across three countries.

25 Feb 2021

Neuroinvasiveness of SARS-CoV-2 shown by viral RNA and inflammation in the brain

A new study describes the results of a macaque study that showed the development of neurological features of inflammation, following infection by SARS-CoV-2.

25 Feb 2021

Study explores individual differences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in ACE2-expressing stem cells

The clinical phenotype of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is remarkable for its wide range of severity among individual patients. Genetic variations are known to mediate part of these differences. To examine these differences, researchers in a new study used human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from different genetically diverse individuals. These cells are used to model genetic disease since they contain the donor’s genetic information. Researchers use a panel of iPSCs from over 500 individuals. The researchers preferred undifferentiated iPSCs to reduce the time required to differentiate them, especially since infection is not always reliable.

25 Feb 2021

Novel single-particle digital assay using plasmonic nanobubbles

An interdisciplinary team from the University of Texas applied DIAMOND to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) diagnostics and demonstrated that DIAMOND is 150 times more sensitive than commercial lateral flow assays. They found that the measurements are completed within 2 minutes. The results of this study are published on the medRxiv* preprint server.

25 Feb 2021

Travel bans are effective only in the first phases of pandemic

Travel bans have been key to efforts by many countries to control the spread of COVID-19. But new research aimed at providing a decision support system to Italian policy makers, recently published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, suggests that reducing individual activity (i.e., social distancing, closure of non-essential business, etc.) is far superior in controlling the dissemination of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

25 Feb 2021

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Study pinpoints potential transmission advantage of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7

Researchers study how glycans activate SARS-CoV-2

Texas Tech professor receives DARPA grant for developing indoor COVID-19 detector

New, more reliable testing program rolled-out to hospital staff to curb Covid transmission rates

Current screening guidelines may not detect liver cancer soon enough in African Americans

SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a mutation limits host immune suppression, finds study

Have a case of a Covid variant? No one is going to tell you

Covid vaccine websites violate disability laws, create inequity for the blind

Canadian pilot study uses gene therapy to successfully treat patients with Fabry disease

Research shows effective strategy to target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Research shows how antibodies attach to and block Zika virus

Study reveals molecular details of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with human cells

Study reports lasting immune response in convalescent COVID-19 patients

Study addresses COVID-19 pandemic concerns and guidelines for increasing food safety

COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test from Siemens Healthineers receives special approval in Germany for self-use by laypeople

Study of children hospitalized with COVID-19 shows 2% mortality

Neuroinvasiveness of SARS-CoV-2 shown by viral RNA and inflammation in the brain

Study explores individual differences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in ACE2-expressing stem cells

Novel single-particle digital assay using plasmonic nanobubbles

Travel bans are effective only in the first phases of pandemic

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

Newsletters you may be interested in