Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Using genomic analysis to map the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the UK

The SARS-CoV-2 virus was introduced to the United Kingdom well over 1,000 times in early 2020, according to researchers who analyzed more than 50,000 viral sequences from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.

8 Jan 2021

Advanced nanomaterial-based biosensing platform rapidly detects COVID-19 antibodies

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University report findings on an advanced nanomaterial-based biosensing platform that detects, within seconds, antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 Jan 2021

How do SARS-CoV-2 antibodies change over time in recovered patients?

Researchers studied convalescent plasma from recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, with samples collected up to 34 weeks after recovery. They found IgG antibodies gradually declined with a median half-life of about 60 days.

8 Jan 2021

Norwegian health tech company Dignio settle in Manchester

The rapidly growing company has chosen Manchester as their growth location in the UK. – A dynamic ecosystem and innovation minded stakeholders make this area perfect for deploying health technology, says Dignio UK Managing Director Dr Ewa Truchanowicz.

From Dignio 8 Jan 2021

Do-it-yourself contact tracing is a ‘last resort’ in communities besieged by Covid

The contact tracers of Washtenaw County in Michigan have been deluged with work and, to cope, the overburdened health department has a new tactic: It is asking residents who test positive for Covid-19 to do their own contact tracing.

8 Jan 2021

As the vulnerable wait, some political leaders’ spouses get covid vaccines

With supplies of covid-19 vaccines scarce, a federal advisory panel recommends first putting shots into the arms of health care workers, who keep the nation's medical system running, and long-term care residents most likely to die from the coronavirus.

8 Jan 2021

Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is possible in enclosed environments, a study finds

A team of scientists recently revealed that inside a closed room, the chance of airborne SARS-CoV-2 infection directly depends on the number of symptomatic COVID-19 patients in the room and the duration of exposure.

8 Jan 2021

Study: Initial COVID-19 severity is not linked to later poor respiratory problems

A new study published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society examines the recovery of lung function and overall wellness in individuals who had varying degrees of COVID-19 severity.

8 Jan 2021

Patients taking immunosuppressive drugs did not have worse COVID-19 outcomes

People taking immunosuppressive drugs to prevent organ transplant rejection or to treat inflammatory or autoimmune diseases do not fare worse than others on average when they are hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

7 Jan 2021

Link between fever, diarrhea, severe COVID-19, and persistent anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

A new preprint research paper appearing on the medRxiv server describes a link between the persistence of neutralizing antibodies against the virus, disease severity, and specific COVID-19 symptoms.

7 Jan 2021

High-affinity SARS-CoV-2 RBD drives mutation spread, forms basis of new COVID-19 inhibitor

Now, an intriguing recent study appeared on the bioRxiv * preprint server describes the use of in vitro evolution to elicit affinity maturation of the viral receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein to bind the host cell angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) with greater affinity.

7 Jan 2021

Potential role of chitinase 3-like-1 in severity of COVID-19

Now, an intriguing preprint research paper on the bioRxiv server reports the identification of an enzyme called chitinase 3-like-1 (CHI3L1) that mediates this age-dependent impact of the virus and could serve as a powerful therapeutic approach in mitigating the severity of COVID-19 in this high-risk group.

7 Jan 2021

Antibodies and inflammatory markers are pervasive in colostrum of SARS-CoV-2 infected women

A recent study, currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server, is among the first to reveal the presence of antibodies against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in colostrum and to demonstrate elevated cytokine levels in colostrum from women exposed to the virus.

7 Jan 2021

Potential treatment approach to new COVID-19 variant

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated a potential new approach to treating infection with the new variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

7 Jan 2021

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental health of older adults? A UK case study

A team of researchers at University College London, UK, recently explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of older adults across Britain.

7 Jan 2021

SARS-CoV-2 viral load in saliva may be linked to COVID-19 disease severity

Researchers at Yale University School of Medicine found that SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in saliva are higher for patients with associated risk factors and underlying conditions that lead to severe COVID-19 and death. Thus, saliva viral loads could be used to predict disease severity.

7 Jan 2021

Males at higher risk of severe COVID-19 and mortality in Indian case study

A new US-based study by researchers at Dartmouth College, the Development Data Lab, IDFC Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Chicago shows that the infection fatality rate (IFR) could be twice as high for men compared to women and increases much less at older ages compared to high-income countries.

7 Jan 2021

Which strain should SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates target?

A researcher at Clemson University, USA, has recently explored how governments might effectively combat the pandemic through strategic vaccination as new variants and strains of the virus emerge. The study suggests that vaccine candidates should target the fast-spreading variant, even when the initial prevalence is much lower.

7 Jan 2021

Illinois is first in the nation to extend health coverage to undocumented seniors

As a nurse manager for one of Chicago's busiest safety-net hospitals, Raquel Prendkowski has witnessed covid-19's devastating toll on many of the city's most vulnerable residents — including people who lack health insurance because of their immigration status. Some come in so sick they go right to intensive care. Some don't survive.

7 Jan 2021

Covid-19 project receives government funding to expand globally

Supercomputing facilities set up to track the spread and evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic have received £1.2M in government funding to expand globally.

7 Jan 2021

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Using genomic analysis to map the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the UK

Advanced nanomaterial-based biosensing platform rapidly detects COVID-19 antibodies

How do SARS-CoV-2 antibodies change over time in recovered patients?

Norwegian health tech company Dignio settle in Manchester

Do-it-yourself contact tracing is a ‘last resort’ in communities besieged by Covid

As the vulnerable wait, some political leaders’ spouses get covid vaccines

Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is possible in enclosed environments, a study finds

Study: Initial COVID-19 severity is not linked to later poor respiratory problems

Patients taking immunosuppressive drugs did not have worse COVID-19 outcomes

Link between fever, diarrhea, severe COVID-19, and persistent anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

High-affinity SARS-CoV-2 RBD drives mutation spread, forms basis of new COVID-19 inhibitor

Potential role of chitinase 3-like-1 in severity of COVID-19

Antibodies and inflammatory markers are pervasive in colostrum of SARS-CoV-2 infected women

Potential treatment approach to new COVID-19 variant

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental health of older adults? A UK case study

SARS-CoV-2 viral load in saliva may be linked to COVID-19 disease severity

Males at higher risk of severe COVID-19 and mortality in Indian case study

Which strain should SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates target?

Illinois is first in the nation to extend health coverage to undocumented seniors

Covid-19 project receives government funding to expand globally

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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