Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

A "five-day switch" plan for schools reopenings during COVID-19

Researchers worked on mathematical predictions that could predict the safety of reopening schools in the U.S. Their study titled, “Safely Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” is published preprint at the website medRxiv.

14 Oct 2020

AncestryDNA modeling study of 500,000 Americans sheds light on COVID-19 risk factors

Now, a new study by researchers at AncestryDNA, a company that provides DNA testing services that use modern autosomal testing technology, shows that some people are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection, and they may experience more severe outcomes, including males, the elderly, and those with comorbidities.

14 Oct 2020

First confirmed US case of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection

Of the cases of reinfections worldwide, a particular case has been reported by scientists at the Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada. A 25-year-old man from Washoe County in the United States, the hardest-hit country globally, has more than 7.85 million cases.

14 Oct 2020

D614G mutation in SARS-CoV-2 increases viral fitness and infectivity

Researchers from the Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Duke University, Durham NC, USA, recently analyzed the D614G mutation in SARS-CoV-2 in the context of a soluble S ectodomain construct. Their study has been published in the preprint server bioRxiv.

14 Oct 2020

Children and teens can spread SARS-CoV-2 in their households

A team of researchers from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aimed to determine the secondary attack rates (SAR) among household contacts of children and adolescents who contracted SARS-CoV-2 during an outbreak at an overnight camp in June.

13 Oct 2020

Salivary samples highly effective in detecting SARS-CoV-2

A team of scientists from the United States has found that oral salivary samples are less sensitive than nasal-oropharyngeal swabs for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA

13 Oct 2020

Using pooled wastewater testing to detect COVID-19 cases

A pilot study testing wastewater from buildings as a surveillance method for COVID-19 found it to be a feasible method for detecting positive cases in highly occupied settings like dormitories.

13 Oct 2020

Mothers transmit passive protection against SARS-CoV-2 to their newborns

A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 shows that newborns may be protected from acquiring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection by antibodies in the mother’s blood that travels through the placenta.

13 Oct 2020

Drug derived from a natural human protein could stop lethal lung damage from the flu

The raging lung inflammation that can contribute to death from the flu can be stopped in its tracks by a drug derived from a naturally occurring human protein, a new animal study suggests.

13 Oct 2020

NYU scientists develop a method using holographic imaging to detect viruses, antibodies

A team of New York University scientists has developed a method using holographic imaging to detect both viruses and antibodies. The breakthrough has the potential to aid in medical diagnoses and, specifically, those related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

13 Oct 2020

PPE may account for low SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in healthcare workers

A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 shows that among healthcare workers, and especially among first responders, less than 1% and just over 5%, respectively, had antibodies to the virus.

13 Oct 2020

Sleep disorders common during COVID-19 pandemic

A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020 reveals the significant prevalence of sleep abnormalities among the population in areas affected by COVID-19. This is likely to cause a heavy toll on mental and physical health if sustained over the long run.

13 Oct 2020

COVID-19 causes potentially damaging neurological injuries, study shows

Without directly invading the brain or nerves, the virus responsible for COVID-19 causes potentially damaging neurological injuries in about one in seven infected, a new study shows.

13 Oct 2020

Black doctors work to make coronavirus testing more equitable

When the coronavirus arrived in Philadelphia in March, Dr. Ala Stanford hunkered down at home with her husband and kids.

13 Oct 2020

Researchers launch new clinical trial to investigate role of vitamin D against COVID-19

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London, funded by Barts Charity, have launched a new clinical trial to investigate whether taking vitamin D could protect people from COVID-19

13 Oct 2020

Study: Deaths recorded during pandemic is higher than those attributed to COVID-19

For every two deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S., a third American dies as a result of the pandemic, according to new data publishing Oct. 12 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

13 Oct 2020

Study offers a better understanding of protective antibodies induced by coronavirus

As vaccine trials progress and public health officials brace for a rise in COVID-19 cases, understanding how the body defends itself from SARS-CoV-2 infection is essential.

13 Oct 2020

New study details how Michigan nursing homes limited the spread of coronavirus

Seven months ago, the nation first heard of a surge of COVID-19 deaths in a Washington nursing home – an early warning sign of how the coronavirus could rip through such facilities.

13 Oct 2020

COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows potent immune response

A COVID-19 vaccine candidate that underwent extensive preclinical testing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham this spring and summer shows potent preclinical immune responses - including several that distinguish it from other COVID-19 vaccine approaches - according to a preprint deposited in the BioRxiv repository this week.

13 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and COVID symptoms can last at least 3 months

Recent research published as a preprint on the medRxiv preprint server, Elizabeth T. Cirulli et al., studies the self-reported short and long-term symptoms in a large general adult population cohort.

13 Oct 2020