Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Patients with more severe SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibit larger antibody response

Researchers in the United States have found that individuals who develop more severe disease following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mount a larger antibody and memory B cell response during both acute infection and convalescence.

15 Sep 2020

African swine fever does not pose health risks to humans

The ASF pathogen is a virus which infects domestic pigs and wild boar and which leads to a severe, often lethal, disease in these animals. It is transferred via direct contact or with excretions from infected animals, or through ticks.

15 Sep 2020

Study reveals damaging role of immune system in severe brain infection

A new study has detailed the damaging role played by the immune system in a severe brain condition most commonly caused by the cold sore virus.

15 Sep 2020

New antibody assay for COVID-19 promises sensitive mass-scale detection

A new paper by researchers at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020, reports on the development of a serologic assay that is suitable for sensitive high-throughput antibody testing for COVID-19.

15 Sep 2020

COVID-19 ‘long-haulers’ experience lingering health effects

Called “long-haulers” or “long-termers,” some people report lingering symptoms of the illness for months. These people experience symptoms ranging from fatigue and weakness to chest pains and difficulty breathing.

15 Sep 2020

Immunologists analyze types of immune response to predict an effective COVID-19 vaccine

Immune reactions caused by vaccination can help protect the organism, or sometimes may aggravate the condition.

15 Sep 2020

People with substance use disorders are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection

A National Institutes of Health-funded study found that people with substance use disorders (SUDs) are more susceptible to COVID-19 and its complications.

15 Sep 2020

Second peak of Covid-19 is very likely in England during winter, doctors say

Thousands of doctors say a second Covid peak is very likely and is their greatest fear this winter

15 Sep 2020

Bath scientists receive funding to monitor wastewater in cities in the UK and Africa

Chemists, biologists and mathematicians from the University of Bath have received funding to monitor wastewater in cities in the UK and Africa, to provide an early warning of the potential spread of COVID-19.

15 Sep 2020

A comprehensive response to COVID-19 must recognize the value of care work

Three American researchers have looked at the role of women in caring for COVID-19 affected individuals. The pandemic that has gripped the world for over six months now has skewed gender roles, they noted.

15 Sep 2020

New project outlines the epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2

Independent group leaders Eleanor Scerri and Denise Kuehnert of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (MPI-SHH) have teamed up with other colleagues from the institute and beyond to comment in Nature Ecology & Evolution on the future of field-based sciences in a COVID-19 world.

15 Sep 2020

Analysis of COVID-19 spread from China, Italy and Iran

A recent study looked at the patterns of the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from China, Iran, and Italy to other nations. The study by researchers at Case-Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Duke University is published on the preprint website medRxiv* in September 2020.

15 Sep 2020

3D printed nanoparticle biosensing platform detects SARS-CoV-2 antibodies within seconds

Pandemics caused by novel infectious agents like the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Zika, or Ebola virus seriously impact human health and lives while also overwhelming health care systems all over the world. Early detection and diagnosis allow isolation of the infected patients and contact tracing, which can mitigate the spread of the virus and save lives, especially when a significant number of the patients are asymptomatic.

14 Sep 2020

NIH and FDA examine serious side effect that surfaced in COVID vaccine trial

The Food and Drug Administration is weighing whether to follow British regulators in resuming a coronavirus vaccine trial that was halted when a participant suffered spinal cord damage, even as the National Institutes of Health has launched an investigation of the case.

14 Sep 2020

RCas9 gene therapy clears toxic RNA buildup in mouse model of myotonic dystrophy

Myotonic dystrophy type I is the most common type of adult-onset muscular dystrophy. People with the condition inherit repeated DNA segments that lead to the toxic buildup of repetitive RNA, the messenger that carries a gene's recipe to the cell's protein-making machinery.

14 Sep 2020

Rheumatology providers and patient advocates urge lawmakers to address healthcare challenges

The American College of Rheumatology will hold its first virtual Advocates for Arthritis event on Tuesday, Sept. 15, where more than 120 rheumatologists, rheumatology health professionals, and patient advocates will meet with lawmakers via video to discuss the healthcare challenges they are facing in the midst of COVID-19.

14 Sep 2020

Smoke from wildfires may increase COVID-19 risk

The smoke the firefighters are breathing is heightening their risk of contracting the new coronavirus, with potentially life-threatening effects. Further, fighting the huge fires may make infection control measures such as hand washing and social distancing, challenging to perform.

14 Sep 2020

Oxford University and AstraZeneca resume COVID-19 vaccine trial

More than a hundred candidate vaccine trials against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), are underway. About 35 are now undergoing clinical evaluation, and of these, nine are in the final phase of human trials, including the vaccine developed by Oxford University and the biopharmaceutical firm, AstraZeneca.

14 Sep 2020

Tiny antibody component shows high potency in SARS-CoV-2 animal models

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists have isolated the smallest biological molecule to date that completely and specifically neutralizes the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is the cause of COVID-19.

14 Sep 2020

Circadian rhythm affects SARS-CoV-2 infection and host immune response

In an interesting bioRxiv preprint paper, French researchers show that the time day can affect infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as well as guide subsequent host immune response – implying that circadian rhythm may well be a novel target for managing viral progression.

14 Sep 2020