Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Stanford study reveals immunological deviations and lapses in severe COVID-19 cases

Some people get really sick from COVID-19, and others don't. Nobody knows why.

11 Aug 2020

Protein uses two different mechanisms to inhibit viral infections

To protect humans against infection, a protein called MARCH8 tags the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) for destruction while it merely holds HIV hostage, a new study in eLife shows.

11 Aug 2020

Public health officials are quitting or getting fired in throes of pandemic

Vilified, threatened with violence or in some cases suffering from burnout, dozens of state and local public health officials around the U.S. have resigned or have been fired amid the coronavirus outbreak, a testament to how politically combustible masks, lockdowns and infection data have become.

11 Aug 2020

Certain N95 masks are highly effective in preventing the inhalation of airborne particles

This spring, due to limited national supplies of N95 face masks, hospitals across the country asked the public and private companies to donate personal protective equipment (PPE), including many different types of masks, to be sure healthcare workers were protected while caring for patients.

11 Aug 2020

A simple modeling tool for business executives to reopen their workplace after lockdown

In the USA, where the curve of infections has not yet flattened since the beginning of the pandemic, 158,000 people have died from Covid-19 already.

11 Aug 2020

Research looks at how long SARS-CoV-2 antibodies last

A new study by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 deals with the changes in neutralizing antibodies in the following months.

11 Aug 2020

Study shows how wind instruments vary for risk of virus transmission

A new study by the University of Minnesota researchers and published on the preprint server medRxiv in August 2020 shows that wind instruments, in particular, are a source of significant aerosol production and, therefore, of viral transmission.

11 Aug 2020

Finland joins international organization dedicated to COVID-19 vaccines

The flag of Finland was raised at the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) Headquarters today during a ceremony welcoming the country's accession to IVI.

11 Aug 2020

New research on COVID-19 and aging

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in August 2020 shows that genetic factors, chronic disease, and biological aging define the relationship between aging and the severity of COVID-19.

11 Aug 2020

Study may help develop treatment for age-related pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a potentially lethal disease for which there is currently no cure and that is associated with certain mutations or advanced age.

11 Aug 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission possible in North American deer mice

The current COVID-19 pandemic began as a zoonosis in China, at the end of 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel betacoronavirus with significant similarity to an earlier virus of the same family.

11 Aug 2020

COVID-19 Prevention Network announces Phase 3 trials to evaluate monoclonal antibodies

The COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN) today announced two Phase 3 trials to determine whether monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can prevent SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

11 Aug 2020

One-third of children hospitalized with COVID-19 admitted to ICU, study finds

Now, new research has found that children are still at a high risk of developing severe COVID-19. The study shows that one-third of children hospitalized due to COVID-19 were admitted to intensive care units (ICU), a rate similar to adults.

11 Aug 2020

Persistent hiccups an unusual COVID-19 symptom

Now, a team of researchers revealed another atypical symptom reported by patients infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – persistent hiccups.

10 Aug 2020

Scientists reveal the best and worst face masks to use for COVID-19 protection

Duke University went about testing 14 different types of masks to determine which offers the best protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The team has found that bandannas, gaiters, and knitted masks are some of the least effective face coverings for preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

10 Aug 2020

Novel coronavirus does not directly damage taste bud cells, UGA study shows

A new study from the Regenerative Bioscience Center at the University of Georgia is the first to suggest that COVID-19 does not directly damage taste bud cells.

10 Aug 2020

CRISPR-based COVID-19 surveillance

A recent US study available on the medRxiv preprint server supports the use of self-collected oropharyngeal swabs, together with CRISPR- and PCR-based diagnostic assays, as rapid, feasible and reliable approach for the surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in university students and other asymptomatic individuals

10 Aug 2020

NIH awards $1.2 million grant to create humanized mice susceptible to COVID-19

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a grant of $1.2 million to the Mouse Biology Program at the University of California, Davis, to create mice that are susceptible to the COVID-19 virus, and to distribute them to researchers.

10 Aug 2020

Kids with silent malaria remain vulnerable to developing endemic Burkitt lymphoma

A study has found strong similarities between children with endemic Burkitt lymphoma — an aggressive cancer that attacks the body's defense system and children with silent malaria infection.

10 Aug 2020

Baylor Scott & White Research Institute enrolls first patients in NIH ACTIV-3 clinical trial

On Wednesday, August 5, in Dallas, just one day after the initiative was launched by the National Institutes of Health, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute enrolled the first patient in the world for the ACTIV-3 clinical trial. A second patient was enrolled the following day.

10 Aug 2020