Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Nasopharyngeal swab vs. saliva for COVID-19 diagnosis

One thing has become apparent in the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19. Early diagnosis and treatment, when necessary, is crucial to prevent the progression of the disease to critical and life-threatening stages where the mortality rate is much higher than otherwise. Rapid diagnosis is also key to containing outbreaks by allowing for efficient contact tracing in hospitals as well as in communities.

21 May 2020

Research looks at COVID-19 in cancer patients

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, new questions arise as to the risk posed by the virus to different patient populations, including the elderly and those with underlying disease. A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 deals with the risk of COVID-19 in the subgroup of patients with cancer.

21 May 2020

Saliva testing allows quick, accurate and non-invasive SARS-CoV-2 detection

Saliva is one of the ways people can transmit the novel coronavirus to others, but it may also help combat coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Scientists are now looking into using saliva to test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent for COVID-19 disease.

20 May 2020

Experts urge further improvements in COVID-19 testing to increase speed and availability

In an important, comprehensive, and timely review, an expert team from the University of California Berkeley details the methodologies used in nucleic acid-based tests for detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

20 May 2020

Universal testing of asymptomatic pregnant women may not be necessary, study suggests

A study conducted by investigators at Cedars-Sinai suggests that universal testing of asymptomatic pregnant women in labor may not be necessary at every hospital.

20 May 2020

Australia and South Korea: Research compares COVID-19 fatality rates

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 compares the fatality rates of two countries with reliable testing and reporting profiles, which had COVID-19 outbreaks at almost the same time, to arrive at a reliable estimate of fatality hazard rates.

20 May 2020

Fewer COVID-19 patients suffer from stroke than previously reported

Fewer people than previously reported suffer from stroke as a result of COVID-19, a new analysis finds. However, strokes that accompany the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2, appear to be more severe.

20 May 2020

FDA approves IND application by Octapharma USA for severe COVID-19 patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the investigational new drug (IND) application submitted by Octapharma USA for a phase three clinical trial on the efficacy and safety of Octagam 10% [Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)] therapy in COVID-19 patients with severe disease progression.

20 May 2020

Researchers highlight the need to revise the protocol for detecting ZIKV infection in placenta

Shortly after the explosion in microcephaly cases caused by Zika virus in Brazil in 2015-16, several scientific studies were published with evidence that the pathogen is capable of crossing the human placenta, the organ that keeps the fetus connected to the mother's body during pregnancy.

20 May 2020

Main receptors used by SARS-CoV-2 for cell entry are absent in the human placenta

Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unlikely to infect human placenta through the canonical cell entry mediators, Wayne State University researchers showed that other interacting proteins may still play an important role during the viral infection. The study is currently available on the preprint server bioRxiv.

20 May 2020

Henry Ford Health System first to enroll a pediatric patient in HEROS study

Henry Ford Health System is first in the country to enroll a patient in the Human Epidemiology and Response to SARS-CoV-2 study, which aims to help determine the rate of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, among U.S. children and their family members, and what percentage of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 develop symptoms of the disease.

20 May 2020

Study shows engineered SARS-CoV-2 spike protein may be utilized for vaccine development

In a new study available on the preprint server bioRxiv, researchers demonstrate how the conformation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein (S-protein) can be controlled with the rational construct design, providing a framework for S-protein structure engineering in vaccine/drug development.

20 May 2020

Certain corticosteroid could improve severe COVID-19, say researchers

Researchers at Wayne State University and Henry Ford Health System in Michigan have conducted a study indicating that the corticosteroid methylprednisolone could improve outcomes among patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

20 May 2020

Scientists use machine learning methods to estimate COVID-19's seasonal cycle

One of the many unanswered scientific questions about COVID-19 is whether it is seasonal like the flu - waning in warm summer months then resurging in the fall and winter.

20 May 2020

Dana-Farber launches clinical test of blood cancer drug in COVID-19 patients

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have launched a clinical test of a blood cancer drug in patients infected with the COVID-19 virus. T

20 May 2020

Doctoral candidate receives NIH fellowship to study how adenovirus affects heart function

A dose of adenovirus hits most people like a common cold - a cough, a fever, maybe a sore throat. But for an unfortunate few, the usually benign bug hacks the heart's cellular electrical communication system and sometimes proves fatal.

20 May 2020

New study initiated to establish the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in environmental samples

he Ministry of Science and Innovation, by way of the COVID-19 fund of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), is funding a study aimed at establishing the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in environmental samples as well as its indirect transmission potential.

20 May 2020

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Nasopharyngeal swab vs. saliva for COVID-19 diagnosis

Research looks at COVID-19 in cancer patients

Saliva testing allows quick, accurate and non-invasive SARS-CoV-2 detection

Experts urge further improvements in COVID-19 testing to increase speed and availability

Universal testing of asymptomatic pregnant women may not be necessary, study suggests

Australia and South Korea: Research compares COVID-19 fatality rates

Fewer COVID-19 patients suffer from stroke than previously reported

FDA approves IND application by Octapharma USA for severe COVID-19 patients

Researchers highlight the need to revise the protocol for detecting ZIKV infection in placenta

Main receptors used by SARS-CoV-2 for cell entry are absent in the human placenta

Henry Ford Health System first to enroll a pediatric patient in HEROS study

Study shows engineered SARS-CoV-2 spike protein may be utilized for vaccine development

Certain corticosteroid could improve severe COVID-19, say researchers

Scientists use machine learning methods to estimate COVID-19's seasonal cycle

Dana-Farber launches clinical test of blood cancer drug in COVID-19 patients

Doctoral candidate receives NIH fellowship to study how adenovirus affects heart function

New study initiated to establish the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in environmental samples

Immunologists propose possible molecular mechanism for the deadly respiratory syndrome

Avacta and Medusa19 enter into a distribution agreement for COVID-19 antigen test

CDC plans nationwide antibody study to determine the magnitude of the coronavirus 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