Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

University of Utah Health, Intermountain Healthcare launch two clinical trials to treat COVID-19 patients

Researchers from Intermountain Healthcare and University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City have launched two vital clinical trials to test the effectiveness and safety of two drugs -hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and azithromycin - to treat patients with COVID-19 (infection with the novel coronavirus).

9 Apr 2020

‘Entry Point’ enzyme for COVID-19 higher in COPD patients and smokers

News-Medical speaks to Professor Don Sin on his research into COVID-19 and its effect on smokers and people suffering from COPD.

9 Apr 2020

Phylogenetic network analysis provides ‘snapshot’ of COVID-19 origins

Researchers from Cambridge, UK, and Germany have reconstructed the early "evolutionary paths" of COVID-19 in humans - as infection spread from Wuhan out to Europe and North America - using genetic network techniques.

9 Apr 2020

What’s missing in the coronavirus response

In the age of coronavirus, Americans are being told to stay home and wear masks outside. The federal government has made way for hospitals to treat patients in repurposed hotels and dormitories. Private companies are working to push out new diagnostic tests.

9 Apr 2020

COVID-19 crisis threatens beleaguered assisted living industry

David Aguirre jumped in his truck and drove toward the hospital in the predawn darkness the minute he got the news: His 91-year-old mom was being rushed from her Texas assisted living facility to the emergency room.

9 Apr 2020

Novel coronavirus targets specific secretory cells in the lungs

Viruses attack specific host cells, which can cause chaos in the body. The novel coronavirus, now called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2 for short, infects respiratory epithelial cells in the lining of the lung, causing difficulty of breathing. The usual cause of death of those who contract the virus is pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Now, a new study has found that SARS-CoV-2 specifically attack certain progenitor cells called bronchial transient secretory cells in the lungs.

9 Apr 2020

Avacta partners with Cytiva to develop a rapid test for COVID-19

Avacta Group plc, the developer of Affimer biotherapeutics and reagents, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a collaboration with Cytiva, formerly known as GE Healthcare Life Sciences.

From Avacta Life Sciences Ltd. 9 Apr 2020

Chinese newborns experienced mild form of COVID-19

A new paper published by Dr. Zhi-Jiang Zhang and colleagues from Wuhan University in the European Respiratory Journal in April 2020 reports that COVID-19 apparently left little impact on newborns born to infected mothers at the height of the epidemic.

9 Apr 2020

LGC launches new proficiency testing program for SARS-CoV-2 detection

LGC today launched a Proficiency Testing service for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID 19) by nucleic acid amplification testing, one of the first global schemes for COVID-19.

From ATCC 9 Apr 2020

PCR Biosystems continues to scale up production to ensure uninterrupted supply of COVID-19 test reagents

PCR Biosystems, the UK-based PCR experts, are continuing to scale up operations to ensure the critical enzyme mix for COVID-19 tests remain available to the UK and global healthcare systems as demand for testing rises.

9 Apr 2020

Boehringer Ingelheim steps up to fight COVID-19 with Global Support Program

Boehringer Ingelheim has significantly stepped up its support to the fight against Covid-19. A Global Support Program has been set up to bring more financial relief, protective materials and medicine donations to healthcare institutions and communities in need around the world.

From Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH 9 Apr 2020

Smokers have more ACE2 receptors making it easier for SARS-CoV-2 to infect

A new study published in the European Respiratory Journal in April 2020 reveals that people with smoking-damaged lungs and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are likely to have a higher level of the angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2).

9 Apr 2020

UC Davis researchers develop new web application to track COVID-19 cases

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed a new web application that allows users to track COVID-19 cases and testing across the globe. The app offers a simple, intuitive way for users to track COVID-19 data at the country, state and county level.

8 Apr 2020

PIV5-based MERS vaccine shows promise for COVID-19

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread to 184 countries and territories. Currently, there is no vaccine available for COVID-19 disease, or SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, scientists around the world are racing to find ways to block the virus.

8 Apr 2020

Top NAU microbiologist joins Arizona COVID-19 Genomics Union

The Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope, The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute at Northern Arizona University and the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of Arizona have formed a union dedicated to tracking the COVID-19 coronavirus, it was announced today.

8 Apr 2020

More than half of COVID-19 patients in Brazil came from Italy

Italy has grappled with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with more than 139,000 people infected and more than 17,000 people dead. In the first week of March, the number of cases in Italy skyrocketed before the lockdown was set in place. Prior to the country shutting down its border, many people had already left, flocking to other countries in an attempt to escape the virus.

8 Apr 2020