SARS CoV 2 News and Research

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Immune-evading variants can emerge in SARS-CoV-2, researchers warn

An international team of researchers has shown that a mutation within severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – enables the pathogen to evade antibody-mediated immunity while maintaining replication fitness and increasing viral loads.

9 Nov 2020

‘A great day for science and humanity’; Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is found to be 90% effective

Pfizer and BioNTech have today announced their new vaccine candidate (BNT162b2) is 90% effective against SARS-CoV-2.

9 Nov 2020

Cooler temperatures in U.S. may increase COVID-19 cases: New modeling study

How temperature affects the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been a question asked since the pandemic's early days. Just like the flu, which has a substantial seasonal variation, it is believed that SARS-CoV-2 also may be affected by temperature.

9 Nov 2020

New strategy for designing COVID-19 antiviral drugs to inhibit key viral protein

SARS-CoV-2, the respiratory virus that causes COVID-19, attacks the body in multiple steps. Gaining entry into cells deep within the lungs and hijacking the human host cell's machinery to churn out copies of itself are two of the earliest steps -- both essential for viral infection.

9 Nov 2020

Pre-existing antibodies created during COVID-19 may protect children against new pandemic strain

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London have found that some antibodies, created by the immune system during infection with common cold coronaviruses, can also target SARS-CoV-2 and may confer a degree of protection against the new viral strain.

9 Nov 2020

Successful containment of COVID-19 in a Brazilian archipelago

The team of researchers in May 2020, headed by Ligia Regina Franco Sansigolo Kerr and Prof Costa Mendes, aimed to discuss and report the various control measures taken by FNA authorities in order to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (FNA). Their research is published on the preprint server medRxiv.

8 Nov 2020

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 direct heart muscle cell infection, cell death, loss of contractility

In the study, published on the pre-print journal bioRxiv, the researchers revealed that SARS-CoV-2-infected EHTs manifested the typical characteristics of myocarditis or heart inflammation. These include the stimulation of immune cells, heart cell death, and decreased contractile force generation.

8 Nov 2020

Researchers compare rhesus and cynomolgus macaques for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine trials

A team of researchers at the Biomedical Primate Research Centre based in the Netherlands have aimed to determine the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen on these monkeys and, subsequently, whether they make good animal models for future research in the area.

8 Nov 2020

Study suggests honey and Nigella sativa expedites viral clearance in COVID-19 patients

A team of researchers from various institutes across Pakistan, Chile, Canada, and the USA recently conducted a clinical trial to investigate the potential effectiveness of a combination of honey and Nigella sativa (HNS) in treating COVID-19 patients. Their study is published on the preprint server medRxiv prior to the scientific peer review process.

8 Nov 2020

Study suggests SARS-CoV-2 mutation fingerprints could be used for molecular contact tracing

In a recent groundbreaking study, researchers from Stanford University demonstrated the potential of multiplexed targeted next-generation sequencing assay for detecting SARS-CoV-2 genetic fingerprints used in mutation profiling, with the potential of massive scalability required for population studies. The findings are currently available on the medRxiv preprint server.

8 Nov 2020

Mobile phone contamination could be part of SARS-CoV-2 transmission chain in hospitals, Brazil case study suggests

Researchers conducting a study at a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) intensive care unit (ICU) in São Paulo, Brazil, have warned that infection control guidelines need to include a universal policy regarding the disinfection of mobile phones in the hospital setting.

8 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 antibodies wane, depending on age, symptoms and ethnicity

Researchers at the University of Oxford have conducted a study of UK healthcare workers showing how antibody responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can wane over time, depending on age, previous symptoms and ethnicity.

8 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infection risk in day care centers for children and educators is low

Their findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection rarely occurs in daycare centers, and thus, these centers should not be considered as potential reservoirs of the virus. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

8 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 viral antigens found in non-pulmonary tissues in recovering patients

A team of researchers in Singapore, led by Dr. Joe Yeong, and Prof. Tony Kiat Hon Lim, have reported the presence of residual SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA) – the virus' genetic material – in stool samples and gastrointestinal tissues from patients recovering from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

8 Nov 2020

Delirium common after hospital discharge in critically ill COVID-19 patients

Anesthesiologist and other researchers from Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, New York Medical College, Valhalla and Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, have reported a case series of critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who have developed neuropsychological symptoms after having been discharged from the hospital.

8 Nov 2020

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 infection four times more likely through household transmission than community

A group of researchers from across the United States working in collaboration with their Swiss counterparts have conducted an extensive population-based serological survey to understand the transmission dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) – the novel agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

8 Nov 2020

Health workers with religious beards experiencing professional discrimination amid COVID-19, UK study finds

A new study conducted by researchers across the UK has looked at how male health workers with religious beards have been affected by workplace practices during the pandemic. The researchers from Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, UK, sought to determine some of the effects on male healthcare workers who had been asked to remove their beards in light of personal protective equipment (PPE) policies, particularly strict mask fit-testing stipulations.

8 Nov 2020

Decreasing humidity in the winter is likely to lead to more COVID-19 cases

A team of researchers from the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, USA, and Johns Hopkins University, USA, found evidence to support the notion that increased humidity may have contributed to lesser cases in spring earlier this year (2020). However, as the winter season fast approaches, the researchers fear that the decreasing humidity is likely to lead to an increase in COVID-19 cases.

8 Nov 2020

Cats shed SARS-CoV-2 RNA for a shorter duration compared to humans, study finds

Since the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there have been numerous reports of pets becoming infected. Both dogs and cats have been observed to exhibit symptoms of infection.

8 Nov 2020

Innate immunity key to limiting viral load in COVID-19 cases

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to cause many difficulties for public health authorities, research is ongoing to understand how the virus can cause fatal effects on those infected and thereby suggest effective preventive and therapeutic measures against it.

8 Nov 2020

SARS CoV 2 News and Research

Immune-evading variants can emerge in SARS-CoV-2, researchers warn

‘A great day for science and humanity’; Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is found to be 90% effective

Cooler temperatures in U.S. may increase COVID-19 cases: New modeling study

New strategy for designing COVID-19 antiviral drugs to inhibit key viral protein

Pre-existing antibodies created during COVID-19 may protect children against new pandemic strain

Successful containment of COVID-19 in a Brazilian archipelago

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 direct heart muscle cell infection, cell death, loss of contractility

Researchers compare rhesus and cynomolgus macaques for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine trials

Study suggests honey and Nigella sativa expedites viral clearance in COVID-19 patients

Study suggests SARS-CoV-2 mutation fingerprints could be used for molecular contact tracing

Mobile phone contamination could be part of SARS-CoV-2 transmission chain in hospitals, Brazil case study suggests

SARS-CoV-2 antibodies wane, depending on age, symptoms and ethnicity

SARS-CoV-2 infection risk in day care centers for children and educators is low

SARS-CoV-2 viral antigens found in non-pulmonary tissues in recovering patients

Delirium common after hospital discharge in critically ill COVID-19 patients

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 infection four times more likely through household transmission than community

Health workers with religious beards experiencing professional discrimination amid COVID-19, UK study finds

Decreasing humidity in the winter is likely to lead to more COVID-19 cases

Cats shed SARS-CoV-2 RNA for a shorter duration compared to humans, study finds

Innate immunity key to limiting viral load in COVID-19 cases

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