Disease/Infection News

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Single BNT162b2 mRNA dose induces humoral and T cell responses against mutated variants with a history of COVID-19

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv by Tauzin et al. (March 18th, 2021) the ability of a single dose of mRNA vaccine to induce humoral and T cell responses against mutated variants are demonstrated and found to be reinforced in individuals with a history of COVID-19.

22 Mar 2021

Simple SARS-CoV-2 mutations allow escape from the majority of polyclonal antibodies

The group identified a single class of antibodies that target a particular epitope on the RBD of SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that the human polyclonal response to SARS-CoV-2 infection is dominated by a worryingly narrow range of antibodies that target an epitope undergoing rapid mutation.

22 Mar 2021

Survey of smokers and vapers in the U.S. during COVID

Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital aimed to understand the changes in cigarette and e-cigarette use behaviors among adults in the United States. They found that a third of cigarette smokers and a quarter of vape or e-cigarette users increased their use during the pandemic, mainly due to stress.

22 Mar 2021

B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant significantly more dangerous

Now, researchers at the University of Exeter, the NHS Foundation Trust, report a significant increase in mortality risk due to the B.1.1.7 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant.

22 Mar 2021

Most cancer patients with COVID-19 produce antibodies at a rate comparable to general population

Most people with cancer who are infected by the novel coronavirus produce antibodies at a rate comparable to the rest of the population--but their ability to do so depends on their type of cancer and the treatments they've received, according to a new study by researchers at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

22 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 infection is circadian

An international team of researchers has found that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) levels in lung cells vary over the day, affecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The virus entry and replication in the lung cells also have a rhythmic cycle, suggesting circadian processes can affect the virus's life cycle.

22 Mar 2021

Iron-binder DFX improves the effect of new TB antimicrobial, research shows

Although Tuberculosis, or TB, killed nearly as many people as COVID-19 (approx. 1.8 million) in 2020, it did not receive as much media and public attention.

22 Mar 2021

RedHill provides opaganib treatment under compassionate use exemption for Swiss COVID-19 patients

RedHill Biopharma Ltd., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has acted on a request to provide opaganib treatment on an outpatient basis under compassionate use exemption for several Swiss patients suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia.

22 Mar 2021

Anti-androgen drugs may help disarm coronavirus spike protein, stop progression of COVID-19

Hormone drugs that reduce androgen levels may help disarm the coronavirus spike protein used to infect cells and stop the progression of severe COVID-19 disease, suggests a new preclinical study from researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania and published online in Cell Press's iScience.

22 Mar 2021

Researchers find the right dosing of an old anti-tuberculosis drug

A considerably higher dose of the anti-tuberculosis drug rifampicin is safe and can also lead to a shorter treatment for tuberculosis and less resistance.

22 Mar 2021

AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine protects against symptomatic disease

Results from a large clinical trial in the United States and South America indicate that AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, AZD1222, is well-tolerated and protects against symptomatic COVID-19 disease, including severe disease or hospitalization.

22 Mar 2021

Can SARS-CoV-2 still be transmissible once symptoms have subsided?

Researchers based at the University of Missouri, in partnership with U.S. government science facilities in Maryland, have reported that individuals severely infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be able to continue shedding infectious viral RNA for over three weeks after the symptomatic infection has passed.

22 Mar 2021

A green tea compound shows anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties in vitro

Researchers show the antiviral potential of a green tea compound against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

22 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 variants develop resistance against type I interferons

A study conducted at the University of Colorado and National Institutes of Health, USA, has revealed that the resistance developed by newly emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 against host interferon responses could serve as a potential driving force for viral evolution.

22 Mar 2021

Prediction of antibody responses in recovered COVID-19 patients remains unclear

It is crucial to gain a better understanding of how an antibody response is developed against SARS-CoV-2, and how long it lasts. This will determine the antibody titers and duration that protect against reinfection by the virus. A new preprint on the medRxiv* server shows this to be still a distant goal.

22 Mar 2021

Male fertility and androgen production may be impacted by COVID-19

An interesting new study has appeared online in the journal Hormones that discusses the effects of COVID-19 on the male and female gonads.

22 Mar 2021

What are the chief predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children?

A new study seeks to explore the factors associated with the diagnosis in children. The ability to rapidly diagnose COVID-19 in this age group is essential not only for monitoring progressive disease in individual children, but to avert further transmission chains.

22 Mar 2021

Could nanoparticle vaccines offer broad protection against sarbecoviruses?

To understand the ability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-elicited antibodies to neutralize and protect against emerging variants (that are pathogenic) and other sarbecoviruses, a large team of researchers studied immunity by receptor-binding domain nanoparticle vaccines. They showed that a clinical-stage multivalent SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain nanoparticle vaccine (SARS-CoV-2 RBD-NP) protected mice from the SARS-CoV-2-induced disease.

22 Mar 2021

Preventing future pandemics by ending the wildlife trade

In this News-Medical interview, we spoke to Professor Diana Bell about the illegal wildlife trade and how we could prevent future pandemics by stopping it.

22 Mar 2021

Vaccine passports raise questions of equity, security, and privacy

Vaccine passports raise questions of equity, security, privacy, argues Crispin Maslog. China, where the COVID-19 pandemic began a long year ago, has now become the first country in the world to issue a vaccine passport to promote world economic recovery and facilitate cross-border travel.

22 Mar 2021