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Melatonin may be a viable treatment option for COVID-19, study suggests

Results from a new Cleveland Clinic-led study suggest that melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and is commonly used as an over-the-counter sleep aid, may be a viable treatment option for COVID-19.

9 Nov 2020

Study suggests herd immunity to COVID-19 in New York City is low

Researchers in the United States have estimated that the proportion of people in New York City who developed antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is around one in eight.

9 Nov 2020

Promising yeast-expressed SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate effective in mice

Researchers at the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, USA, have published a report on the preprint server bioRxiv that describes a yeast-expressed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein, a key target of current vaccine development efforts.

9 Nov 2020

Translational study within SARS-CoV-2 infected cells opens up new therapeutic avenues

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 shows what the protein translation process looks like in specific terms. In doing so, the study has provided new insights that might prove helpful in developing new therapies for COVID-19 patients.

9 Nov 2020

ACE2 and TMPRSS2 not the only virus-receptors to mediate SARS-CoV-2 entry

However, a recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in November 2020 uncovers the major role played by the N-terminal domain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in host infection. This could be of great use in measuring the usefulness of antibodies used in convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19.

9 Nov 2020

Study of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in >5,000 healthcare workers

To address this, Daniel J Cooper and his team of researchers conducted a prospective seroepidemiological study to systematically evaluate specific risk factors for healthcare workers. They used a SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay and analyzed the risk factors for seropositivity using multivariate logistic regression.

9 Nov 2020

Majority of population likely has pre-existing immunity to SARS-CoV-2, claim researchers

A team of researchers has conducted a study suggesting that the majority of the global population is likely to have pre-existing T-cell immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

9 Nov 2020

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

Connect Health introduces new COVID-19 musculoskeletal risk assessment tool

CHART (COVID-19 Connect Health Assessment of Risk Tool) introduced to support MSK clinicians in making the right decisions for managing patient care whilst services are restricted

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

Researchers monitor effects of COVID-19 outbreak on care of cancer patients

Fewer breast and colorectal cancer diagnoses have been made in the Netherlands due to the COVID-19 crisis this spring. The decline in the number of diagnoses was more abundant in age groups invited to national population screening programmes, as compared to other age groups.

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

Social distancing policies had little effect on lower income people

A new Boston University School of Public Health study of the first four months of America's coronavirus epidemic, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, shows that physical distancing (also called "social distancing") policies had little effect.

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

Disease/Infection News

Melatonin may be a viable treatment option for COVID-19, study suggests

Study suggests herd immunity to COVID-19 in New York City is low

Promising yeast-expressed SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate effective in mice

Translational study within SARS-CoV-2 infected cells opens up new therapeutic avenues

ACE2 and TMPRSS2 not the only virus-receptors to mediate SARS-CoV-2 entry

Study of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in >5,000 healthcare workers

Majority of population likely has pre-existing immunity to SARS-CoV-2, claim researchers

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

Connect Health introduces new COVID-19 musculoskeletal risk assessment tool

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

Researchers monitor effects of COVID-19 outbreak on care of cancer patients

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

Social distancing policies had little effect on lower income people

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

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Automating research - solutions and best practices

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