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California’s deadliest spring in 20 years suggests COVID undercount

The first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic in California rank among the deadliest in state history, deadlier than any other consecutive five-month period in at least 20 years.

21 Sep 2020

Immunization is critical to protect current and future generations from preventable diseases

COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world that vaccines should be prioritised, writes Githinji Gitahi. Imagine a world in which everyone is at risk of contracting a contagious disease with no prevention or cure.

21 Sep 2020

Older racial and ethnic minority nursing home residents suffer the most from COVID-19

Older racial and ethnic minority residents and their caregivers bear the severest brunt from COVID-19 across the entire spectrum of US nursing homes and assisted living communities, University of Rochester Medical Center researchers report in two groundbreaking studies in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

21 Sep 2020

Providing personalized care for bleeding disorders

An interview with Dr. Carmen Escuriola-Ettingshausen MD, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany on providing personalized care for bleeding disorders.

From Takeda 21 Sep 2020

Providing personalized care for bleeding disorders

An interview with Dr. Carmen Escuriola-Ettingshausen MD, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany on providing personalized care for bleeding disorders.

From Takeda 21 Sep 2020

CDC updates coronavirus guidelines to recognize airborne spread

Early on in the pandemic, it was thought that the virus was only spread via respiratory droplets. However, scientific research soon showed it also to be an airborne virus. Now, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guideline, acknowledging that the virus can hang in the air, fueling its spread.

21 Sep 2020

Researchers analyze kits to detect and inactivate COVID-19

The nation's ability to test for COVID-19 has expanded, thanks to work at the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in collaboration with the University of Washington.

21 Sep 2020

Soluble ACE2 microbody blocks SARS-CoV-2 entry into lung cells

A new study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical College and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports the potential of an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-antibody Fc complex in a new format that seems to offer more significant inhibition of SARS-CoV-2.

21 Sep 2020

COVAM assay may help select convalescent plasma units for treatment of acute COVID-19

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* seeks to establish the pattern of antibody reactivity in COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP), which is widely being used as a therapy for seriously ill COVID-19 patients.

21 Sep 2020

In vitro testing suggests effective novel drug combinations for SARS-CoV-2

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 shows the value of drug combinations to enhance the therapeutic and preventive efficacy of such repositioned drugs in standard antiviral therapy.

20 Sep 2020

Chinese workers knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19

In new research, scientists in China have looked at the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 among Chinese workers. The research paper titled, “Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to Coronavirus disease 2019 during the outbreak among workers in China: A large cross-sectional study,” is published in the latest issue of the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

20 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infects monocytes and macrophages, without cytopathic effect

A team of researchers from Aix-Marseille Univ, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Institut Paoli Calmettes and Laboratoire d’Immunologie, Marseille, France, conducted experiments to determine if SARS-CoV-2 can affect the myeloid compartment or infect monocytes and macrophages.

20 Sep 2020

Scientists investigate active plasma metabolite of remdesivir in SARS-CoV-2 mouse model

Using mouse models, scientists have investigated the active plasma metabolite of remdesivir, GS-441 524, and hydroxychloroquine as possible drug candidates in COVID-19. The research shows GS-441 524 could be an effective therapeutic drug against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), while at the same time discounting hydroxychloroquine as a reliable anti-viral.

20 Sep 2020

Lopinavir-ritonavir does not suppress SARS-CoV-2 activity in vitro

Among them is the combination of lopinavir and ritonavir, which have been in use in an attempt to reduce the severity of the disease. However, a new South Korean study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in September 2020 shows that this combination is ineffective against the virus.

20 Sep 2020

Study identifies new regions of positive selection in SARS-CoV-2

Based on structural modeling of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and proteins, the researchers from Duke University argue that newly identified regions of positive selection in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) likely affect species-specific RNA instead of protein function – improving our understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for highly unique biological properties of this virus.

20 Sep 2020

Researchers try and pop SARS-CoV-2 with an AFM tip - virion surprisingly resilient

Researchers at Semmelweis University and the National Public Health Center in Hungary have conducted an imaging study showing that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a highly dynamic and resilient virus

20 Sep 2020

Large mother-child paired study promises more answers on COVID-19 in pregnancy

A new paper published in the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 reports the design and preliminary findings of an ongoing study on pregnant mothers and their children born during the pandemic.

20 Sep 2020

Novel sequencing method could be useful for COVID-19 research

Researchers at the University of Chicago and the Cleveland Clinic have presented a novel single-cell RNA sequencing method that could be a useful application for research into the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

20 Sep 2020

U.S. adults experienced increased mental health issues as COVID-19 cases skyrocketed

U.S. adults increasingly experienced symptoms associated with acute stress and depression as COVID-19 cases and deaths skyrocketed between mid-March and mid-April 2020, according to a study of more than 6,500 people from three large, nationally representative cohorts.

19 Sep 2020

New method isolates antibody-like proteins that capture and neutralize SARS-CoV-2

Scientists have used a new high-speed, in vitro selection method to isolate 9 antibody-like proteins (ALPs) that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 virus - 4 of which also exhibited neutralizing activity - within 4 days, according to a new study.

19 Sep 2020