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SARS-CoV-2 circulating in Brazil back in November 2019

The finding, published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020, shows that it has been causing infection in Brazil long before the first case was reported in the Americas, North and South, in January 2020, and certainly before the first case in this Brazilian region.

1 Jul 2020

Silk useful as face mask and PPE in COVID-19

As many people are resorting to face coverings improvised from common fabrics, researchers from the University of Cincinnati looked to determine what fabrics were the most effective. The team examined the hydrophobicity of fabrics (silk, cotton, polyester), as measured by their resistance to the penetration of small and aerosolized water droplets, an important transmission avenue for the virus causing COVID-19.

30 Jun 2020

Oral hygiene and severity of COVID-19 – the connection

Their study titled, “Could there be a link between oral hygiene and the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections?” was published in the latest issue of the journal British Dental Journal.

30 Jun 2020

Herd immunity in the U.S. unlikely

The race to develop an effective vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is on, with many vaccine candidates entering the human trial phase. When a vaccine is developed and introduced into the population at scale, it triggers herd immunity, with many people immune to the infectious disease.

30 Jun 2020

New swine flu strain with pandemic potential found in China

As the world grapples with a novel coronavirus pandemic, a new strain of swine flu that can trigger a pandemic has been reported.

30 Jun 2020

Striking CryoEM image of SARS-CoV-2

A new study by researchers from the UK and Germany and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports the results of a detailed study of the S protein on the intact virus, using cryoelectron microscopy (cryoEM) and tomography. This could help understand the conformation of the S protein on the virion and how it interacts with neutralizing antibodies.

30 Jun 2020

Large-scale analysis of COVID-19 risk among different groups of UK hospital staff

Staff who shared a household with an infected person were at the greatest risk of infection, and those working in COVID-19-facing areas were also at an increased risk. Other groups that were identified as a high risk included Black and Asian individuals, porters, and cleaners.

30 Jun 2020

Recommendations for hospitals to provide equitable care during pandemic resource allocation

If some regions become hot spots and hospitals reach maximum capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have plans for how to decide who gets critical care resources, such as a bed in the intensive care unit or a respirator.

30 Jun 2020

Specific SARS-CoV-2 genetic elements found in different insect species

In a recent bioRxiv paper, researchers from Norway and the US demonstrate the presence of a highly conserved, mobile genetic element (thus far with unknown function) in genomes of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and a large number of insects – opening the door for hitherto unexplored treatment opportunities.

30 Jun 2020

'Mini-brains' can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 virus

A multidisciplinary team from two Johns Hopkins University institutions, including neurotoxicologists and virologists from the Bloomberg School of Public Health and infectious disease specialists from the school of medicine, has found that organoids (tiny tissue cultures made from human cells that simulate whole organs) known as "mini-brains" can be infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

30 Jun 2020

Potential new biomarker could improve COVID-19 diagnosis

Researchers at Montpellier University Hospital have discovered that an interferon-inducible receptor expressed on monocytes could be a useful biomarker for the rapid triaging of patients suspected to have severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

30 Jun 2020

Ghana's efforts to eliminate malaria at risk as economy improves

Ghana's efforts to eliminate malaria could be in jeopardy as its improved economy results in reduced external funding for fighting malaria, a study suggests.

30 Jun 2020

SARS-CoV-2 can infect heart cells in a lab dish, study shows

A new study shows that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus), can infect heart cells in a lab dish, indicating it may be possible for heart cells in COVID-19 patients to be directly infected by the virus.

30 Jun 2020

COVID-19 patients' blood can help identify people at greatest risk of severe illness

Doctors can examine COVID-19 patients' blood to identify those at greatest risk of severe illness and to pinpoint those most likely to need a ventilator, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine suggests.

30 Jun 2020

Foldable tent-like device shields healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore has invented a foldable tent-like device that serves as a physical shield to reduce the risk of exposure to pathogens for healthcare workers performing droplet and aerosol-generating procedures on COVID-19 patients.

30 Jun 2020

COVID-19 triggers changes in blood platelets

Changes in blood platelets triggered by COVID-19 could contribute to the onset of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious complications in some patients who have the disease, according to University of Utah Health scientists.

30 Jun 2020

Residents of some cities unwilling to follow practices that reduce COVID-19 spread

Several U.S. cities may be at increased risk of surges in COVID-19 cases as they reopen their economies because their residents are unwilling to follow practices that reduce the spread of the disease, according to Penn State researchers.

30 Jun 2020

New web-based platform established for reporting vaccine target recommendations for COVID-19

As genetic sequences of SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the novel pneumonia (COVID-19), are similar to those of the 2003 SARS virus, SARS-CoV, knowledge and data of SARS-CoV may be useful for finding ways to combat COVID-19.

30 Jun 2020

Workers filed more than 4,100 complaints about protective gear. Some still died.

COVID-19 cases were climbing at Michigan's McLaren Flint hospital. So Roger Liddell, 64, who procured supplies for the hospital, asked for an N95 respirator for his own protection, since his work brought him into the same room as COVID-positive patients.

30 Jun 2020

Countries form clusters as COVID-19 outbreaks become more similar

Mathematicians based in Australia and China have developed a method to analyze the large amount of data accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

30 Jun 2020

Disease/Infection News

SARS-CoV-2 circulating in Brazil back in November 2019

Silk useful as face mask and PPE in COVID-19

Oral hygiene and severity of COVID-19 – the connection

Herd immunity in the U.S. unlikely

New swine flu strain with pandemic potential found in China

Striking CryoEM image of SARS-CoV-2

Large-scale analysis of COVID-19 risk among different groups of UK hospital staff

Recommendations for hospitals to provide equitable care during pandemic resource allocation

Specific SARS-CoV-2 genetic elements found in different insect species

'Mini-brains' can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 virus

Potential new biomarker could improve COVID-19 diagnosis

Ghana's efforts to eliminate malaria at risk as economy improves

SARS-CoV-2 can infect heart cells in a lab dish, study shows

COVID-19 patients' blood can help identify people at greatest risk of severe illness

Foldable tent-like device shields healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients

COVID-19 triggers changes in blood platelets

Residents of some cities unwilling to follow practices that reduce COVID-19 spread

New web-based platform established for reporting vaccine target recommendations for COVID-19

Workers filed more than 4,100 complaints about protective gear. Some still died.

Countries form clusters as COVID-19 outbreaks become more similar

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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