Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Most COVID-19 convalescent individuals have long-lasting memory T cell responses

Recently, researchers from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, and the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, conducted a comprehensive analysis of memory T cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 in individuals who have recovered from COVID-19.

18 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 deactivation on surfaces in 30 seconds with a copper paste

In a recent bioRxiv preprint paper, a team of researchers shows the possibility of using copper, in a new conformation, for effectively killing microbes immediately.

18 Nov 2020

New understanding of glycan signatures of the SARS-COV-2 S1 spike protein

A team of scientists from the University of Oxford, UK, has revealed that site-specific glycosylation differs between spike proteins derived from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and a viral vector-based vaccine candidate.

18 Nov 2020

Optimizing SARS-COV-2 inactivation for COVID-19 research at lower biosafety levels

Researchers at Montana State University have validated and compared two methods for inactivating the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that would enable the virus to be studied at a lower biosafety level (BSL) than the one currently required.

18 Nov 2020

"Escape mutations" could help SARS-CoV-2 evade immune attack

Researchers in the United States have identified mutations within severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – that can reduce antibody binding to the virus, potentially mediating its escape from immune attack.

18 Nov 2020

Examining potential foodborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through fresh produce

To address this gap in knowledge, researchers from the Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Canada, and Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa examined the survival of human coronaviruses on the surface of fresh produce such as apples, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

18 Nov 2020

Around 10 SARS-CoV-2 virions per cell in human body, study finds

A new study has found that there are about ten virus particles in each cell in the body. The research team from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and the University of California in the USA estimate that each infected person carries around 109-1011 virions during peak infection.

18 Nov 2020

Ancient East Asian peoples may have adapted to coronavirus-like epidemic up to 25,000 years ago

A new study by researchers at the University of Adelaide and Australian National University in Australia and the University of Arizona in the US shows that an ancient coronavirus-like epidemic drove the adaptation of East Asian peoples from 25,000 to 5,000 years ago.

18 Nov 2020

How weather affects SARS-CoV-2 transmission: A US-based case study

How changes in the weather affect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been the topic of several studies. The preoccupation of researchers with this aspect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic follows from observations that the flu virus and other coronaviruses follow seasonal patterns. Understanding how SARS-CoV-2’s transmissibility is affected by seasonal changes can thus help us to develop more informed preventative measures against its spread.

18 Nov 2020

Around 30 percent of Australians hesitant to accept SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, study finds

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in November 2020 suggests that a significant proportion of the Australian population is likely to show vaccine hesitancy. This indicates the need for public health messaging as well as, in some cases, other policy measures.

18 Nov 2020

COVID-19 during pregnancy can cause placental inflammation and impaired immunity

A new study conducted by a team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University, USA, has observed how pregnant women infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) show stunted antiviral immune responses.

18 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 causes a unique cytokine storm, study finds

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in November 2020 reports some of the unique elements of COVID-19-induced CRS and how understanding these distinctive characteristics of the disease could help in formulating specific interventions and therapies.

18 Nov 2020

Bioelectronic rapid test for COVID-19

A recent study presents a bioelectronic sensor platform to detect protein at the single-molecule level that is simple, rapid, and robust enough for widespread POC (point-of-care) or bedside application.

18 Nov 2020

Chilblain-like skin lesions reported in adolescents and young adults during the pandemic

A team of investigators in the Department of Dermatology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain and Dermatologia Pediatrica Association, Bari, Italy, say acral ischemic lesions, similar to chilblains, have been reported across the globe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

17 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 was circulating in Italy before China recognized its existence

This study, published in the Tumori Journal, sheds light on the possibility that the virus had been spreading in Italy well before the outbreak was officially reported in Wuhan, China.

17 Nov 2020

Long COVID lessons from a study of wounded healers

The study, which appeared on the preprint server medRxiv*, highlights healthcare workers' experiences of long COVID or persistent symptoms even after recovering from the illness.

17 Nov 2020

ECG abnormalities can predict COVID-19 mortality

A team of scientists from New York University Langone Medical Center, USA, has revealed that the clinical severity of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be predicted by analyzing the level of troponin elevation and electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities. The study is currently available on the medRxiv preprint server.

17 Nov 2020

Natural products and herbal medicines show promise in fight against COVID-19

Researchers in China and the United States have called for more research into the potential prophylactic effects of natural products and herbal medicines on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and subsequent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

17 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2-specific IgM / IgG responses accurately predict COVID-19 outcome

Researchers from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, recently built a proteome microarray with 20 out of the 28 predicted SARS-CoV-2 proteins to help understand IgM/IgG responses specific to SARS-CoV-2.

17 Nov 2020

COVID-19 rising among children and young adults in Washington State

Researchers from the University of Washington, USA, and the Swedish Cancer Institute, Washington, USA, have found that between March and August 2020, the number of young adults and children infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Washington state rose.

17 Nov 2020