Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Central nervous system immune responses to COVID-19

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv by scientists from Yale School of Medicine, University of California, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute examined the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the central nervous system.

14 Sep 2020

Smoke from wildfires may increase COVID-19 risk

The smoke the firefighters are breathing is heightening their risk of contracting the new coronavirus, with potentially life-threatening effects. Further, fighting the huge fires may make infection control measures such as hand washing and social distancing, challenging to perform.

14 Sep 2020

Oxford University and AstraZeneca resume COVID-19 vaccine trial

More than a hundred candidate vaccine trials against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), are underway. About 35 are now undergoing clinical evaluation, and of these, nine are in the final phase of human trials, including the vaccine developed by Oxford University and the biopharmaceutical firm, AstraZeneca.

14 Sep 2020

Circadian rhythm affects SARS-CoV-2 infection and host immune response

In an interesting bioRxiv preprint paper, French researchers show that the time day can affect infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as well as guide subsequent host immune response – implying that circadian rhythm may well be a novel target for managing viral progression.

14 Sep 2020

Keto diet could be beneficial for elderly COVID-19 patients

A recent study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine, New York University Langone Health and Washington University School of Medicine, claims that the ketogenic diet (high fat, low carbohydrate diet) is capable of mitigating clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in elderly people by improving immune-metabolic functions and reducing inflammation. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

14 Sep 2020

Children's Hospital Los Angeles is U.S. site for new study of SARS-CoV-2 spread within households

One of the mysteries about severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, is how it is spread within households, including why some family members develop the viral infection and others do not.

14 Sep 2020

Computational models screen for coronaviruses likely to infect humans

The researchers from Rochester Institute of Technology and the Hauptmann-Woodward Medical Research Institute produced models of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) found on outbreak strains of betacoronaviruses and its interaction with the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

14 Sep 2020

Toyonaka Municipal Hospital reports successful control of COVID-19

Researchers at Toyonaka Municipal Hospital in Japan have shown that the rate of subclinical infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among staff at the hospital is no higher than among the general population in the same area.

14 Sep 2020

Are children more likely to be SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic than adults?

he frequency of children carrying asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been suggested to be higher than among adults. It is also suggested that asymptomatic children enhance viral spread. A new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics in September 2020 explores the truth of this common belief.

14 Sep 2020

Should a COVID-19 vaccine be mandatory for children?

As the search for a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine continues, with some candidate vaccines nearing the completion Phase III clinical trials, a trio of experts weighs in with some sound reasoning as to whether any future vaccine should be considered mandatory for children. The viewpoint article is published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics in September 2020.

14 Sep 2020

Facing COVID-19 patients on ventilators down may cause nerve damage

Some people are more likely to experience severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). These include the elderly, people who are obese and have underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, lung illness, and kidney disease, among others.

14 Sep 2020

Single-molecule imaging of SARS-CoV-2 spikes on virus particles

Using single-molecule FRET analysis, a team of researchers has revealed how the different conformations of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein are interconnected. Figuring out the different conformations in real-time and which conformations antibodies prefer may help design effective vaccines and drugs. The research is published on the preprint server bioRxiv*.

14 Sep 2020

Susceptibility of domestic pigs to SARS-CoV-2

A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv sought to determine the susceptibility of domestic swine to SARS-CoV-2. Domestic swine is one of the most highly produced agricultural species that has the potential to impact public health significantly.

14 Sep 2020

Potential sea animal reservoirs for coronaviruses?

The COVID-19 pandemic has focused, yet again, intense research interest on coronaviruses, due to the high toll the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has taken on human life, health, economic well-being, and social activity. A recent paper published on the server Preprints in September 2020 reviews what is known about this viral infection in water life.

13 Sep 2020

Climatic changes may potentially impact COVID-19 pandemic

A recent epidemiological study by Princeton University researchers suggests that the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak during the winter season depends on the susceptibility of the population to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced infection as well as the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical control measures applied to control the virus spread.

13 Sep 2020

New insights into structural stability of SARS-CoV-2 main protease

In a recent bioRxiv preprint paper, researchers from the US and Italy utilized molecular dynamics simulations and revealed that the conformational stability of the SARS-CoV-2 binding site, bound inhibitors, and the hydrogen bond networks of the viral main protease (Mpro) are highly sensitive to protonation assignments.

13 Sep 2020

A map of SARS-CoV-2 escape mutations enables the development of therapeutic antibody cocktails

A recent tour-de-force study by the US researchers describes a comprehensive approach to completely map mutations to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) that escape antibody binding – enabling, in turn, rational design of antibody therapeutics and appraisal of the antigenic consequences of viral evolution. The results are currently available in a bioRxiv preprint paper.

13 Sep 2020

India's whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows promise

Researchers in India have conducted a preclinical study demonstrating the safety and efficacy of a new candidate vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

13 Sep 2020

Danish household SARS-CoV-2 study shows low transmission from children

Using data from the national register in Denmark, researchers studied how likely persons infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmit it within their households. The study found additional household members tested positive in 17% of cases after one person in the household was infected. The research is published on the preprint server medRxiv in September 2020.

11 Sep 2020

Seroconversion marks recovery from COVID-19

Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists are still seeking to understand the protective immunity that develops against the causative agent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Despite the increasing need for serological tests in epidemiology, their clinical value has not been fully established. A new paper published in the Journal of Medical Virology in September 2020 describes the relationship of COVID-19 disease symptoms with the serological status over time.

11 Sep 2020