Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 cell receptor is a novel target of the gamma-secretase enzyme complex

Based on structural similarities with other targets of the gamma-secretase system, researchers from Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the United States show that the SARS-CoV-2 receptor for cell entry may be affected by its proteolytic activity. Their results are currently freely available in a bioRxiv preprint paper.

6 Sep 2020

Antibody responses against seasonal common cold coronaviruses may protect against SARS-CoV-2

With the use of an accurate high throughput assay, researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science and Magen David Adom Blood Services in Israel showed substantial inter-individual variability and antibody cross-reactivity against seasonal coronaviruses upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, with important implications for immune surveys and vaccines. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

6 Sep 2020

D614G spike mutation increases infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and neutralization susceptibility

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, it is crucial to track the viral changes in order to link the clinical and epidemiological features of the disease with these mutations. A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in September 2020 reports on a common severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutation, D614G, and its effects on the virus.

4 Sep 2020

Heightened COVID-19 risk among pregnant women

Since the emergence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, little is known about the risks of COVID-19 to pregnant women. Now, a new study reveals that pregnant women with COVID-19 are less likely to experience symptoms of fever and myalgia than non-pregnant women of reproductive age, but maybe at a heightened risk of being admitted to intensive care.

3 Sep 2020

Study shows fatty liver disease is a significant risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalization

A recent observational study by US researchers reveals that individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis have increased odds of hospitalization due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19); conversely, metabolic surgery was found to be protective against the admission of infected individuals. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

3 Sep 2020

Understanding SARS-CoV-2 evolution requires more focus on structural variants

Researchers in the United States and Canada warn that more attention needs to be paid to the role that structural variants and recombination in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have played in the evolutionary history of the virus.

3 Sep 2020

Underlying pathology of MIS-C in children following SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, have conducted a study that sheds light on the molecular underpinnings of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

3 Sep 2020

Corticosteroids can be lifesaving for critically ill COVID-19 patients

Now, a prospective meta-analysis of 7 randomized trials published in the journal JAMA showed that the widely available steroid drugs could help seriously ill patients survive COVID-19.

3 Sep 2020

Protocols for minimizing risk in COVID-19 bronchoscopy

One area, discussed in a recent paper by Northwestern University researchers and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020, is the viral exposure suffered by healthcare workers during bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL).

3 Sep 2020

Antibody responses in recovered COVID-19 individuals from India

India has been hit hard by COVID-19, with at least 66,000 deaths and almost 4 million cases. The need to understand the infection, including the various antibody isotypes, and whether neutralizing antibodies and memory B cells are being produced, has driven much research into the way immunity is developing in Indian patients.

3 Sep 2020

A global study to determine COVID-19 health and psychosocial consequences

The current paper lays out the details of a longitudinal study that aims to follow up COVID-19 patients, including any pre-existing chronic illnesses as well as the medical care they received during their illness. A significant minority of convalescents appears to have prolonged disease sequelae.

3 Sep 2020

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 jumps back and forth between animals and humans on mink farms

An in-depth investigation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks on 16 mink farms by researchers from the Netherlands revealed that minks might serve as a reservoir for persistent infection in humans. The study is currently available on bioRxiv* preprint server.

2 Sep 2020

Existing drug masitinib identified as potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated that a drug originally developed as a treatment for cancer exhibits antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

2 Sep 2020

Brazilian state of Maranhão heading towards SARS-CoV-2 herd immunity, say researchers

Researchers at the Federal University of Maranhão, Brazil, have conducted a study suggesting that the state of Maranhão is well on its way to acquiring herd immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

2 Sep 2020

Doubts cast over use of face shields, masks with valves against SARS-CoV-2

Many countries across the globe are experiencing a sharp surge in COVID-19 cases, with the total global case toll reaching more than 25.86 million. Face masks have become one of the most effective means to combat the virus spread, particularly if used in combination with regular hand hygiene and physical distancing.

2 Sep 2020

Durable IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 from the Iceland experience

Now, a team of scientists at the Reykjavik-based deCODe Genetics, a subsidiary of the U.S. biotech company Amgen, and several universities and hospitals in Iceland, says that the antibodies developed to fight SARS-CoV-2 last for at least four months and do not fade quickly as previously thought.

2 Sep 2020

ACE2/TMPRSS2 not expressed in pancreatic islet endocrine cells

A new study by researchers at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 reports that both key enzymes that are required for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) entry into the human host cell are lacking in the beta cells of the pancreatic islet. This rules out the direct injury hypothesis for impaired glucose control in patients with COVID-19 disease.

1 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2-RNA viremia is a robust marker of critical illness in COVID-19

A new study by a large team of Spanish researchers and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 reports that the presence of viral RNA in the blood is a useful marker of impending acute disease and can help triage COVID-19 disease patients who will require hospital care.

1 Sep 2020

Negligible ACE2 expression in human beta-cells

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv reports that even though the fatality rate is significantly higher in diabetics, there is no evidence that this is due to direct viral infection of pancreatic beta cells, which produce the key hormone in glucose homeostasis, namely insulin.

1 Sep 2020

Health expert warns of the increasing threat of animal-to-human coronaviruses

The coronavirus outbreaks, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and the currently spreading coronavirus disease (COVID-19), all came via animal-to-human transmission or zoonosis.

1 Sep 2020