Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Testing reveals 11 percent of people in Geneva infected with SARS-CoV-2

Now, a team of researchers at Geneva University Hospitals has found that less than 11 percent of the population in Geneva has contracted the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Their research is published in the journal The Lancet.

15 Jun 2020

Controlling SARS-CoV-2 upon resumption of the Spanish football league

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic first emerged in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019. Since then, it has spread throughout the world, infecting more than 8 million people. Social distancing measures were imposed in most countries, isolating people in their homes, banning congregations, including schools, parties, and even sports events.

15 Jun 2020

Human antibodies provide powerful protection against SARS-CoV-2 in animal tests

A team led by Scripps Research has discovered antibodies in the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients that provide powerful protection against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease, when tested in animals and human cell cultures.

15 Jun 2020

Tracing coronavirus habitats with genomics

Now, a new study by researchers at the University of Ottawa and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports the differences in genomes of viruses that are exposed to antiviral proteins vs. those that are not. This host-derived pressure on the virus to adapt may help devise newer ways to build an effective vaccine.

15 Jun 2020

U.S. and European SARS CoV-2 mutation enhances transmission, increases infectivity

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that is causing the COVID-19 pandemic across the world has undergone a genetic mutation in the density of functional spikes on the virus, says a new study. This has led the virus to become highly infectious and easily transmissible between humans.

15 Jun 2020

Experimental drug to prevent deadly blood coagulation in patients with COVID-19

The British Heart Foundation is funding a trial for an experimental drug that could prevent the life-threatening blood clots that are seen in the lungs of the patients with COVID-19 or those infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The drug named TRV027 is said to normalize the hormonal imbalance that can be seen in patients developing COVID-19, experts said.

15 Jun 2020

Deep vein thrombosis common in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19

In their paper available on the medRxiv preprint server, researchers from Russia showed that patients with moderate and severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have a high incidence of deep vein thrombosis – indicating that they may necessitate an early administration of anticoagulation therapy as a part of their treatment regimen.

15 Jun 2020

Nasal swab tests miss low viral SARS-CoV-2

A recent study by researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, currently available on the preprint server medRxiv, demonstrates how nasal swab samples reliably detect patients infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that present with high viral loads, but may miss many patients with lower viral loads – questioning their role as a sole specimen for diagnostic purposes.

15 Jun 2020

Chimeric reference standards for validating controls in SARS-CoV-2 tests

A preliminary study by researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the University of New South Wales and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in June 2020 reports the use of chimeric design to produced reference standards for diagnostic tests. This could allow a highly flexible approach to the development of different genetic features in the same test, even for organisms that are not directly related.

15 Jun 2020

Tuberculosis and polio vaccines may offer temporary protection against SARS-CoV-2

As the world grapples with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, scientists race to develop an effective vaccine to protect against the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus. While potential vaccines are still being developed and tested, researchers propose that existing vaccines could give the immune system a temporary boost to ward off infection.

14 Jun 2020

Remdesivir prevents replication of SARS-CoV-2 in human intestinal organoids

A new German study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in June 2020 shows that the drug remdesivir can reduce the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in human intestinal organoids.

14 Jun 2020

Effect of human genes on severity and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2

Now, a new paper published on the preprint server medRxiv* reports the results of an analysis of the association between the genetic variants in the patients and the clinical progression of the disease. The study included 332 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in a single-center, with widely varying laboratory and clinical features. There were 25, 12, and 17 patients with asymptomatic, mild, and critical disease.

14 Jun 2020

An entire trimeric S-protein of SARS-CoV-2 is necessary for protective immune response

Researchers from Seattle Children's Research Institute and the University of Washington described a high-throughput and rapid technique to quantify circulating levels of functional antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), suggesting that the entire viral spike protein should be used to characterize the immune response. Their paper is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

14 Jun 2020

Early respiratory distress syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2 in a newborn

A recent case report from the researchers at the University of São Paulo, published in the journal CLINICS, shows how newborns can also be infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and develop serious symptoms, even though the most likely route of infection in such cases is still not completely clear.

14 Jun 2020

Early neutralizing response to SARS-CoV-2 dominated by IgA antibodies

Researchers from France and the U.S. demonstrated how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection could induce an early and vigorous virus-specific IgA response that paves the way for the production of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, with even better neutralizing properties. Their paper is currently available on the medRxiv preprint server.

14 Jun 2020

Cannabis plant may harbor SARS-CoV-2 for at least a week

Researchers at the Medicinal Genomics Corporation have warned that cannabis flowers exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may harbor the virus for at least seven days.

14 Jun 2020

NIAID and Moderna scientists describe SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development

Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Moderna Inc., have described the potent neutralizing effects of a candidate vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that is currently being tested in a phase II trial.

14 Jun 2020

New test can detect the RNA of SARS-CoV-2 in patient samples in 30 minutes

A new diagnostic test can detect the RNA of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in urine, blood, saliva or mouth swab samples in just 30 to 45 minutes, according to a new study published June 12, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Laura Lamb of the Beaumont Health System, Michigan, USA, and colleagues.

14 Jun 2020

Facemasks will prevent COVID-19 in the "new normal"

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has left many countries grappling with high infection rates. The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has negatively impacted societies and economies. Now though, many countries are starting to lift restrictions to prepare for a "new normal."

12 Jun 2020

Synthetic nanobodies potent neutralizers for SARS-CoV-2

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences report the generation of potent synthetic nanobodies that selectively and efficiently neutralize severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pseudovirus.

11 Jun 2020