Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

mRNA COVID vaccines prove effective in the elderly

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) proved extremely difficult to control once it entered a country – while there were a few success stories such as New Zealand, most countries ended up resorting to lengthy and economically painful lockdowns, among other restriction measures.

27 Sep 2021

Study shows prior COVID-19 and vaccination protects elderly against variants

In order to qualify the risk posed to the elderly, researchers from MUSE University in France began to investigate data from nursing homes that had faced outbreaks from variants of concern. Their work can be found on the medRxiv* preprint server while awaiting peer review.

27 Sep 2021

Global leaders align with the ACT-Accelerator to end COVID-19 pandemic

Global leaders attending the US-hosted Global COVID-19 Summit on 22 September re-affirmed their commitment to ending the acute phase of the pandemic, and the goals of the ACT-Accelerator, by agreeing targets to provide equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

27 Sep 2021

COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness barely affected by Delta variant, research suggests

Has the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant reduced vaccine effectiveness? If you ask Ian Foster of Argonne National Laboratory and colleagues, the answer is not really. New research published in the preprint medRxiv* server suggests vaccines approved in the United States are stable and well-performing.

27 Sep 2021

Scientists develop 'elite' antibodies capable of defeating coronavirus variants at extremely low dosage

Japanese scientists created "elite" antibodies that defeat various coronavirus variants even at an extremely low dose through a new method that accelerated the months-long process of finding such extraordinary antibody candidates to just ten days.

27 Sep 2021

Study reveals surfaces of SARS-CoV-2 spike most resistant to antibody escape

A team of international scientists has formed a consortium to map the epitope landscape of a range of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies on the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Moreover, the scientists characterized the neutralization potency of these antibodies and have investigated how emerging viral variants with spike mutations can impact antibody-mediated neutralization. They have recently published the consortium findings in the journal Science.

27 Sep 2021

A review of drugs harmful in COVID-19

In a new study, researchers investigate a number of drugs that are believed to potentially worsen outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

26 Sep 2021

Factors predicting vaccine hesitancy in India

A recent study discusses vaccine hesitancy in India, which is one of the most populous countries in the world.

26 Sep 2021

Vaccine hesitancy and vaccination passports – a Japanese study

A new study from Keio University, Japan, provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of relaxing public interactions following vaccination against COVID-19.

26 Sep 2021

Survivors of domestic violence and abuse more likely to contract COVID-19

Women with general practitioner (GP) recorded exposure to domestic abuse or violence were at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 during the first two waves of the pandemic in the UK, finds a new study led by the University of Birmingham.

25 Sep 2021

Novel antibody candidate shows potent binding to diverse SARS-CoV-2 variant mutations

Twist Bioscience Corporation (Nasdaq: TWST) today reported that its internally-discovered antibody candidate TB202-3 (CoVIC-094), demonstrated potent binding to diverse SARS-CoV-2 variant mutations, including strains with the E484K, N501Y, D614G, Y453F and K417N mutations in pseudovirus assays, indicating this therapeutic antibody may be effective in treating many strains of COVID-19.

25 Sep 2021

Penn scientists win 2021 Lasker Award for the discovery of therapeutic mRNA technology

As mRNA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are deployed to protect hundreds of millions of people across the world and point the way to end the deadly global COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Pennsylvania scientists whose prescient discovery science effort laid the foundation for swift vaccine development have been awarded the 2021 Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award.

24 Sep 2021

Weill Cornell Medicine launches ambitious community vaccination and education efforts

With vaccine availability growing in New York City and across the country, attention is increasingly turning to those who remain hesitant to receive it.

24 Sep 2021

CDC endorses ACIP recommendation for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot

Today, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendation for a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in certain populations and also recommended a booster dose for those in high risk occupational and institutional settings.

24 Sep 2021

WHO experts recommend antibody treatment for two specific groups of patients with covid-19

A treatment combining two antibodies (casirivimab and imdevimab) is recommended for two specific groups of patients with covid-19 by a WHO Guideline Development Group (GDG) panel of international experts and patients in The BMJ today.

24 Sep 2021

Inactivated egg-based Newcastle disease virus vaccine expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

A new study presents initial results from a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 1/2 trial in Thailand.

24 Sep 2021

Scientists publish a detailed map of where human antibodies bind to SARS-CoV-2

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have published a detailed map of where human antibodies bind to SARS-CoV-2, a map that was generated by a global collaboration comparing nearly all leading clinical candidates.

24 Sep 2021

Presumed immunity in US remains below the threshold sufficient to disrupt SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Researchers have investigated publicly available data published to investigate the proportion of the US population that has become immune to SARS-CoV-2.

24 Sep 2021

Mounting covid deaths fuel school bus drivers’ fears

Natalia D'Angelo got sick right after school started in August. She was driving a school bus for special education students in Griffin-Spalding County School System about 40 miles south of Atlanta and contracted covid-19.

24 Sep 2021

A daily pill to treat covid could be just months away, scientists say

Within a day of testing positive for covid-19 in June, Miranda Kelly was sick enough to be scared. At 44, with diabetes and high blood pressure, Kelly, a certified nursing assistant, was having trouble breathing, symptoms serious enough to send her to the emergency room.

24 Sep 2021

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

mRNA COVID vaccines prove effective in the elderly

Study shows prior COVID-19 and vaccination protects elderly against variants

Global leaders align with the ACT-Accelerator to end COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness barely affected by Delta variant, research suggests

Scientists develop 'elite' antibodies capable of defeating coronavirus variants at extremely low dosage

Study reveals surfaces of SARS-CoV-2 spike most resistant to antibody escape

A review of drugs harmful in COVID-19

Factors predicting vaccine hesitancy in India

Vaccine hesitancy and vaccination passports – a Japanese study

Survivors of domestic violence and abuse more likely to contract COVID-19

Novel antibody candidate shows potent binding to diverse SARS-CoV-2 variant mutations

Penn scientists win 2021 Lasker Award for the discovery of therapeutic mRNA technology

Weill Cornell Medicine launches ambitious community vaccination and education efforts

CDC endorses ACIP recommendation for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot

WHO experts recommend antibody treatment for two specific groups of patients with covid-19

Inactivated egg-based Newcastle disease virus vaccine expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

Scientists publish a detailed map of where human antibodies bind to SARS-CoV-2

Presumed immunity in US remains below the threshold sufficient to disrupt SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Mounting covid deaths fuel school bus drivers’ fears

A daily pill to treat covid could be just months away, scientists say

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

Innovating for impact: Jordi Labs on aligning methodologies with FDA expectation

Exploring the role of confocal-based high-content imaging in advancing core facilities

Transforming Cardiovascular Care: Insights from Mina Makar at AstraZeneca

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

Innovating for impact: Jordi Labs on aligning methodologies with FDA expectation

Exploring the role of confocal-based high-content imaging in advancing core facilities

Transforming Cardiovascular Care: Insights from Mina Makar at AstraZeneca

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