Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

SARS-CoV-2 UK variant may induce more inflammation, study suggests

Since COVID-19 was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, many different variants of its causative virus – SARS-CoV-2 – have emerged. Through increased viral fitness, some of these have risen to predominance over earlier variants in a remarkably short period of time. New research, by a team of scientists at major institutions in France, examines the reasons behind this phenomenon in one such variant of concern (VOC), the so-called UK variant.

25 May 2021

New testing protocol for SARS-CoV-2 can process thousands of samples within 48 hours

Researchers at the Vienna BioCenter designed a testing protocol for SARS-CoV-2 that can process tens of thousands of samples in less than 48 hours. The method, called SARSeq, is published in the journal Nature Communications and could be adapted to many more pathogens.

25 May 2021

Could 6′,6′-difluoro-aristeromycin (DFA) have broad-spectrum antiviral potential against coronaviruses?

Researchers at the Leiden University Medical Center demonstrated that low-micromolar concentrations of 6′,6′-difluoro24 aristeromycin (DFA), an adenosine nucleoside analog, strongly inhibits the replication of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in a cell-based infection assay.

25 May 2021

Corporations encourage employee vaccination but stop short of mandates

Many of the companies with the largest number of employees say they'll do almost anything to encourage their employees to get vaccinated.

25 May 2021

Researchers explore strategies that could help the homeless during pandemics

A team of UBC Okanagan researchers is looking at strategies that could help the homeless during a pandemic.

25 May 2021

New collaborative effort to produce anti-HIV monoclonal antibodies

The Hotung Molecular Immunology group at St George's, University of London has partnered with Leaf Expression Systems, a contract development and manufacturing organization, specializing in plant-based expression and production of proteins, to explore the feasibility of producing anti-HIV monoclonal antibodies at large scale.

25 May 2021

Research looks at viral presence around hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Researchers in Canada aimed to determine the burden of SARS-CoV-2 in the air and on surfaces in the rooms of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

25 May 2021

Discovery of novel SARS-related coronaviruses in bats

In a recent study published on the bioRxiv* server, Peng Zhou, Zheng-Li Shi and colleagues at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, with collaboration from scientists at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in China, have identified a new lineage of SARS-related coronaviruses that utilize bat angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors for cell entry, which is the same receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect host cells.

25 May 2021

Do mixed COVID-19 vaccines provide immunity?

The initial results of the CombivacS trial found that the antibody levels in individuals increased by 150 times when the Pfizer messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine was given after a first dose of the AstraZeneca severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine, with only mild common side effects.

24 May 2021

Researchers take steps to standardize correlates of protection against SARS-CoV-2

Antibodies, Antibody, Assay, Coronavirus, Efficacy, Healthcare, Pandemic, Protein, Receptor, Research, Vaccine, Virus, Coronavirus Disease COVID-19,

24 May 2021

Shared genetic architecture between COVID-19 severity and other health conditions

Researchers in the United States have identified a shared genetic architecture between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and other health conditions.

24 May 2021

Could an antiviral mouthwash using silver nanoparticles prevent COVID-19?

In a recent study by researchers in Mexico, Russia and Spain, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were found to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers. They propose a non-pharmaceutical public health intervention consisting of mouthwash and nose rinse with an AgNPs solution to reduce morbidity among healthcare personnel exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

24 May 2021

The potential therapeutic value of CDK6 inhibitors in critical COVID-19

While drug repurposing has been explored in the context of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the success of this strategy has been limited so far. A new study, released as a preprint on the medRxiv* server, describes a new method of identifying a promising hit among drugs already in use.

24 May 2021

New peptide-like molecules could treat herpes, COVID-19, and the common cold

Among the powerful biochemicals of the human immune system, peptides are one of the best.

24 May 2021

Little evidence for mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-associated thrombocytopenia, suggests new FDA study

Even as a host of vaccines have been rolled out to counter the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, some serious adverse effects have been reported, in the form of thrombocytopenia. A new study in the journal Vaccine reports the results of an evaluation of reported cases of this condition, using data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

24 May 2021

Are COVID-19 medications safe in pregnancy?

Most medications being tested today in clinical trials for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been repurposed from other indications. These are typically not tested in pregnant women. A new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, summarizes what is known about the safety of these drugs in this group.

24 May 2021

Novel natural compounds may help treat COVID-19, study suggests

A new study in the journal Chemistry Europe reports two natural compounds identified by virtual screening and computational modeling as having great promise for the development of drugs against SARS-CoV-2.

24 May 2021

How conservative are the current COVID-19 pandemic global statistics?

After almost a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, the actual case count of those infected with its causative virus – SARS-CoV-2 – remains unclear. Though well over 167.2 million cases have been reported worldwide, this is certainly believed by many to be a massive undercount. A new epidemiological study uses the classical SIR-C mathematical model to find the peak size and date of cases, both documented and unidentified, and the gap between them.

24 May 2021

Mild cases of COVID-19 provide lasting antibody protection, shows study

Months after recovering from mild cases of COVID-19, people still have immune cells in their body pumping out antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Such cells could persist for a lifetime, churning out antibodies all the while.

24 May 2021

Which biomarkers can help predict adverse outcomes in COVID-19?

A team of researchers has conducted a systematic review to identify laboratory factors that can predict the risk of severe and critical COVID-19 as well as associated mortality rates. The team – from institutions in India and the USA – recently published their findings in the Journal of Clinical Medicine Research.

24 May 2021

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

SARS-CoV-2 UK variant may induce more inflammation, study suggests

New testing protocol for SARS-CoV-2 can process thousands of samples within 48 hours

Could 6′,6′-difluoro-aristeromycin (DFA) have broad-spectrum antiviral potential against coronaviruses?

Corporations encourage employee vaccination but stop short of mandates

Researchers explore strategies that could help the homeless during pandemics

New collaborative effort to produce anti-HIV monoclonal antibodies

Research looks at viral presence around hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Discovery of novel SARS-related coronaviruses in bats

Do mixed COVID-19 vaccines provide immunity?

Researchers take steps to standardize correlates of protection against SARS-CoV-2

Shared genetic architecture between COVID-19 severity and other health conditions

Could an antiviral mouthwash using silver nanoparticles prevent COVID-19?

The potential therapeutic value of CDK6 inhibitors in critical COVID-19

New peptide-like molecules could treat herpes, COVID-19, and the common cold

Little evidence for mRNA COVID-19 vaccine-associated thrombocytopenia, suggests new FDA study

Are COVID-19 medications safe in pregnancy?

Novel natural compounds may help treat COVID-19, study suggests

How conservative are the current COVID-19 pandemic global statistics?

Mild cases of COVID-19 provide lasting antibody protection, shows study

Which biomarkers can help predict adverse outcomes in COVID-19?

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

Newsletters you may be interested in