Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine candidate triggers immune response

Now, Sinovac Biotech's candidate vaccine, CoronaVac, has been found to induce an immune response in healthy adults aged 18–59 years, 28 days post-vaccination. However, the level of antibodies generated was lower than in people who had recovered from the illness.

19 Nov 2020

Vibrational motions of spike proteins correlate with infectivity and lethality of coronaviruses

When someone struggles to open a lock with a key that doesn't quite seem to work, sometimes jiggling the key a bit will help.

19 Nov 2020

Antibody combinations may be more effective at preventing, treating COVID-19

Pairs of antibodies may be more effective than single antibodies at preventing and treating COVID-19, according to a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The Rockefeller University in New York.

19 Nov 2020

Swiss data shows COVID-19 three times more deadly than the flu

Despite this, COVID-19 is often downplayed to be only a seasonal flu by many. This may be because both influenza and COVID-19 have a similar initial presentation, and it is tough to distinguish between the two based on just the clinical presentation.

19 Nov 2020

Pregnant women with COVID-19 have low risk of developing severe symptoms

Pregnant women who test positive for COVID-19 and their newborn babies have a low risk of developing severe symptoms, according to a new study from UT Southwestern.

19 Nov 2020

Detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies 120 days post-infection in Chicago case study

In a recent study, a team of researchers at Northwestern University, USA, had found that nearly 20 percent seroprevalence in the United States metropolitan site, Chicago, over the summer, during a period when lockdown restrictions were eased. They found that three-quarters of seropositive individuals retained detectable antibodies for at least 120 days or four months.

19 Nov 2020

Carrageenan-based composite nasal spray may help prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection

A team of researchers at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom formulated a spray that contains polysaccharides known for their mucoadhesive antiviral properties for prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

19 Nov 2020

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on those with OCDs

Researchers from the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf and University Hospital, Munich in Germany, have reported their findings on the course of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

19 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 immunity can last over six months, study finds

US-based scientists have released a study on preprint server bioRxiv*, titled “Immunological memory to SARS-CoV-2 assessed for greater than six months after infection,” contributing to the enormous research effort currently underway in this area.

19 Nov 2020

Take it from an expert: Fauci’s hierarchy of safety during COVID

As a health journalist, a physician and a former foreign correspondent who lived through SARS in Beijing, I often get questions from friends, colleagues and people I don't even know about how to live during the pandemic.

19 Nov 2020

Genetic variations of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in cats

Using cats as an animal model to study severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission, researchers have determined the virus has a narrow transmission bottleneck.

19 Nov 2020

Delirium in older patients with COVID-19

Delirium is common in older patients admitted to US emergency departments with COVID-19 infection, according to the findings of a new study.

19 Nov 2020

States’ face-covering mandates leave gaps in protection

Brady Bowman, a 19-year-old student at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and two friends strolled down 11th Street, all sporting matching neck gaiters branded with the Thomas' English Muffins logo. He had received an entire box of the promotional gaiters.

19 Nov 2020

People proving to be weakest link for apps tracking COVID exposure

The app builders had planned for pranksters, ensuring that only people with verified COVID-19 cases could trigger an alert. They'd planned for heavy criticism about privacy, in many cases making the features as bare-bones as possible.

19 Nov 2020

SARS-CoV-2 is not associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes

A recent study examined the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, finding that no severe adverse outcomes are expected to either party.

19 Nov 2020

How the influenza virus takes control of a city, and implications for SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 has spread around the world, passed across the borders of nations by travelers and cargo.

19 Nov 2020

Scientists discover potential strategy to prevent inflammation in COVID-19 patients

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant illness and death while treatment options remain limited. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have discovered a potential strategy to prevent life-threatening inflammation, lung damage and organ failure in patients with COVID-19. The research appeared online in the journal Cell.

19 Nov 2020