Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Hypertonic saline speeds recovery from colds

Using hypertonic saline nasal drops can reduce the length of the common cold in children by two days, according to a study that will be presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Vienna, Austria. They can also reduce the onward transmission of colds to family members.

6 Sep 2024

RSV vaccine reduces illness and hospitalizations in adults over 60

Vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus for adults over 60 is likely cost-effective by preventing illness, hospitalizations, lost quality of life and deaths, according to new research.

5 Sep 2024

How mosquito spit could help develop therapies for arboviral diseases

You might guess it'd be tough to extract saliva from a mosquito. And you'd be correct. Yet, because mosquitos spread disease via saliva, it's critical to sample and study.

5 Sep 2024

Mucosal COVID-19 boosters outperform mRNA shots in preventing upper airway infections

Aerosolized mucosal vaccines show promise in controlling SARS-CoV-2, offering greater protection and immune response than intramuscular bivalent mRNA boosters.

5 Sep 2024

A call for robust H5N1 influenza preparedness and response

As the global threat of H5N1 influenza looms with outbreaks across species and continents including the U.S., three international vaccine and public health experts say it is time to fully resource and support a robust strategy to address this and future potential pandemic influenza threats, including to consider voluntary vaccination for those now at exposure risk.

5 Sep 2024

Study aims to find new ways of alleviating the long-term effects of COVID-19

An innovative study for the treatment of post-COVID syndrome (PCS) is starting under the direction of Frankfurt University Hospital’s Department of Infectious Diseases.

4 Sep 2024

Obesity identified as a significant risk factor for COVID-19 infection

A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham has found that obesity may be an important risk factor for infection from the virus that causes COVID-19.

4 Sep 2024

Study finds Lassa fever infection rates to be far greater than previously believed

The first-ever detailed estimate of the real damage done by Lassa fever, a virus endemic to West Africa, has found that it infects 2.7 million people a year, ten times more than health agencies had assumed.

4 Sep 2024

As interest from families wanes, pediatricians scale back on covid shots

When pediatrician Eric Ball opened a refrigerator full of childhood vaccines, all the expected shots were there — DTaP, polio, pneumococcal vaccine — except one.

4 Sep 2024

Delayed antiviral treatment still beneficial for immunocompromised COVID-19 patients

Starting antiviral treatment as late as 14 days after infection with SARS-CoV-2 may still be beneficial in hosts with compromised immune systems, who are at greatest risk of developing severe COVID-19, according to researchers in the Center for Translational Antiviral Research at Georgia State University's Institute for Biomedical Sciences.

3 Sep 2024

Newly discovered antibody can neutralize all known variants of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers have discovered an antibody able to neutralize all known variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as distantly related SARS-like coronaviruses that infect other animals.

3 Sep 2024

Early viral activity plays critical role in long COVID, study suggests

Findings on early viral and immune markers provide insights into the pathogenesis of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, informing future research and therapies.

2 Sep 2024

Study identifies key predictors of severe mpox cases

The study uncovers factors influencing mpox severity and duration, emphasizing the role of viral load and specific clinical presentations in patient outcomes.

2 Sep 2024

Intranasal vaccine shows broad SARS-CoV-2 variant protection

Study demonstrates that a single-dose intranasal live-attenuated vaccine, CDO-7N-1, provides broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants by inducing potent immune responses, including neutralizing antibodies and T-cell activity, in animal models.

1 Sep 2024