Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Scientists exploit 'trojan horse' feature in SARS-CoV-2 virus to create antivirals against COVID-19

Scientific analysis of a protein enzyme found in COVID-19 could lead to the development of new drugs to treat the virus, research led by Oxford Brookes University scientists has found.

20 Nov 2020

Researchers receive coveted award for outstanding research on COVID-19

The 2020 ACM Gordon Bell Special Prize for High Performance Computing-Based COVID-19 Research was presented to a 12-member team for their project "AI-Driven Multiscale Simulations Illuminate Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Dynamics."

20 Nov 2020

Pork consumption is not likely to cause COVID-19 infection

According to the current state of knowledge, there are no cases that have shown evidence of humans being infected with the novel coronavirus via the consumption of contaminated food.

20 Nov 2020

Multi-institution team receives prestigious award for breakthrough research on SARS-CoV-2

The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) awarded its first ACM Gordon Bell Special Prize for High Performance Computing-Based COVID-19 Research to a multi-institution research team that included the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory.

20 Nov 2020

Study shows how rotavirus leads to severe gastrointestinal disease

Rotavirus is a major cause of diarrhea and vomiting, especially in children, that results in approximately 128,000 deaths annually.

20 Nov 2020

Scientists develop a new vaccine approach for HIV

Unlike so many other deadly viruses, HIV still lacks a vaccine. The virus--which continues to infect millions around the world--has proven especially tricky to prevent with conventional antibodies, in part because it evolves so rapidly in the body.

20 Nov 2020

New COVID-19 app can make contact tracing more private and secure

Engineers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Virginia Tech are collaborating on a smartphone app that can help conduct contact tracing needed to contain the spread of COVID-19 without risking users' privacy or personal security. Their work is funded by a one-year, $120,000 RAPID grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

20 Nov 2020

Genetic modification in ‘coat’ of fatal brain virus may allow it to escape antibodies

A genetic modification in the 'coat' of a brain infection-causing virus may allow it to escape antibodies, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

20 Nov 2020

Researchers solve the mystery of silent hypoxia caused by COVID-19

More than six months since COVID-19 began spreading in the United States, scientists are still solving the many puzzling aspects of how the novel coronavirus attacks the lungs and other parts of the body.

19 Nov 2020

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