Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Combined point-of-care nucleic acid and antibody testing increases COVID-19 detection

A Cambridge hospital has piloted the use of combined rapid point-of-care nucleic acid and antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection after researchers at the University of Cambridge showed that this approach was superior to virus detection alone for diagnosing COVID-19 disease.

2 Sep 2020

Honeybee venom induces cancer cell death in aggressive breast cancer

The new study, published in the journal Nature Precision Oncology, highlights how bees can help combat breast cancer. The research team found that when the venom’s main component, when mixed with existing chemotherapy drugs, reduced tumor growth in laboratory mice.

2 Sep 2020

Study shows SARS-CoV-2 jumps back and forth between animals and humans on mink farms

An in-depth investigation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks on 16 mink farms by researchers from the Netherlands revealed that minks might serve as a reservoir for persistent infection in humans. The study is currently available on bioRxiv* preprint server.

2 Sep 2020

Treating critically ill COVID-19 patients with steroid improves chances of recovery

A new international study published today [02 September] has shown that treating critically ill patients with COVID-19 with the steroid hydrocortisone improves their chances of recovery.

2 Sep 2020

Existing drug masitinib identified as potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in the United States have demonstrated that a drug originally developed as a treatment for cancer exhibits antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

2 Sep 2020

Doubts cast over use of face shields, masks with valves against SARS-CoV-2

Many countries across the globe are experiencing a sharp surge in COVID-19 cases, with the total global case toll reaching more than 25.86 million. Face masks have become one of the most effective means to combat the virus spread, particularly if used in combination with regular hand hygiene and physical distancing.

2 Sep 2020

New method offers hope to patients in critical need of kidney transplant

Kidneys from deceased donors with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can be safely transplanted into noninfected recipients when a regimen of direct-acting antiviral therapies is initiated as early as two days after the transplant, according to a study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

2 Sep 2020

New emergency program provides mental health care across Colorado

The COVID-19 pandemic's effects run deep - far beyond the virus's immediate infections. From loss of livelihoods to drastic decreases in social connection, people across the country are suffering ongoing emotional strain.

2 Sep 2020

Blood test can identify patients at high risk of severe COVID-19

A blood test on hospital admission showing the presence or absence of SARS-CoV-2 can identify patients at a high risk of severe COVID-19.

2 Sep 2020

Health officials worry nation is not ready for COVID-19 vaccine

Millions of Americans are counting on a COVID-19 vaccine to curb the global pandemic and return life to normal.

2 Sep 2020

Durable IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 from the Iceland experience

Now, a team of scientists at the Reykjavik-based deCODe Genetics, a subsidiary of the U.S. biotech company Amgen, and several universities and hospitals in Iceland, says that the antibodies developed to fight SARS-CoV-2 last for at least four months and do not fade quickly as previously thought.

2 Sep 2020

Exponential rise in COVID-19 hospitalization risk with age due to waning T cell immunity

The age-related increase in the risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19 mirrors earlier patterns seen with infections. Such trends may help understand the mechanisms underlying the clinical feature. A recent study published in the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 shows the effect of age and sex on COVID-19 hospitalization rates in the USA and helps understand how immune function is involved in this pandemic.

2 Sep 2020

A global vaccine is sufficient to combat COVID-19 infection, indicates study

Genetic analysis of sequences from more than 27,000 individuals infected with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 reveals that the virus has mutated minimally since December 2019, suggesting one vaccine would be sufficient to combat global infections.

2 Sep 2020

ACE2/TMPRSS2 not expressed in pancreatic islet endocrine cells

A new study by researchers at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 reports that both key enzymes that are required for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) entry into the human host cell are lacking in the beta cells of the pancreatic islet. This rules out the direct injury hypothesis for impaired glucose control in patients with COVID-19 disease.

1 Sep 2020

High-pressure preconcentration devices for detecting small amounts of virus in early infections

Diagnostic devices that are used at home or in doctors' offices are often not sensitive enough to detect small amounts of a virus that might be present in samples from asymptomatic patients, which can occur in early stage COVID-19.

1 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2-RNA viremia is a robust marker of critical illness in COVID-19

A new study by a large team of Spanish researchers and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 reports that the presence of viral RNA in the blood is a useful marker of impending acute disease and can help triage COVID-19 disease patients who will require hospital care.

1 Sep 2020

Negligible ACE2 expression in human beta-cells

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv reports that even though the fatality rate is significantly higher in diabetics, there is no evidence that this is due to direct viral infection of pancreatic beta cells, which produce the key hormone in glucose homeostasis, namely insulin.

1 Sep 2020

Excessive immune response plays an important role in severe Covid-19

The team from Marien Hospital and the department of Virology of Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) as well as the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, the Clinic of Anesthesiology and the Institute for Virology of University Medicine Essen studied specific antibodies and T cells occurring in recovered, seriously ill and deceased Covid-19 patients.

1 Sep 2020

Health expert warns of the increasing threat of animal-to-human coronaviruses

The coronavirus outbreaks, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and the currently spreading coronavirus disease (COVID-19), all came via animal-to-human transmission or zoonosis.

1 Sep 2020

SARS-CoV-2 is more resistant on surfaces in spring and autumn than in summer

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint paper, researchers from Kansas State University demonstrate astonishing persistence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on various types of surfaces – especially under spring/fall climate conditions.

1 Sep 2020