Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine candidate BNT162b2 profiled for large scale clinical trials

Although two RNA-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine candidates elicited similar, dose-dependent neutralizing antibody titers in both younger and older adults, a recent study by researchers from the U.S. and Germany has shown that BNT162b2 is associated with less systemic reactogenicity in elderly individuals – supporting its selection for further phase 2/3 clinical trials. The study is currently available on medRxiv* preprint server.

23 Aug 2020

Raccoon dogs potential intermediate host for SARS-CoV-2

Researchers at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute in Germany have conducted a study demonstrating that raccoon dogs were a potential intermediate host in the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

23 Aug 2020

Self-collected saliva and deep nasal swabs are equally effective for detecting SARS-CoV-2

Self-collected saliva and deep nasal swabs collected by healthcare providers are equally effective for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a new study conducted by ARUP Laboratories and University of Utah Health.

21 Aug 2020

Genomic analysis reveals vulnerability of many animal species to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Humans are not the only species facing a potential threat from SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, according to a new study from the University of California, Davis.

21 Aug 2020

Nasal vaccine effective in preventing COVID-19 infection in mice

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a vaccine that targets the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can be given in one dose via the nose and is effective in preventing infection in mice susceptible to the novel coronavirus.

21 Aug 2020

DNA nanoswitches may provide an inexpensive platform to rapidly detect emerging viruses

Programmable DNA nanoswitches that bind to viral RNA in human body fluids may provide an inexpensive platform to rapidly detect a wide variety of emerging viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, according to a new study.

21 Aug 2020

Researchers find clues to successful immune response in the T cells of COVID-19 patients

When news about a novel coronavirus switched from a chronicle of its progress in China to headlines about a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, Gladstone Institutes scientist Nadia Roan, PhD, was in the midst of publishing several papers on T cells and their role in HIV spread and long-lasting infections.

21 Aug 2020

New injectable drug could offer long-lasting protection from HIV with fewer side effects

Scientists have developed an injectable drug that blocks HIV from entering cells. They say the new drug potentially offers long-lasting protection from the infection with fewer side effects.

21 Aug 2020

VUMC receives $34 million grant for nationwide convalescent plasma study

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been awarded a one-year, $34-million grant by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health, to conduct a nationwide study of "convalescent plasma" as a treatment for COVID-19.

21 Aug 2020

Strong feelings of germ aversion and pathogen disgust associated with preventative behavior

Creeped out by cooties? Grossed out by germs? Squeamish about sickness? If so, then you might also find yourself engaging in more preventative health behaviors, like frequent handwashing and disinfecting your living environment, during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

21 Aug 2020

Democratic convention, night 4: ‘Facts over fiction’ in Biden’s speech

In a near-empty arena on the river in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, former Vice President Joe Biden accepted the Democratic nomination for president, promising hope over fear, fairness over privilege, love over hate.

21 Aug 2020

Study: Many COVID-19 patients suffer cardiovascular damage even after recovery

One of the most harrowing effects of COVID-19 is severe damage to the lungs, which makes breathing hard or impossible for those who're severely affected.

21 Aug 2020

California’s data failures stymie efforts to curb the virus

The failure of California's infectious disease monitoring system for a stretch of at least 20 days in July and August triggered potentially deadly fallout that continues to reverberate across the state.

21 Aug 2020

DeSantis says COVID is a lower risk for school-aged kids than flu

Even as his state is a hotbed for COVID-19, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been pushing schools to reopen so parents have the choice of sending children back to the classroom or keeping them home to learn virtually.

21 Aug 2020

Swab, spit, stay home? College coronavirus testing plans are all over the map

Yousuf El-Jayyousi, a junior engineering student at the University of Missouri, wanted guidance and reassurance that it would be safe to go back to school for the fall semester. He tuned into a pair of online town halls organized by the university hoping to find that.

21 Aug 2020

Deadly mix: How bars are fueling COVID-19 outbreaks

From the early days of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak, states have wrestled with the best course of action for bars and nightclubs, which largely have their economic prospects tied to social gatherings in tight quarters. As the virus has pinched the industry’s lifeblood, bar owners in a handful of states are fighting in court against government orders that they stay closed.

21 Aug 2020

SARS-CoV-2 ORF9c responsible for immune evasion and efficient infection of host

A recent study by researchers at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and the University of California San Francisco and published on the preprint server bioRxiv in August 2020 shows that a protein encoded by the subgenomic sequence ORF9c of SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the low antiviral response in infected humans, enabling the successful replication of the virus in the host.

21 Aug 2020

The Native Antigen Company announces custom contract service to develop influenza A and B antigens

The Native Antigen Company, one of the world’s leading suppliers of reagents that enables research into vaccines and diagnostics for emerging and endemic infectious diseases, today announced the introduction of its custom contract service to rapidly develop antigen panels for influenza A and B viruses.

21 Aug 2020

AI can expedite drug repurposing process for finding COVID-19 therapies, says GlobalData

Out of all the different approaches available to find new therapies to treat COVID-19, drug repurposing is one of the fastest and safest methods, as the drugs are already being used to treat other conditions therefore leading to fewer chances of adverse reactions.

21 Aug 2020

Macaques show low neutralizing antibody and cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020 presents a cynomolgus macaque model that develops symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in a mild form, with low or no antibody responses, making it suitable to study human responses to vaccines and drugs targeting the virus.

21 Aug 2020

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine candidate BNT162b2 profiled for large scale clinical trials

Raccoon dogs potential intermediate host for SARS-CoV-2

Self-collected saliva and deep nasal swabs are equally effective for detecting SARS-CoV-2

Genomic analysis reveals vulnerability of many animal species to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Nasal vaccine effective in preventing COVID-19 infection in mice

DNA nanoswitches may provide an inexpensive platform to rapidly detect emerging viruses

Researchers find clues to successful immune response in the T cells of COVID-19 patients

New injectable drug could offer long-lasting protection from HIV with fewer side effects

VUMC receives $34 million grant for nationwide convalescent plasma study

Strong feelings of germ aversion and pathogen disgust associated with preventative behavior

Democratic convention, night 4: ‘Facts over fiction’ in Biden’s speech

Study: Many COVID-19 patients suffer cardiovascular damage even after recovery

California’s data failures stymie efforts to curb the virus

DeSantis says COVID is a lower risk for school-aged kids than flu

Swab, spit, stay home? College coronavirus testing plans are all over the map

Deadly mix: How bars are fueling COVID-19 outbreaks

SARS-CoV-2 ORF9c responsible for immune evasion and efficient infection of host

The Native Antigen Company announces custom contract service to develop influenza A and B antigens

AI can expedite drug repurposing process for finding COVID-19 therapies, says GlobalData

Macaques show low neutralizing antibody and cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

CoppaFeel!: Breast Cancer Doesn’t Discriminate, So Why Should Awareness?

The CAR T Veteran: A Journey of Resilience, Remission, and Advocacy

Innovating for impact: Jordi Labs on aligning methodologies with FDA expectation

Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

A new way of characterising biomolecules eBook

CoppaFeel!: Breast Cancer Doesn’t Discriminate, So Why Should Awareness?

The CAR T Veteran: A Journey of Resilience, Remission, and Advocacy

Innovating for impact: Jordi Labs on aligning methodologies with FDA expectation

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