Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

ASPS provides comprehensive playbook with enhanced patient and staff safety protocols

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons - the world's largest plastic surgery organization - leads the specialty's medical professionals in navigating their practices' recovery plans.

1 Jun 2020

Expert warns that UK employers may face legal action over COVID-19 exposure

Employers across the UK could face legal action from employees who return to work and contract the COVID-19 virus, a leading health and safety expert has warned.

1 Jun 2020

Using lung simulators to help tackle COVID-19

COVID-19 is a virus that affects the respiratory system in humans. By using realistic lung simulators, we can understand how this virus affects the lungs.

From neosim AG 1 Jun 2020

No specific COVID-19-linked lesions found despite extensive organ injury

A recent paper published online on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports autopsy results on COVID-19 patients. The paper concludes that there were no specific hallmark lesions of COVID-19 in any of the many organs found to be injured by the infection in patients who died of the disease.

1 Jun 2020

How COVID-19 affects the nervous system

A new paper published in the journal JAMA Neurology in May 2020 discusses the presentation and complications of COVID-19 with respect to the nervous system.

31 May 2020

Anosmia and changes in brain MRI in COVID-19

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic was sweeping across the world, new symptoms and clinical presentations appeared, often confusing the picture. A case report from Italy, published in the journal JAMA Neurology in May 2020, shows that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be a neurotropic virus, and may cause infection to present primarily with anosmia.

31 May 2020

Ruxolitinib shows promise in severe COVID-19

An anti-inflammatory drug Ruxolitinib has shown promising results in the treatment of severe coronavirus disease COVID-19. The study titled, “Ruxolitinib in treatment of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A multicenter, single-blind, randomized controlled trial,” was published as a pre-proof for the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

31 May 2020

How susceptible are domestic animals to SARS-CoV-2?

A recent paper by Chinese researchers, published in the leading journal Science, shows that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) does not replicate well in dogs, pigs, chickens, and ducks; however, ferrets and cats are easily infected, and cats may transmit the virus via an airborne route.

31 May 2020

Genetic shuffling and evolutionary selection may have led to SARS-CoV-2 emergence

A combination of genetic shuffling and evolutionary selection of near-identical genetic sequences among specific bat and pangolin coronaviruses may have led to the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and its introduction into humans, a new study suggests.

30 May 2020

University of Freiburg receives 30 million euros for excellent research

The German Research Foundation has approved a new proposal for a collaborative research center under the leadership of the Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine at the University Heart Centre Freiburg · Bad Krozingen.

30 May 2020

Interactive online dashboard tracks COVID-19 cases in real time

Two University of Cincinnati students have developed an interactive dashboard that shows COVID-19 cases and deaths in Greater Cincinnati and other major U.S. cities. Known as the COVID-19 Watcher, it joins a list of options available to the public to track the novel coronavirus.

30 May 2020

Mathematical model predicts COVID-19 resurgence if physical distancing measures are relaxed

If physical distancing measures in Ontario are relaxed too much or too quickly, the province could see hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients as well as exponential growth in deaths, concludes new research involving a University of Guelph infectious disease modeller.

30 May 2020

Preventing novel coronavirus from entering into a host cell

How might the novel coronavirus be prevented from entering a host cell in an effort to thwart infection? A team of biomedical scientists has made a discovery that points to a solution.

30 May 2020

Scientists track SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater

Epidemiologist David Larsen, from Syracuse University and microbiologists Hyatt Green, from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Frank Middleton, from Upstate Medical University are lead members of a multi-institution research project that is expected to have global application in future efforts to track and contain Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

30 May 2020

Origin of SARS-CoV-2 virus well-suited to jump from animals to humans

A team of scientists studying the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that has caused the COVID-19 pandemic, found that it was especially well-suited to jump from animals to humans by shapeshifting as it gained the ability to infect human cells.

30 May 2020

Globaldata: Cardiovascular procedures not impacted by COVID-19 as heavily as other therapy areas

The COVID-19 crisis is not impacting cardiovascular procedures as heavily as it is other therapy areas, since the majority of these procedures are essential, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. GlobalData estimates that 96.7% of cardiovascular procedures performed in the US are essential procedures.

30 May 2020

The ‘eureka moment’ of rapid COVID-19 test inventor

The inventor of a ground-breaking COVID-19 test described his ‘eureka moment’ when he realised he could adapt existing tech to create a rapid virus test.

30 May 2020

Expert offers COVID-19 guidance for patients with COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a chronic lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. The disease affects millions of Americans and is the fourth leading cause of disease-related death in the U.S. People with COPD have a higher risk of more severe illness from COVID-19 due to their existing lung problems.

30 May 2020

Toshiba and Shinshu University jointly develop a 'tumor-tropic liposome technology' for gene therapy

Toshiba Corporation and a team led by Professor Yozo Nakazawa at the Department of Pediatrics, Shinshu University, have together developed a “tumor-tropic liposome technology” for gene therapy. The technology uses unique, nano-sized biodegradable liposomes developed by Toshiba to accurately and efficiently deliver therapeutic genes to targeted cancer cells, and achieves safer gene delivery than viruses used as carriers.

30 May 2020