Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Universities and commercial partners team up to develop new COVID -19 test kit

A new COVID -19 test kit, which can detect the presence of the virus in six different individuals simultaneously in under 30 minutes, is one step closer to coming to market following a partnership deal with leading electronic, robotics, and software companies.

27 May 2020

Identifying the Starting Points for COVID19 Treatment

News-Medical spoke to researchers from the German Primate Center on their research in determining the activation sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

27 May 2020

CanSino's potential coronavirus vaccine triggers immune response in clinical trial

Scientists across the globe are racing to develop a vaccine that can provide protection against coronavirus disease (COVID-19). An effective and safe vaccine would curb not only the current coronavirus pandemic but also prevent future outbreaks

27 May 2020

WHO halts Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 trial over safety concerns

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has taken a toll on 188 countries and territories across the globe. With the increasing number of confirmed cases, scientists race to develop treatments and vaccines to fight the novel coronavirus.

27 May 2020

Researchers warn against false negatives in COVID-19 diagnostic test

One of the most commonly used diagnostic tools, particularly during this pandemic, is the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR), which uses a person's respiratory sample to detect viral particles and determine if the person may have been exposed to a virus.

27 May 2020

New data may help understand the evolution of Austrian SARS-CoV-2 strains

216 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences have now been completed and released in the framework of the "Mutational Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in Austria" project from CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, in close collaboration with the Medical University of Vienna, the Medical University of Innsbruck and the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES).

27 May 2020

What affects the case fatality rate of COVID-19? Analysis of top 50 affected countries

Ever since the beginning of the international spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease, researchers have been trying to identify the risk factors that increase the chances of infection. Now, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 discusses various potential factors and reports the observed associations.

27 May 2020

Many different T cell receptors recognize SARS-CoV-2 antigenic sites

The global COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading over the world. However, not much is known about how the adaptive immune response kicks in following the viral challenge. This knowledge is crucial to predicting the efficacy of a vaccine and estimating the chances of reinfection.

26 May 2020

Study finds very low level of SARS-CoV-2 in two San Francisco Bay areas

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports a very low prevalence of antibodies in two separate populations living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

26 May 2020

Researchers to study the ability of optical radiation to disinfect surfaces

Now and in the months to come, hospitals and commercial buildings will be tasked with sanitizing large indoor environments to prevent the transmission of viruses like SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.

26 May 2020

Simulated sunlight kills SARS CoV-2 on surfaces in 7 to 14 minutes

Simulated sunlight could effectively kill severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that is responsible for the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

26 May 2020

A key player in hepatitis A virus infection discovered

How hepatitis A virus manages to enter liver cells called hepatocytes and initiate infection had remained a mystery for fifty years until now.

26 May 2020

COVID-19 in cats and dogs is likely acquired directly from infected humans

A recent study from Japan available reveals how almost all cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among domestic animals can be linked to their owners infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

26 May 2020

Study shows antihypertensive drugs do not raise serum levels of ACE2

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* by researchers from Iceland and the U.S. shows how treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) does not raise angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) levels in human serum – and cautions against the discontinuation of these drugs among patients affected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

26 May 2020

IgG antibodies reduce viral load of SARS-CoV-2

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington has highlighted the importance of serological testing for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

26 May 2020

U.S. COVID-19 patients face long hospital stays and high rates of ICU admission

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the U.S. are enduring longer hospital stays and facing higher rates of intensive care unit admission than patients in China, finds a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Kaiser Permanente.

26 May 2020