Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Australian COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows protective response in pre-clinical trials

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, scientists race to develop a vaccine that can help contain the spread of the virus. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has so far infected more than 3.18 million people across the globe. Now, early tests of a potential coronavirus vaccine have shown promise in pre-clinical trials.

29 Apr 2020

Coronaviruses represent a source of pandemic viruses

In a new paper published on the preprint journal bioRxiv in April 2020, researcher T. Konishi argues that the coronavirus family is a constellation of pandemic pathogens, that includes the currently spreading severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

29 Apr 2020

What is the incubation period of COVID-19?

Despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has been raging for over four months the world over, the incubation period has not been reliably estimated. A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv reviews the various attempts made so far to arrive at a more accurate estimate.

29 Apr 2020

ACE inhibitors appear to be safe and beneficial for COVID-19, say researchers

Researchers in India have conducted a meta-analysis investigating the effects of using angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) on outcomes among patients with COVID-19.

29 Apr 2020

COVERED study aims to reduce risk of COVID-19 among emergency department staff

A $3.7 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been awarded to the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA to study ways to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection among frontline health care workers in hospital emergency departments.

29 Apr 2020

Tobacco use may explain why more men die of coronavirus than women in Spain

Whether or not you are a smoker could condition how the coronavirus affects you. At least that is what numerous researchers are saying, insisting that tobacco use is to blame for the weakened cardiovascular systems which are at greatest risk from COVID-19.

29 Apr 2020

Yale researchers develop new model to track spread of COVID-19

Yale University researchers and colleagues in Hong Kong and China have developed an approach for rapidly tracking population flows that could help policymakers worldwide more effectively assess risk of disease spread and allocate limited resources as they combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

29 Apr 2020

ARIACOV project launched to support Covid-19 epidemic

An action research project in support of the African response to the Covid-19 epidemic (ARIACOV) has just been funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) as part of the "Covid-19 - Health in Common" initiative.

29 Apr 2020

COVID tests are free, except when they’re not

Even before a novel virus swept around the world, Anna Davis Abel wore a mask to protect herself from getting sick.

29 Apr 2020

Researchers identify link between COVID-19 cure rate and regional selenium status

An international team of researchers, led by Professor Margaret Rayman at the University of Surrey, has identified a link between the Covid-19 cure rate and regional selenium status in China.

29 Apr 2020

The challenges of keeping young adults safe during the pandemic

Last month, after California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered most of the state's residents to stay home, I found myself under virtual house arrest with an uncomfortably large number of Gen Zers.

29 Apr 2020

BIOTECON Diagnostics releases microproof SARS-CoV-2 Screening/Identification Kits

BIOTECON Diagnostics has developed and launched its own microproof SARS-CoV-2 Screening/Identification Kits, which are available immediately for purchase and can be distributed globally.

29 Apr 2020

GlobalData: Mass home testing for Covid-19 isn’t without its risks

Unfettered access to rapid and safe Covid-19 tests will be one of the most critical factors in reducing the spread of the disease.

29 Apr 2020

GlobalData offers view on Gilead’s suspension of Covid-19 trials in China

Following the news that China trials of Gilead Sciences Inc’s antiviral drug remdesivir in patients with mild symptoms of coronavirus have been suspended due to lack of eligible patients;

From Gilead Sciences, Inc. 29 Apr 2020

Tapping into the powers of nature to identify virus killers

Many organisms have to defend themselves against predators, diseases or pests. Their metabolic products constitute a chemical arsenal that has been used for medical purposes since time immemorial.

29 Apr 2020

Ortho introduces second COVID-19 antibody test with 100% specificity

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, a global leader of in vitro diagnostics with a rich history of bringing critical tests for infectious diseases to market, today introduced and announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Emergency Use Authorization to its second COVID-19 antibody test—the VITROS Immunodiagnostic Products Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Test. This test is one of only a handful of antibody tests to be granted Emergency Use Authorization.

From Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. 29 Apr 2020

Study reveals SARS-CoV-2 RNA cap structure

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in April 2020 reports the discovery of the structure of the cap created by the novel coronavirus on virally encoded mRNAs. The finding could help create new antiviral strategies.

29 Apr 2020

'Smart sample pooling' for COVID-19 could solve test kit shortage problem

A new study from Pakistan suggests 'smart sample pooling' using population grouping with algorithms as a solution to the unavailability of test kits for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that causes COVID-19 disease. The paper is published on the preprint server medRxiv on April 28, 2020.

29 Apr 2020

How weather and demographics influence the COVID-19 spread

What can stop the spread of the novel coronavirus? A new study published in the preprint journal medRxiv in April 2020 debunks the idea that warmer and more humid conditions can hinder the pandemic from spreading with ease.

29 Apr 2020

How toxic are chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to cells?

The spread of the pandemic disease COVID-19 caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has now reached almost every country of the world, with over 3.11 million cases and over 217,000 deaths as of April 29, 2020.

29 Apr 2020