UCI professor wins prestigious Robert Koch Prize for groundbreaking research

Irvine, Calif., April 27, 2022 – Philip Felgner, Ph.D., professor in residence of physiology & biophysics at the University of California, Irvine, is one of two scholars to win the prestigious 2022 Robert Koch Prize for fundamental contributions to the transfer of nucleic acids into cells. This pioneering technology for treating infectious diseases played a crucial role in developing the messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccines.

Rural Bangladeshis turn to faith, family for fact-checking

On top of the COVID-19 pandemic, people worldwide have dealt with an infodemic – a flood of ever-evolving information and misinformation about the virus, causing confusion and mistrust. New Cornell research finds that in remote parts of Bangladesh with little internet access, people have relied on local experts, spiritual views and their sense of social justice to evaluate new coronavirus information.

Yale researchers develop RNA-based therapy that clears SARS-CoV-2 from mice

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have discovered that an RNA molecule that stimulates the body’s early antiviral defense system can protect mice from a range of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. The study, published today in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), could lead to new treatments for COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients, as well as providing an inexpensive therapeutic option for developing countries that currently lack access to vaccines.

Montefiore-Einstein Researchers Test Whether Molnupiravir Can Prevent COVID-19

As part of a recently launched international phase 3 clinical trial, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine are investigating whether the Merck antiviral pill, molnupiravir, now approved in Britain for treating COVID-19, can prevent COVID-19 in unvaccinated individuals living with people who have contracted the disease. Montefiore-Einstein is the first and only New York State site for the trial and was selected due to its diverse patient population and expertise in clinical trials of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Children, Adults Equally Vulnerable to Coronavirus Infection, But Children Less Likely to Become Sick

New research addresses the misconception that children are less susceptible to infection with the new coronavirus. According to a recent report in JAMA Pediatrics, children and adults have similar risks of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2, but a much larger proportion of infected children do not show symptoms of COVID-19. When one household member is infected, there is a 52% chance they will transmit it to at least one other person with whom they live.

FDA authorization of COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5 to 11: IU experts available to comment

Following a daylong meeting Oct. 26, the FDA authorized Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in children ages 5 to 11. This was the first in a series of meetings to make this vaccine available to younger children. Next, the Advisory…

AI-driven dynamic face mask adapts to exercise, pollution levels

Researchers reporting in ACS Nano have developed a dynamic respirator that modulates its pore size in response to changing conditions, such as exercise or air pollution levels, allowing the wearer to breathe easier when the highest levels of filtration are not required.

Rutgers Toxicologist Available to Discuss Dangers of Taking Iodine to Treat COVID-19

Professor Lewis Nelson, M.D., is available to discuss the dangers of gargling, snorting, or ingesting Betadine, an iodine-based antiseptic to treat COVID-19. “Although many topical disinfectants such as povidone-iodine, which, is also known as Betadine, generally destroy viruses on direct…

Many Mothers May Have Delayed or Abandoned Plans for Additional Children Because of COVID-19 Pandemic

Nearly half of New York City mothers who had been trying to become pregnant again before the coronavirus pandemic began stopped in the first few months of the outbreak, a new study shows.

Returning to School Sports Runs Low Risk for COVID-19 Infection, Say Loyola Medicine Experts

As students head back to school this fall, sports medicine physicians with Loyola Medicine say the risk of COVID-19 exposure among student athletes is low. As the Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread across the U.S., Nathaniel Jones, MD, a sports medicine physician for Loyola Medicine, emphasizes the importance of getting vaccinated.

What you need to know about the delta variant

For more than 40 years, UCI infectious disease researcher Michael Buchmeier has studied coronaviruses, and he’s one of the leading experts on SARS-CoV-2, the version of the virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. As a more lethal mutation of the virus, called the delta variant, sparks another wave of cases, he offers his expertise about this threat.

The CDC recommended that pregnant people be vaccinated against COVID-19. Learn more from BIDMC’s Dr. Ai-ris Collier, who has led research evaluating the immunogenicity of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.

Ai-ris Collier, MD, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is available for expert comment regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that pregnant people be vaccinated against COVID-19. Dr. Collier has led research published…

American Society of Anesthesiologists and Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Say Preoperative Testing for COVID-19 is Essential, Regardless of Vaccination

All patients undergoing non-emergency surgeries or procedures should continue to have preoperative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for SARS-CoV-2, irrespective of vaccination status, according to an updated guidance from the American Society of Anesthesiologists and Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.

LEDs Light the Way to Coronavirus Disinfection

LEDs are commonly used for sterilization, and in the continued effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic, LEDs can also help inactivate SARS-CoV-2. A team in Pakistan designed far-ultraviolet LEDs at a targeted wavelength of 222 nanometers, chosen both for its ability to inactivate the virus and for being safe on human skin. They based their design on the material aluminum gallium nitride, part of a set of materials called III-nitrides which are efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly.

New study details enzyme that allows coronavirus to resist antiviral medications

A new Iowa State University study details the structure of a critical enzyme present in SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. This enzyme removes nucleoside antiviral medications from the virus’s RNA, rendering many treatments ineffective. Scientists could use data uncovered in the new study to find ways to inhibit the enzyme, possibly leading to more effective treatments.

Mouse Model of COVID-19–induced Lung Injury May Aid Development of Coronavirus Treatments

Article title: The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunit 1 induces COVID-19–like acute lung injury in Κ18-hACE2 transgenic mice and barrier dysfunction in human endothelial cells Authors: Ruben Colunga Biancatelli, Pavel Solopov, Elizabeth R. Sharlow, John S. Lazo, Paul Ellis Marik, John…

Novel autoantibody adds fuel to COVID-19 “firestorm” of inflammation, blood clots

Researchers at Michigan Medicine have discovered another functional autoantibody in COVID-19 patients that contributes to the disease’s development and the “firestorm” of blood clots and inflammation it induces. The autoantibody makes it harder for the body to degrade neutrophil extracellular traps, the toxic webs of DNA and proteins produced by overactive immune cells at heightened levels in COVID patients.