Of 25 routine clinical lab tests, not one can aid in diagnosing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2
Tag: SARS COV-2
Hospital-onset SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with significant morbidity and mortality during Omicron era
A retrospective matched cohort study found that SARS-CoV-2 infections acquired while in the hospital continue to be associated with significant morbidity and mortality, even during the Omicron era.
Searle Scholar Award Powers Investigation of Viral Evolution
How can an animal virus turn into a human disease? Between the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the looming concern of avian flu, the question is an urgent one. Tyler Starr, PhD, has received a prestigious Searle Scholar Award to look for answers.
Researchers Show SARS-Cov-2 Infection Affects Energy Stores in the Body, Causing Organ Failure
An international research team, including Jonathan C. Schisler, PhD, in the UNC School of Medicine, has found how SARS-CoV-2 causes widespread “energy outages” throughout major organs, and how these effects contribute to debilitating long COVID symptoms.
Rutgers Scientist’s Research Provides Insight Into COVID-19 Immunity
Exposure to common cold-causing coronaviruses may contribute to pre-existing immunity to COVID-19, according to a new study involving a Rutgers research scientist.
Fly Toolkit Created for Investigating COVID-19 Infection Mechanisms
Researchers have created a resource for analyzing how viruses infect human cells. The fruit fly-based toolkit provides a shortcut for assessing SARS-CoV-2 genes and understanding how they interact with human proteins, offering researchers a resource for new COVID-related drug therapies.
Gene Mutation May Explain Why Some Don’t Get Sick from COVID-19
People who contract COVID-19 but never develop symptoms – the so-called super dodgers – may have a genetic ace up their sleeve. They’re more than twice as likely as those who become symptomatic to carry a specific gene variation that helps them obliterate the virus, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco researchers.
Researchers Find an Immune System ‘Trip Wire’ That Detects COVID-19
Biologists have identified a previously unknown way that our immune system detects viruses. The immune protein CARD8 acts as a trip wire to detect a range of viruses, including the virus that causes COVID. They also found that CARD8 functions differently among species and varies between humans.
St. Jude finds NLRP12 as a new drug target for infection, inflammation and hemolytic diseases
Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital found key “on” switch, NLRP12, for innate immune cell death in diseases that cause red blood cells to rupture, which can lead to inflammation and multi-organ failure.
Fever Found to Be Most Common Non-Respiratory Feature of Sars-Cov-2 Infection
Fever was found to be the most common non-respiratory feature of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to research published at the ATS 2023 International Conference.
Study: SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, can alter genome structure of our cells
People infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may experience genome structure changes that not only may explain our immunological symptoms after infection, but also potentially link to long COVID, according to a new study by researchers at UTHealth Houston.
New Class of Drugs May Prevent Infection by Wide Range of COVID-19 Variants
A new class of oral drugs can inhibit a wide range of SARS-CoV-2 variants, researchers report, potentially identifying new antiviral agents providing broad activity against the constantly emerging new strains of the COVID-19 virus
Research Team Creates Statistical Model to Predict Covid-19 Resistance
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine and The Johns Hopkins University have created and preliminarily tested what they believe may be one of the first models for predicting who has the highest probability of being resistant to COVID-19 in spite of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes it.
Host-Cell Factors Involved in COVID-19 Infections May Augur Improved Treatments
Researchers at University of California San Diego and UC Riverside have further elucidated the molecular pathway used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to infect human lung cells, identifying a key host-cell player that may prove a new and enduring therapeutic target for treating COVID-19.
Study Shows Paxlovid Can Safely Be Used to Reduce Risk of Severe COVID in People Who Are Pregnant
Findings from a Johns Hopkins Medicine research study published today in JAMA Network Open provide strong evidence that people who are pregnant and have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) can safely take the antiviral drug Paxlovid to reduce the possibility of severe disease.
How a SARS-CoV-2 Virus Protein Damages the Heart
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s (UMSOM) Center for Precision Disease Modeling identified how a specific protein in SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, damages heart tissue. They then used a drug to reverse the toxic effects of that protein on the heart.
COVID-19 and people with epilepsy: The latest on infection risk and vaccines
Does COVID-19 infection affect people with epilepsy differently? Are people with epilepsy less likely to get vaccinated? A session at the European Epilepsy Congress in July 2022 covered these topics, and more.
The September Issue of SLAS Discovery Highlights a Label-Free SERS Method in Detecting SARS-CoV-2 and More
The September issue of SLAS Discovery is now available open access on ScienceDirect.
Scientists develop effective intranasal mumps-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate
New research has advanced COVID-19 vaccine work in several ways: using a modified live attenuated mumps virus for delivery, showing that a more stable coronavirus spike protein stimulates a stronger immune response, and suggesting a dose up the nose has an advantage over a shot.
Patients with Lupus Benefit from COVID-19 Vaccine Booster
People with systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, who received a “booster” dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine after full vaccination are roughly half as likely to have a subsequent “breakthrough” COVID-19 infection, a new study shows.
Inhalable COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Promise in Rodent Model
Researchers have created an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine that is shelf stable at room temperature for up to three months, targets the lungs specifically and effectively, and allows for self-administration via an inhaler.
Some Pre-existing Mutant Strains of the Virus Causing COVID-19 May Resist Paxlovid
Doctors should reserve Paxlovid for the highest risk patients because if Paxlovid is widely used, it mostly will destroy the variants it can treat, says a Rutgers researcher.
Age may rival politics in COVID-19 vaccine debate
New research from the University of Georgia suggests age and risk perception may have as much of an effect on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance as party affiliation.
Targeting a human protein to squash SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses
In ACS Infectious Diseases, scientists now report that apratoxin S4, an anticancer drug candidate that targets a human protein, can interfere with the replication of many viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A, offering a possible pan-viral therapy.
The surprising link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and new-onset diabetes
Researchers from Osaka University find that infection with SARS-CoV-2 activates the IRF1 gene and impairs insulin/IGF signaling in the lung, liver, adipose tissue, and pancreatic cells
Heart Failure Patients Unvaccinated Against COVID-19 Are Three Times More Likely to Die From It Than Boosted Heart Failure Patients
EMBARGOED UNTIL JUNE 9, 2022, 10AM EST (New York, NY – June 9, 2022) – Heart failure patients who are unvaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are three times more likely to die if infected with the virus…
Striking Biological Gold
MassCPR biospecimens program will propel research on COVID-19 and beyond
Why Breakthrough COVID? Antibodies Fighting Original Virus May Be Weaker Against Omicron
If you’re wondering why after two vaccination doses and a booster shot, you still got sick from the omicron strain of the virus that causes COVID-19, one possible answer may have been found in a recent study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Inflammation, Rather Than Virus Provoking It, May Be Key to COVID-19 Loss of Smell
Johns Hopkins Medicine-led study finds inflammation-caused nerve damage weakens odor signals to the brain
Researchers Develop CRISPR-based Rapid Diagnostic Tool for SARS-CoV-2
UC San Diego scientists have created a new technology that rapidly detects the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The new SENSR was developed using CRISPR gene-editing technology as a rapid diagnostic that could eventually be used in homes, airports and other locations.
FAU Expert Answers Questions about Boosters, Vaccines for Children Ages 5-11
Joanna Drowos, D.O., M.P.H., M.B.A., FAU Schmidt College of Medicine, provides answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the COVID-19 boosters and vaccines for children ages 5 to 11.
Hand washing and sanitizing not enough: close that toilet lid after flushing!
Leaving toilet lids open after flushing can disperse contaminated droplets beyond a metre and remain in the air for 30 minutes. This is one of the findings revealed in a global review of the risks of bacterial and viral transmission in public bathrooms, undertaken by the ANU and University of South Australia.
In Covid-19 Vaccinated People, Those with Prior Infection Likely to Have More Antibodies
In what is believed to be one of the largest studies of its kind, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have shown that antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2 (the COVID-19 virus) stay more durable — that is, remain higher over an extended period of time — in people who were infected by the virus and then received protection from two doses of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine compared with those who only got immunized.
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.
Monoclonal antibody treatment highly effective at reducing COVID-19 hospitalizations
Researchers published interim results in The New England Journal of Medicine from a Phase 3 study of the COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment sotrovimab, sponsored by Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline. The study found that compared to the placebo group, COVID-19 patients who received sotrovimab had a significantly reduced risk of hospitalization or death and that the treatment, which was administered by intravenous infusion on an outpatient basis, was safe.
MAIT Cell Activation May Play a Role in Fatal Outcomes Among Severe COVID-19 Cases
Antibodies and T cells play a critical role in protection from viral illness, however the exact role of T cell and antibody responses in SARS-CoV-2 infection is unclear. To better understand the immune abnormalities linked to critical illness and death in COVID-19 patients on ICU, researchers conducted a prospective observational study investigating the association of T cell and antibody responses with fatal outcome in severe COVID-19.
These fridge-free COVID-19 vaccines are grown in plants and bacteria
Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed COVID-19 vaccine candidates that can take the heat. Their key ingredients? Viruses from plants or bacteria.
Penn mRNA Researchers Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó Awarded the 2021 Albany Prize
PHILADELPHIA – For their landmark research that set a foundation for the mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research, and Katalin Karikó;, PhD, an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a senior vice president at BioNTech, have been selected to receive the 2021 Albany Prize.
COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Dips, But Remains Potent Disease Deterrent
COVID-19 vaccines remain effective, but their potency has diminished in recent months, according to a nationwide study at eight sites, including Salt Lake City, Utah.
Infectious Diseases Epidemiologist Available to Discuss Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 & Practical Interventions for Preventing Spread of Disease (including Delta Variant)
The pandemic is clearly not over. COVID-19 infections are on the rise in all 50 states and around the world, and the CDC recently issued new guidelines recommending that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in certain parts…
Genomic Surveillance Crucial to Mitigate and Contain COVID-19
Researchers say that genomic surveillance to mitigate and contain COVID-19 is equally crucial to detect variants that are phenotypically or antigenically different well before they spread throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world. Genomic surveillance leverages applications of next-generation sequencing and phylogenetic methods to facilitate greater early anticipation as well as initiation of effective strategies to mitigate and contain outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 variants and other novel viruses.
A fast, accurate system for quickly solving stubborn RNA structures from pond scum, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and more
Naked RNA molecules are too floppy for high-res 3D imaging, but a system developed at SLAC and Stanford fixes that. It reveals detailed RNA structures from a pond scum critter and COVID-19 virus.
A fast, accurate system for quickly solving stubborn RNA structures from pond scum, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and more
Naked RNA molecules are too floppy for high-res 3D imaging, but a system developed at SLAC and Stanford fixes that. It reveals detailed RNA structures from a pond scum critter and COVID-19 virus.
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…
Study reveals characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
A new University of Kentucky College of Medicine study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry provides foundational information about SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein.
Novel Method Predicts if COVID-19 Clinical Trials Will Fail or Succeed
Researchers are the first to model COVID-19 completion versus cessation in clinical trials using machine learning algorithms and ensemble learning. They collected 4,441 COVID-19 trials from ClinicalTrials.gov to build a testbed with 693 dimensional features created to represent each clinical trial. These computational methods can predict whether a COVID-19 clinical trial will be completed or terminated, withdrawn or suspended. Stakeholders can leverage the predictions to plan resources, reduce costs, and minimize the time of the clinical study.
3D “Assembloid” Shows How SARS-CoV-2 Infects Brain Cells
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine have produced a stem cell model that demonstrates a potential route of entry of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, into the human brain.
Tip Sheet: Disparities in cancer outcomes, catching up on cancer screenings, boosting immunotherapy effectiveness and SARS-CoV-2 origins
SEATTLE — July 7, 2021 — Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch research findings and other news.
Longest known SARS-CoV-2 infection of nearly 300 days successfully treated with new therapy
An immunocompromised individual with the longest known PCR confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 infection, lasting more than 290 days, has been successfully treated with two investigational monoclonal antibodies (laboratory engineered antibodies). Clinicians and researchers from the University of Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) worked closely to assess and treat the infection and want to highlight the urgent need for improved access to treatments for such people with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection.
New analysis reveals link between birthdays and COVID-19 spread during the height of the pandemic
Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection increased 30 percent for households with a recent birthday in counties with high rates of COVID-19
Findings suggest informal social gatherings such as birthday parties played role in infection spread at the height of the coronavirus pandemic
No birthday-bash infection jumps seen in areas with low rates of COVID-19
Households with children’s birthdays had greater risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection than with adult birthdays