COVID 19 News and Research

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Adipose tissue plays key role in the aggravation of COVID-19

There is growing evidence that adipose tissue plays a key role in the aggravation of COVID-19. One of the theories under investigation is that fat cells (adipocytes) act as a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 and increase viral load in obese or overweight individuals.

23 Nov 2020

Research sheds light on T cell abnormality in critically ill COVID-19 patients

There is an idea within the coronavirus research field that there is some kind of T cell abnormality in critically ill COVID-19 patients, but specific details have not yet been clarified. To shed light on the problem, a research collaboration based in Kumamoto University (Japan) has performed a genetic analysis of T cells from lung tissue of COVID-19 patients.

23 Nov 2020

Researchers investigate solutions to make cell membranes resistant to coronavirus entry

The cell membrane is the cell's outermost line of defense against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 disease.

23 Nov 2020

MMR vaccine may be protective against COVID-19, study shows

The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has been theorized to provide protection against COVID-19. In a new study published in mBio, an open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, researchers provide further proof of this by showing that mumps IgG titers, or levels of IgG antibody, are inversely correlated with severity in recovered COVID-19 patients previously vaccinated with the MMR II vaccine produced by Merck. MMR II contains the Edmonston strain of measles, the Jeryl Lynn (B-level) strain of mumps, and the Wistar RA 27/3 strain of rubella.

23 Nov 2020

Vibrational motions of spike proteins correlate with infectivity, lethality of SARS-CoV-2 virus

When someone struggles to open a lock with a key that doesn't quite seem to work, sometimes jiggling the key a bit will help. Now, new research from MIT suggests that coronaviruses, including the one that causes Covid-19, may use a similar method to trick cells into letting the viruses inside.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 20 Nov 2020

Transparent stretchable PVC film can inactivate novel coronavirus

Transparent stretchable PVC film for use in packaging meat, fruit, cold cuts, and other foods, and to protect surfaces, can inactivate the novel coronavirus.

20 Nov 2020

Pairs of antibodies may be more effective at preventing and treating COVID-19

Pairs of antibodies may be more effective than single antibodies at preventing and treating COVID-19, according to a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The Rockefeller University in New York.

20 Nov 2020

Endogenous viral elements play important role in genome evolution of green algae

Viruses are tiny invaders that cause a wide range of diseases, from rabies to tomato spotted wilt virus and, most recently, COVID-19 in humans. But viruses can do more than elicit sickness -- and not all viruses are tiny.

19 Nov 2020

Study shows CRISPR/Cas9 system can effectively treat metastatic cancers

Researchers have shown that the advanced CRISPR/Cas9 system is extremely effective in curing metastatic cancers.

19 Nov 2020

Study shows immunological memory can prevent reinfection in COVID-19 survivors

Researchers were uncertain whether a survived SARS-CoV-2 infection results in immunological memory and thus can guard against a new infection, until now.

18 Nov 2020

Conservation of tropical peatlands could reduce impact of COVID-19 pandemic

Conservation of tropical peatlands could reduce the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the likelihood of new diseases jumping from animals to humans, researchers say.

From University of Exeter 18 Nov 2020

Several hepatitis C drugs can inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease

Scientists have determined that drugs meant for treating hepatitis C can block SARS-CoV-2 main protease, which allows reproduction in the novel coronavirus.

17 Nov 2020

Study examines factors that drive water withdrawals in U.S. agriculture, food production

Climate change and a growing world population require efficient use of natural resources. Water is a crucial component in food production, and water management strategies are needed to support worldwide changes in food consumption and dietary patterns.

17 Nov 2020

Study: 95.5% of current entries in GISAID lack relevant COVID-19 patient information

A new study led by Australia's national science agency CSIRO, has found 95.5 per cent of current entries in GISAID, the world's largest novel coronavirus genome database, do not contain relevant patient information -- a critical piece of the puzzle to understand the virus and how it is evolving.

17 Nov 2020

Interleukin 10 levels could warn about the progression of COVID-19

Immunology experts have collaborated to use their groundbreaking research techniques to put people’s response to COVID-19 disease under the microscope.

16 Nov 2020

Study shows sleep apnea may be a risk factor for COVID-19

The question of sleep apnea as the risk factor for COVID-19 arose in a study conducted by the Turku University Hospital and the University of Turku on patients of the first wave of the pandemic.

16 Nov 2020

Pollution is partly linked to rapid proliferation of SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S.

The United States may have set itself up for the spread of a pandemic without even knowing it.

16 Nov 2020

MIT chemists determine molecular structure of SARS-CoV-2 protein

MIT chemists have determined the molecular structure of a protein found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This protein, called the envelope protein E, forms a cation-selective channel and plays a key role in the virus's ability to replicate itself and stimulate the host cell's inflammation response.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 16 Nov 2020

Food insecurity in America reached an all-time high during COVID-19

Food insecurity in America is reaching an all-time high during the COVID-19 pandemic. But large regional differences exist in the severity of the impact.

16 Nov 2020

Study demonstrates utility of novel method in fluorescent labeling

Thirty years ago, the cloning of the green fluorescent protein GFP, together with genetic engineering tools, revolutionized the field by enabling researchers to fuse a fluorescent 'beacon' to any protein of interest so that it can be directly observed in living cells using fluorescence microscopy.

16 Nov 2020