A third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine significantly increased neutralizing antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Pfizer, BioNTech and University of Texas Medical Branch scientists tracked the immune response of participants in clinical trials for…
Increased infectivity and immune evasion drive the spread of Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant
Findings suggest infection control measures against variants will need to continue in the post-vaccination era. The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, which has become the dominant variant in countries including India and the UK, has most likely spread through its ability to evade neutralizing antibodies and its increased infectivity, say an…
SARS-CoV-2 Spike may trigger production of antibodies that cross-react with human thrombopoietin to induce thrombocytopenia
Scientists have stated that molecular mimicry between human proteins and pathogens can incorrectly lead to antibodies attacking human proteins. Such an occurrence can cause transient or chronic autoimmune disorders. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected individuals often suffer from thrombocytopenia, a condition associated with low platelet counts. The cytokine…
NIH scientists demonstrate efficient aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in hamsters
Researchers in the United States have demonstrated the efficient aerosol transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – in a hamster model. The team from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Hamilton, Montana, specifically designed novel…
Existing drug may be effective in treating COVID-19
A new University of Chicago study has found that the drug masitinib may be effective in treating COVID-19. The drug, which has undergone several clinical trials for human conditions but has not yet received approval to treat humans, inhibited the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in human cell cultures and in a…
SARS-CoV-2 replication targets nasal ciliated cells early in COVID-19 infection
Understanding how viral infection occurs can provide important clues for researchers to develop strategies to prevent viral transmission and develop effective therapeutic agents and vaccines. SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, enters the host cells through interaction between the virus’s spike protein and the extracellular receptor binding domain of ACE2….
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…
New, portable saliva screening test detects SARS-CoV-2 in five-minutes
International research led by Monash University and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity has achieved a proof of concept for a new, fast, portable saliva screening test that uses an infrared light technology to confirm infection with SARS-CoV-2. The research is published today in Angewandte Chemie. Professor Bayden…
Proof that face masks reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission
Researchers in Germany and China have conducted a study analyzing the efficacy of face masks in mitigating the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hang Su from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz and colleagues showed…
Long and short-range risk of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has contributed to significant morbidity, mortality, and economic losses. To date, the virus has infected over 159 million individuals and caused over 3.3 million deaths the world over. The need to mitigate this pandemic has the scientific community…
Lab reports 1st instance of SARS-CoV-2 variants affecting antigen test performance
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has entered the second year and is marked by the emergence of several new and more infectious variant lineages. Many of these variants are also associated with immune escape. The mutations in these variants are usually in the spike protein, which…