With the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many worried they could be exposed to its causative pathogen – severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – through their food. While more research has suggested transmission through food…
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Developing orally administrable drugs to combat SARS-CoV-2
Researchers in China have reported the successful design and synthesis of two antiviral compounds that target the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)’s main protease, essential in virus replication. These compounds can inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in mice…
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Identification of specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with cross-neutralization potency
A team of scientists from the USA and Canada recently characterized the cross-neutralizing potency of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies isolated from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The findings reveal that some of the isolated antibodies targeting…
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Neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in mice depend on Fc effector function
The onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brought about intensive research on the biological characteristics of the pathogen responsible, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The immune response mediated by neutralizing antibodies, elicited by the virus or…
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Study reveals how SARS-CoV-2 spread in Wuhan before the lockdown
Using molecular dating tools and epidemiological simulations, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues at the University of Arizona and Illumina, Inc., estimate that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was likely circulating undetected for at most two…
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UK SARS-CoV-2 variant 40% more transmissible than previous strains
Researchers in Japan have estimated that the B.1.1.7 variant strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that recently emerged in England is 40% more transmissible than strains previously circulating in the country. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the agent…
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Study reveals unknown immune defense system that protects the lungs from viral infections
Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown arm of the immune defense system that protects the lung from lethal viral infections. Respiratory diseases caused by viruses such as influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 cause damage not just through their own actions, but…
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White-tailed deer susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, finds study
White-tailed deer have been observed to be susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They can also transmit the virus both through direct and indirect contact to one another, researchers find. The research paper is available to be…
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Impact of type I interferon (IFN) autoantibodies in critical COVID-19
The emergence and rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has triggered the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To date, over 118 million cases have been confirmed, and over 2.6 million have lost their lives. The sheer…
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Ultraviolet light therapy reduces viral load in critically ill COVID-19 patients
A team of scientists from the United States has recently evaluated the safety and efficacy profiles of ultraviolet-A (UVA) light applied via an endotracheal tube to critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The findings reveal that specific and monitored…
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