Immune cells specialize to ensure the most efficient defense against viruses and other pathogens. Researchers at the University of Basel have shed light on this specialization of T cells and shown that it occurs differently in the context of an…
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How do viruses evolve in bats?
Bats have played a crucial epidemiological role in the evolution of many viruses and house many coronaviruses. Until 2002, coronaviruses had been known to cause mild respiratory ailments in human beings. However, this notion changed in the same year when…
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Continued vigilance needed as COVID lockdown is relaxed in England, warn researchers
Researchers have reported findings from round nine of the REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission Study (REACT-1) that estimates community prevalence of infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in England. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the agent responsible for…
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Italy’s virus death toll tops 100,000
Italy on Monday surpassed the grim milestone of 100,000 official coronavirus deaths, amid warnings the spread of new variants is fuelling a fresh wave of infections. Just over a year since it became the first European country to be overwhelmed…
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Mass testing, mask wearing help Detroit slow virus’ pace
It was March 11 last year when Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced that the St. Patrick’s Day parade was canceled because a virus that had already sickened tens of thousands worldwide had reached Michigan. “All those folks standing shoulder to…
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New mRNA treatment appears to stop replication of flu and Covid-19 viruses
With a relatively minor genetic change, a new treatment developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University appears to stop replication of both flu viruses and the virus that causes Covid-19. Best of all, the treatment…
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Administering zinc supplements to Covid-19 patients may help reduce mortality and recovery time
Administering zinc supplements to Covid-19 patients with low levels of this element may be a strategy to reduce mortality and recovery time. At the same time, it could help to prevent risk groups, like the elderly, from suffering the worst…
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Novel host-viral-microbiome interactions during COVID-19 may determine outcome
The current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been spreading rapidly for over a year. Though primarily a respiratory illness, its manifestations are often protean and may be life-threatening….
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Concerning mutation in New York SARS-CoV-2 should be monitored, warn researchers
Researchers at the New York State Department of Health in the United States have said concerning mutations within the B.1.526 lineage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has recently become prevalent in New York State warrant further…
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Researchers evaluate surrogate large-scale SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance test
A team of international scientists has recently evaluated a surrogate virus neutralization test for severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and observed that it is highly efficacious for detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in serum samples. According to the scientists, the…
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