Tag: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

A team of scientists from the United States recently conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during air travel. The findings reveal that even with SARS-CoV-2-infected persons onboard, the risk of viral transmission is low inside an aircraft. The study is currently available on the medRxiv*

Researchers in the United States have conducted a pre-clinical study demonstrating the efficacy of two updated versions of the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine against variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Study: Variant SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines confer broad neutralization as primary or booster series in mice

A new study published in the journal Science Immunology analyzed lung epithelial cells from patients infected with COVID-19 and found the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces the complement system as a dangerous weapon for viral infection. The complement system is an extension of the innate immune system to recognize pathogens and remove

Scientists have reported that in most cases, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, mildly infects infants. However, around 10% of infants experienced severe COVID-19 infection who required advanced medical treatments. In rare cases, even asymptomatic infection can result in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in

Scientists have reported that in most cases, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, mildly infects infants. However, around 10% of infants experienced severe COVID-19 infection who required advanced medical treatments. In rare cases, even asymptomatic infection can result in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in

A team of scientists from Spain has recently evaluated the efficacy of an mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2).  Their findings reveal that a 2-dose regimen of BNT162b2 vaccine is capable of providing almost 100% protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in healthcare workers. The study is

Finding effective and safe vaccines is crucial in the fight against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As a vital component of a subunit vaccine, the adjuvant strengthens the antigen-induced immune responses. Researchers at the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, the

Analysis indicated the number of mutations in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor-binding domain (RBD) doubles every 72 days. As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues infecting more people, SARS-CoV-2 is also evolving. Several new variants of the virus have now been discovered, some more infectious than the original strains. This

A team of scientists from Brazil recently explored the abilities of the UK, South African, and Brazilian variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to evade host CD8+ T cell responses induced by natural infection or vaccination. The findings reveal reduced antigenic coverage for the P.2 Brazilian lineage, indicating its ability to evade

As new variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continue to emerge, fueling the continued spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a new study offers encouragement. Released as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server, the study reports the protection offered by antibodies elicited by natural infection against the newer variants

An interesting new study by researchers in Australia, which has been published in the journal PLOS ONE, suggests that lifestyle changes due to pandemic restrictions on outdoor mobility have been small. But they warn that these may accumulate over time. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the rapid and extensive spread of the

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues to spread globally, infecting over 114 million people. The virus first emerged in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China, from a potential animal host. Zoonotic diseases have caused outbreaks throughout history, claiming millions of lives. These diseases occur when pathogens

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has claimed well over 2.4 million lives, but its long-term sequelae are still being identified. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) produces an infection that may be associated with a wide spectrum of disease, from asymptomatic to critical or terminal respiratory failure or multi-organ dysfunction. A new

Several genetic variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have risen to prominence during the course of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, one of which is the UK variant – termed B.1.1.7 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This variant is associated with increased transmissibility compared to the wild-type

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues to wreak havoc across the globe. Scientists are racing to develop effective therapeutic regimens to combat the infection. One of therapy currently used to stimulate a robust immune response against the virus is monoclonal antibodies, a treatment used for

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic – caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – is still causing hundreds of thousands of new cases globally. Therapeutic antibodies have been used to attempt to counter and contain the virus. Convalescent plasma (CP) obtained from recovered COVID-19 patients is also in use in many

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a transmissible viral disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen responsible for the ongoing global pandemic. The virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019 and to date has caused over 109 million infections worldwide. With over 2.4 million

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic's global case toll has surpassed 109 million globally. Of these infections, 2.4 million people have already succumbed to the disease. As the pandemic continues to spread, many countries have rolled out vaccinations. Now, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued updated guidance that people who have

The etiological agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Since then, the virus has infected more than 107 million people worldwide and caused over 2.4 million deaths. Due to its high transmissibility, it has been difficult to

Researchers in the United States who tracked the evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in an immunocompromised patient found that convalescent plasma therapy was associated with the emergence of viral variants that were less susceptible to neutralizing antibodies. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the agent responsible for the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that