Category: Science and Tech
Fortune COVID will evolve to evade popular antiviral treatment Paxlovid, a critical line of defense for the unvaccinated and those at risk of severe disease and death from the virus—of this, Deborah Birx is certain. During her time as White House COVID response coordinator under former President Donald Trump, from March 2020 through January 2021, Birx […]
May 2, 2023
Broad-Spectrum Antivirals: A New Frontier in the Fight Against Emerging Diseases
SciTechDaily A UCLA study discovered potential broad-spectrum antiviral agents capable of combating various RNA virus families, including those causing future pandemics. Particularly effective were cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) STING agonists, which showed therapeutic promise against the Chikungunya virus and other arthropod-borne and respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. The aim is to develop these antivirals alongside existing ones for future disease outbreaks. A new […]
May 2, 2023
Dogs Could Be “Patient Zero” For Virus With Potential To Infect Humans
Newsweek A bird flu virus that has spread to canines may hop hosts in the future, potentially infecting humans through their pet dogs, according to scientists at China Agricultural University. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic gained steam in 2020, more Americans have turned their eyes to the pathology and the origin of viruses, as well as methods to […]
Apr 25, 2023
Even as SARS-CoV-2 mutates, some human antibodies fight back
LaJolla Institute A ‘cocktail’ of human antibodies shows promise in fighting severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. An anonymous San Diego resident has become a fascinating example of how the human immune system fights SARS-CoV-2. In a new investigation, scientists from La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have shown how antibodies, collected from this clinical study volunteer, bind […]
Apr 25, 2023
Covid Emerged as Chinese Lab Faced Biosafety Issues, Senate Republican Study Finds
WSJ Covid Emerged as Chinese Lab Faced Biosafety Issues, Senate Republican Study Finds. A Chinese laboratory conducting advanced coronavirus research faced a series of biosafety problems in November 2019 that drew the attention of top Beijing officials and coincided with the Covid pandemic’s emergence, according to a new report being released by Senate Republicans on […]
Apr 18, 2023
Forbes A new antibody pair neutralizes all current variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2. There is an effective need for monoclonal antibody treatments for those suffering from moderate to severe Covid-19. While a number of treatments have been developed throughout the pandemic, the virus is continuously mutating, rendering many of these treatments obsolete. The key is […]
Apr 18, 2023
Mobile Lab Detects Marburg Virus
Rapid Microbiology Marburg Virus (MARV) has been wreaking havoc in Africa, with 5 deaths reported from Tanzania in the last 24 hours. Earlier this year, Equatorial Guinea reported an outbreak of MARV with 9 fatalities. This Ebola-like hemorrhagic virus is characterized by symptoms of high fever, followed by bleeding and organ failure. Something that can […]
Apr 18, 2023
Working With Marburg in the Lab: An Investigator Explains
Infection Control Today Since the Marburg virus is deadly, what would it be like to work with it in a laboratory setting? And what can be done to protect those who work with patients with Marburg? What is it like to come face-to-face with a killer, even a microscopic one like the Marburg virus? Gene Olinger, […]
Apr 18, 2023
How a rural school teacher became a top COVID sleuth
Nature A self-taught Indiana man is among a cadre of community scientists who scour the SARS-CoV-2 genome for problematic mutations. In late January, a team of scientists reported an ominous discovery: the widely used COVID-19 drug molnupiravir might be spurring the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants1. Four of the authors work at prominent UK universities. But one […]
Apr 18, 2023
Association of Treatment With Nirmatrelvir and the Risk of Post–COVID-19 Condition
JAMA Key Points Question Is treatment with nirmatrelvir in the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with a lower risk of post–COVID-19 condition (PCC)? Findings In this cohort study of 281 793 people with SARS-CoV-2 infection who had at least 1 risk factor for progression to severe COVID-19 illness, compared with 246 076 who had no treatment, nirmatrelvir use […]
Apr 11, 2023