COVID-19 News and Discussions

User avatar
caltrek
Posts: 6509
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: COVID-19 News and Discussions

Post by caltrek »

Study Unveils First Global Dataset for SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Animals
July 26, 2022

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) [Vienna, July 2022] In a pioneering initiative, a multidisciplinary Austrian team created the most comprehensive global dataset of SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals. Their findings were published Saturday, July 23, in the journal Scientific Data and the epidemiological information is available on a dashboard at https://vis.csh.ac.at/sars-ani/

“There was an urgent need for a global dataset on SARS-CoV-2 events in animals that can be easily imported, processed, and analyzed,” says Amélie Desvars-Larrive, the principal investigator of the study and a researcher at the Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH).

The initiative intends to facilitate One Health approaches on SARS-CoV-2. The idea is to create a collaborative approach that recognizes the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health to obtain optimal health for all.

“To tackle major threats to human health, we need integrated approaches,” points out Desvars-Larrive. “Although animals do not appear to play a significant role in the spread of COVID-19 among people currently, One Health tools that enable the integrative analysis and visualization of SARS-CoV-2 events are critical.”
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/959900
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
weatheriscool
Posts: 12946
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: COVID-19 News and Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

COVID outbreaks hit TSA, American and Southwest airlines at LAX
Source: LA Times

COVID-19 outbreaks have hit Los Angeles International Airport with at least 400 confirmed cases among Transportation Security Administration staff and workers at American and Southwest airlines, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

At least 220 staff with the TSA at LAX have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the county agency.

The outbreak among TSA staff would make it the largest active outbreak currently being monitored by county health officials, which records outbreaks at residential care facilities, workplaces, food and retail stores, homeless service locations, schools, jails, law enforcement settings and courts.

Despite the number of cases being reported, LAX and TSA officials said services have not been impacted because of them.
Read more: https://www.latimes.com/california/stor ... nes-at-lax
User avatar
caltrek
Posts: 6509
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: COVID-19 News and Discussions

Post by caltrek »

Study Identifies Regions on the SARS-CoV-2 Genome Linked to Virus Replication and Transmission
July 26, 2022

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) Since COVID-19 emerged, scientists worldwide have sequenced more than 6 million genomes of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus behind the disease. Today, the number of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences exceeds the total number of all other viral genomes.

Genomes are valuable because they provide a record of the evolution of a virus in a human host, along with information on the emergence of mutations. In a study ( https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ ... ia%3Dihub ), published in KeAi’s Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity, a team of researchers analysed 2.8 million of the sequenced SARS-CoV-2 genomes and used the results to compile a ‘mutations blacklist’ of virus weak spots, and a ‘whitelist’ of mutations that make SARS-CoV-2 more transmissible. In addition, the team has developed an online SARS-CoV-2 mutation and variant monitoring and pre-warning system (MVMPS).

Professor Jianguo Xu of China’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention led the study. Reflecting on the findings, he explained: “We found that six types of gene-level mutations had reached saturation in the sequenced genome population we examined – when you reach saturation, it means that no novel mutations should appear in the future, even if more genomes are sequenced. This result points to most subsequent variants of SARS-CoV-2 being a combination of existing high-frequency mutations, rather than a newly-emerged mutation. For example, the variant BA.5 has a L452R mutation that escapes host immunity. Although this mutation appears in the Omicron variant, it was also found in the Delta variant. This kind of information is crucial, as it suggests these mutations might have a negative effect on viral survival, replication and transmission, information that can aid vaccine and drug development research.” These mutations were used to compile the team’s SARS-CoV-2 ‘mutations blacklist’.

He continued: “Some mutations can affect the virus transmission rate. We identified a total of 185 mutations that are significantly positively correlated with viral transmission, information that scientists can use to evaluate the transmissibility of new variants.” These findings were used to create the team’s SARS-CoV-2 ‘mutations whitelist’.

In addition, the team has built an online alert system – the MVMPS ( https://www.omicx.cn/ ) – which is home to a dynamic curve that shows, in real-time, proportions of each mutation and variant in all the SARS-CoV-2 strains.
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/960026
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
User avatar
wjfox
Site Admin
Posts: 8730
Joined: Sat May 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Re: COVID-19 News and Discussions

Post by wjfox »

Image
User avatar
caltrek
Posts: 6509
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: COVID-19 News and Discussions

Post by caltrek »

New Breakthrough Brings Us a Step Closer to a Universal Coronavirus Vaccine
by Dr. Alfredo Carpineti
July 29, 2022

Introduction:
(IFL Science) As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the world, scientists continue to look at ways to not only improve current vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – but to go one step further and create a vaccine that protects against many different types of coronaviruses, including the common cold.

New work has found that a vaccine focused on the S2 portion of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is capable of creating antibodies that would not only deal with SARS-CoV-2 but also neutralize other coronaviruses. The design was tested in vitro and in an animal model and the findings are reported in Science Translational Medicine.

“Our goal was to develop new vaccination approaches against SARS-CoV-2 variants and any new variants that may arise in the future," lead author Kevin Ng, a graduate researcher at The Francis Crick Institute, told IFLScience.

"To do this, we made a vaccine based on the S2 region of the spike protein, which is the bit of the protein the virus uses to enter cells. When we vaccinated mice with this S2 vaccine, they generated antibodies that bind and block a wide range of human and animal coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 variants and the common cold coronaviruses.”

Vaccinating mice with SARS-CoV-2 S2 led to the formation of antibodies in those animals that not only dealt with several variants of the COVID-19 virus we have experienced so far, but also with the common cold coronavirus HCoV-OC43, as well as two coronaviruses found in bats. S2 seems to be a very promising target.
Read more here: https://www.iflscience.com/new-breakth ... ine-64670 and here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sci ... ed.abn3715
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
weatheriscool
Posts: 12946
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: COVID-19 News and Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

President Joe Biden tests positive for Covid-19 again
Source: CNN
(CNN) President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 again Saturday morning, per a letter from presidential physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor, in what is likely a "rebound" Covid-19 positivity that the doctor noted is "observed in a small percentage of patients treated with Paxlovid." Biden has experienced "no reemergence of symptoms, and continues to feel quite well" and will, as a result, not resume treatment, the White House said. O'Connor said the President tested negative on Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning and Friday morning before testing positive on Saturday morning.

"However, given his positive antigen test, he will reinitiate strict isolation procedures," the doctor noted. Biden ceased isolating on Wednesday after testing negative on successive antigen tests, celebrating his return in remarks from the White House Rose Garden. Biden's physician said the President is not experiencing any symptoms but that he will isolate at the White House. "Folks, today I tested positive for COVID again," Biden wrote on Twitter. "This happens with a small minority of folks. I've got no symptoms but I am going to isolate for the safety of everyone around me. I'm still at work, and will be back on the road soon."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wrote Biden is "asymptomatic, feeling fine, and working in isolation from the Residence to protect others." A White House official said contact tracing efforts were underway Saturday after Biden's positive Covid-19 test. The President had resumed events at the White House after testing negative this week, though he was seen wearing a mask more regularly. White House officials said they worked to ensure there was social distancing at the public events he held at the White House. Biden, 79, first tested positive on July 21. During his first bout with the disease, he experienced mild symptoms, including runny nose, fatigue, high temperature and a cough, according to his doctor.

The President completed a five-day course of Paxlovid, which requires a doctor's prescription and is available via emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in people 12 and older who are at high risk of severe illness. When Biden first tested positive last week, the White House said he'd had 17 close contacts, none of whom ended up testing positive themselves. First lady Jill Biden remains in Delaware, where she has been since the President first tested positive for Covid-19, a White House official told CNN. She has not been back to the White House. The first lady had been scheduled to join the President when he traveled to Wilmington on Sunday.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/30/politics ... index.html
weatheriscool
Posts: 12946
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: COVID-19 News and Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

New at-home, saliva-based COVID test as effective as PCR in preliminary analysis
https://phys.org/news/2022-08-at-home-s ... e-pcr.html
by Mariah Chuprinski, Pennsylvania State University
PCR tests, also called molecular tests or nucleic acid tests, are considered the gold standard in detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that gives rise to COVID-19. However, they can take a few days to process, resulting in unnecessary quarantine for negative individuals or delays for those who require proof of negative testing for travel or other commitments. Rapid antigen-detecting tests, on the other hand, are convenient, but less reliable than PCR tests.

To bridge the gap between accuracy and convenience, Penn State researchers have developed an at-home, saliva-based testing platform that can provide results in 45 minutes. In preliminary tests, the platform detected the COVID-causing virus with the same level of sensitivity as PCR tests. Their results published this week in ACS Sensors.
User avatar
caltrek
Posts: 6509
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: COVID-19 News and Discussions

Post by caltrek »

New Test May Predict COVID-19 Immunity
August 9, 2022

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Most people in the United States have some degree of immune protection against Covid-19, either from vaccination, infection, or a combination of the two. But, just how much protection does any individual person have?

MIT researchers have now developed an easy-to-use test that may be able to answer that question. Their test, which uses the same type of “lateral flow” technology as most rapid antigen tests for Covid-19, measures the level of neutralizing antibodies that target the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a blood sample.

Easy access to this kind of test could help people determine what kind of precautions they should take against Covid infection, such as getting an additional booster shot, the researchers say. They have filed for a patent on the technology and are now hoping to partner with a diagnostic company that could manufacture the devices and seek FDA approval.

“Among the general population, many people probably want to know how well protected they are,” says Hojun Li, the Charles W. and Jennifer C. Johnson Clinical Investigator at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. “But I think where this test might make the biggest difference is for anybody who is receiving chemotherapy, anybody who’s on immunosuppressive drugs for rheumatologic disorders or autoimmune diseases, and for anybody who’s elderly or doesn't mount good immune responses in general. These are all people who might need to be boosted sooner or receive more doses to achieve adequate protection.”

The test is designed so that different viral spike proteins can be swapped in, allowing it to be modified to detect immunity against any existing or future variant of SARS-CoV-2, the researchers say.
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/961334
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
User avatar
caltrek
Posts: 6509
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: COVID-19 News and Discussions

Post by caltrek »

Long COVID Case Study: Recovery Process for Impaired Hormone Secretion
August 8, 2022

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) Recently, ‘Long COVID’ is becoming a significant issue worldwide. It refers to a variety of symptoms that persist over an extended period after the patient has recovered from a novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). In many cases, it is unclear what causes Long COVID symptoms, and there is insufficient information regarding recovery time.

To help address this, a research collaboration between Kobe Graduate School of Medicine and Hyogo Prefectural Kakogawa Medical Center report a 15-month case study on a patient’s recovery from impaired adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH, Note 1) secretion brought on by novel coronavirus infection. The research team included Professor OGAWA Wataru and Assistant Professor YAMAMOTO Masaaki (both of the Division of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine), and Dr. IIDA Kenji (Head of the Division of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Hyogo Prefectural Kakogawa Medical Center).

This case study provides an example of the recovery period for a hormone secretion disorder, one of the widely reported aftereffects of COVID-19. This information will hopefully help people whose quality of life (QoL) has declined due to Long COVID.

This case study was published in the Endocrine Journal on July 14.

Main Points
• After the patient had recovered from respiratory failure, impairment occurred in a part of the brain called the hypothalamic-pituitary system (Note 2), resulting in insufficient secretion of ACTH. This long-term case study shows the recovery process.
• It is unclear what causes the aftereffects of novel coronavirus infection and it is not known how long they continue. Therefore, many people are suffering from decreased QoL even after recovering from a novel coronavirus infection.
• This case study is important because it provides an example of a recovery treatment course for impaired secretion of pituitary hormones, which is one of the aftereffects of novel coronavirus infection.

Notes

1. Adrenocorticotropic hormone: One of the steroid hormones secreted by the adrenal glands. Its effects include raising blood pressure and blood sugar levels, promoting appetite and anti-inflammation. This hormone is necessary for the body to overcome stress.

2. Hypothalamic-pituitary system: As the ‘command center’ for hormone secretion, it plays a central role in regulating various biological activities.
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/961314
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
weatheriscool
Posts: 12946
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: COVID-19 News and Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

CDC loosens coronavirus guidance, signaling strategic shift
Source: Washington Post
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday loosened many of its recommendations for battling the coronavirus, a strategic shift that puts more of the onus on individuals, rather than on schools, businesses and other institutions, to limit viral spread. No longer do schools and other institutions need to screen apparently healthy students and employees as a matter of course. The CDC is putting less emphasis on social distancing. It’s quarantine rule for unvaccinated people is gone.

The agency’s focus now is on highly vulnerable populations, and how to protect them — not on the vast majority of people who at this point have some immunity against the virus and are unlikely to become severely ill. The new recommendations signal that the Biden administration and its medical advisers have decided that the lower fatality rate from covid-19 in a heavily vaccinated population permits a less demanding set of guidelines. “The current conditions of this pandemic are very different from those of the last two years,” CDC epidemiologist Greta Massetti said Thursday in a briefing for reporters.

CDC officials have repeatedly pointed to greater protection against the virus because of high levels of vaccine- and infection-induced immunity in the country, coupled with the rollout of effective treatments that have reduced severe illness. A report released Thursday by the agency explaining the guidance revisions said the more favorable circumstances allow public health officials to focus on “sustainable measures to further reduce medically significant illness as well as to minimize strain on the health care system, while reducing barriers to social, educational, and economic activity.”

But the revision in guidance carries some risk, according to infectious-disease experts: Another fall and winter wave of cases, or the emergence of a new coronavirus variant, could call into question the wisdom of the CDC’s strategic pivot or hamper the agency’s ability to reimpose tougher guidelines. Under the new guidance, quarantine procedures have been relaxed: Unvaccinated people who have had close contact with someone who is infected no longer are advised to go through a five-day period of quarantine if they have not tested positive for the virus or shown symptoms.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... endations/
Post Reply