As scientists around the world develop life-saving COVID-19 vaccines and therapies, many are still wondering exactly why the disease proves deadly in some people and mild in others. To solve this puzzle, scientists need an in-depth understanding of how the body’s many types of immune cells respond to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. A […]
coronavirus
Bat ‘Super Immunity’ May Explain How Bats Carry Coronaviruses
A University of Saskatchewan (USask) research team has uncovered how bats can carry the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus without getting sick–research that could shed light on how coronaviruses make the jump to humans and other animals. Coronaviruses such as MERS, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and more recently the COVID19-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus, are […]
Antibodies From Llamas Could Help In Fight Against COVID-19
The hunt for an effective treatment for COVID-19 has led one team of researchers to find an improbable ally for their work: a llama named Winter. The team — from The University of Texas at Austin, the National Institutes of Health and Ghent University in Belgium — reports their findings about a potential avenue for […]
(Video) Bill Gates Talks About When We Could Anticipate A Coronavirus Vaccine
(Video) Bill Gates Talks About When We Could Anticipate A Coronavirus Vaccine
Researchers Develop Breakthrough Antibody Test For COVID-19 Virus
Several tests have been developed for detecting the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19, but these generally only allow detection of the virus during acute infection. Antibody, or serological, tests are urgently needed to determine the real rate of infection, to understand individuals’ antibody responses to the virus, and to identify people […]
New Bat Species Discovered — Cousins Of The Ones Suspected In COVID-19
Bats play a huge but poorly understood role in humans’ lives–they pollinate our crops, eat disease-carrying mosquitos, and carry diseases themselves. But we know next to nothing about most of these animals. There are more than 1,400 species of bats, and 25% of them have only been recognized by scientists in the last 15 years. […]
Corona And Air Pollution: How Does Nitrogen Dioxide Impact Fatalities?
Elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air may be associated with a high number of deaths from Covid-19. A new study by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) provides concrete data that back this assumption for the first time. The paper combines satellite data on air pollution and air currents with confirmed deaths related to […]
COVID-19 Possibly Striking More Children Than Expected
The number of children infected with the coronavirus is far more extensive than what is currently reported — a hidden detail that could vastly underestimate the demand on health care systems and pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). A new study published in the “Journal of Public Health Management and Practice” from the University of South […]
Contact Tracing App Warns Of COVID-19 Exposure While Protecting Privacy
Three Boston University computer scientists and engineers are working on a smartphone app that could let people know if they have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, while protecting the privacy of all parties. Ran Canetti, Ari Trachtenberg, and Mayank Varia have teamed up with researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other […]
New Model Finds Countries Should Work Together To Control Coronavirus
Countries looking to contain the spread of harmful species and diseases like COVID-19 should work together in multiple hotspots, according to a new model developed by an Arizona State University researcher. Because it would be difficult to completely eliminate the novel coronavirus, mathematical modeling suggests countries should focus on keeping the rate of infection low […]