Researchers develop new rapid and highly sensitive SAR-CoV-2 RNA detection test

The emergence of a novel human coronavirus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was first detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. SARS-CoV-2 causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a heterogeneous disease. Due to its rapid spread across the world within a short period, by March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared […]

New variant may not have changed COVID-19 pandemic course in UK, says study

With the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the world entered a phase of social restrictions which limited routine social and economic activities covering a wide spectrum, accompanied by a soaring and often overwhelming disease and death toll. A new study, released on […]

Salivary IgG to SARS-CoV-2 after mild COVID-19

A team of researchers based in Stockholm, Sweden, has demonstrated that individuals exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have antibodies for the disease up to nine months after acquiring the disease, even if they displayed only mild symptoms. Study: Persisting Salivary IgG against SARS-CoV-2 at 9 Months After Mild COVID-19: A Complementary […]

SARS-CoV-2 Brazilian variant may potentially escape T cell-mediated host immune responses

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 […]

An overview of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer-BioNTech

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to ravage worldwide, infecting over 118.15 million people. Caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the infection has claimed 2.62 million lives globally. More than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, scientists and health experts have developed safe and effective vaccines, including the BNT162b2 by […]

Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 P.1 variant shows resistance to antibody neutralization

Researchers in the United States say the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant – P.1 – that has recently emerged in Brazil shows a worrying level of resistance to neutralization by antibodies. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the agent responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that poses an ongoing threat to mankind […]

New SARS-CoV-2 B.1.526 variant emerges in New York

New York has the first case of a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant called B.1.526, picked up by genomic surveillance research from Columbia University. The findings come after reports of other variants have been reported worldwide — B.1.1.7 in the United Kingdom, B.1.351 in South Africa, and P.1/P.2 in Brazil. If […]

Neuroinvasiveness of SARS-CoV-2 shown by viral RNA and inflammation in the brain

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 […]