Corona in general

Genetic resistance to COVID-19 could present a previously untapped resource in the fight against the virus, international experts say in a new report. // 18.10.2021

People with obesity were overrepresented among adults in Sweden receiving intensive care for COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic. Just over 39 percent had obesity, compared with some 16 percent in the population. // 18.10.2021

A recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server attempted to understand the relationship between vitamin D levels and COVID-19 by studying a population of UK healthcare workers who exhibited symptoms for COVID-19. // 17.10.2021

A group of researchers from the United States discovered that the spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can induce the formation of highly inflammatory blood clots amenable to neutralization by a fibrin-targeting monoclonal antibody – opening the door for a completely new strategy to reduce thrombotic inflammation in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). // 17.10.2021

A recent systematic review aimed to study existing evidence for the military being a historically relevant disease vector that has been overlooked during the COVID-19 pandemic. // 15.10.2021

An interesting new study examines the risk of COVID-19 to a susceptible individual who is part of a family with COVID-19 immunity. // 14.10.2021

The severe outbreak of COVID-19 in Delhi, India, in 2021 showed not only that the Delta variant of SARS-CoV2 is extremely transmissible but that it can infect individuals previously infected by a different variant of the coronavirus, say a team of international scientists writing in Science. // 14.10.2021

Researchers from Shenzhen's Children's Hospital have been investigating the occurrence of these diseases while these measures were in effect to understand better how to curb their transmission. // 14.10.2021

In one recent week, a New Yorker got a free covid-19 test in a jiffy, with results the next day, while a Coloradan had to shell out $50 for a test two cities from her hometown after a frantic round of pharmacy-hopping. // 14.10.2021

A new study reports that the SARS-CoV-2 induces protective tissue memory that includes both humoral and cellular elements to protect specific tissue sites. // 14.10.2021

Researchers have been investigating altered protein conformations in variants of concern to provide further insight for future therapies against COVID-19. // 14.10.2021

A recent study analyzes real-world data using artificial intelligence to provide insights into using ondansetron, an antiemetic agent, among SARS-CoV-2 positive patients. // 14.10.2021

Delhi, the national capital of India, has experienced multiple SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in 2020 and reached population seropositivity of over 50% by 2021. // 14.10.2021

Hiljattain julkaistun tutkimuksen mukaan veren hyytymistä vähentävä antikoagulaatiohoito vähentää sairaalaan joutumisen sekä kuoleman riskiä koronapotilailla. // 14.10.2021

In late December 2019, a novel pneumonia-like lung infection was reported in the Chinese province of Hubei. This, in turn, led to the ongoing coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is closely related to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus). // 13.10.2021

Yksi yhdistävä tekijä on ikä. // 13.10.2021

Harvinainen koronariskiä rajusti kasvattava geenipuutos löytyi, kun kaksi nuorta veljestä joutui koronan vuoksi hengityskoneeseen. // 13.10.2021

Researchers from Germany recently analyzed saliva and fecal samples from SARS-CoV-2 infected and post-COVID-19 patients and controls while considering multiple influencing factors during hospitalization. // 13.10.2021

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) produces inflammatory cytokine storms. But an FDA-approved anti-rheumatic drug, Auranofin, used to treat autoimmune and infectious diseases, may also help serve as an antiviral treatment for COVID-19 infection. // 13.10.2021

Can coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affect the eye? New research suggests the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can enter the eye and infect photoreceptor and retinal ganglion cells. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 infection increases the expression of several inflammatory genes, including the cytokine interleukin 33 (IL33), which is linked to COVID-19 disease and retinal degeneration. // 13.10.2021

Charles Whittaker and colleagues argue that accurate mortality data are essential for a fair, just, and equitable response to pandemics and suggest how to obtain them Estimating mortality attributable to different diseases, risk factors, or events is pivotal to inform resource allocation and evaluate public health interventions. Information on death rates and burden also supports wider aims of societal governance, public accountability, and memorialisation. Recent examples of mortality estimation include the true toll of hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico,1 mortality during famine in Somalia,2 and the war in South Sudan.3 Mortality data have also been essential in understanding the spread of covid-19. However, under-reporting in official death records has greatly obscured this understanding. We explore why under-reporting of deaths should have been expected, examine how use of alternative mortality sources can help advocate for a more equitable pandemic response, and highlight the crucial need for increased investment into civil registration and vital statistics systems before the next pandemic. Accurate understanding of the spread of covid-19 is crucial in navigating the trade-offs that underlie political decision making, including considerations of public health, economic growth, and civil liberties that must be integrated into pandemic responses at the national level.4 Internationally, it is equally crucial in justifying and framing decisions surrounding global allocation of limited resources such as vaccines and therapeutics. Using case data as a metric for appraising control measures and tracking local epidemics is challenging since the frequency of asymptomatic infections,5 non-specific symptoms of mild disease6 and limitations in testing capacity result in substantial underascertainment of cases.7 Mortality data on covid-19 are thought to be less susceptible to underascertainment than case numbers and have therefore been widely used to understand the dynamics of the pandemic and inform public health responses. // 12.10.2021

A new study analyzed the impact that the introduction of COVID-19 certificates has had on vaccine uptake.// 12.10.2021

Researchers in Germany have developed a promising approach to suppressing the viral replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). // 12.10.2021

Researchers measure SARS-CoV-2 T-cell responses in individuals vaccinated or in those who developed immunity from a prior natural infection. // 12.10.2021

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a compound that prevents SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses from entering cells. // 11.10.2021

Researchers develop a simulation model to characterize the risks and uncertainties associated with infections from aerosol exposure during in-person classes. // 11.10.2021

// September 26 – October 2, 2021

Merck & Co Inc said on Monday it has applied for U.S. emergency use authorization for its tablet to treat mild-to-moderate patients of COVID-19, putting it on course to become the first oral antiviral medication for the disease. // 11.10.2021

AstraZeneca's experimental COVID-19 drug has helped cut the risk of severe disease or death in a late-stage study, the British drugmaker said on Monday, a boost to its efforts to develop coronavirus medicines beyond vaccines. // 11.10.2021

Researchers from the Israel Institute of Biological Research delineated the interplay between IAV and SARS CoV-2 infections. // 11.10.2021