Breath tests can help detect traces of SARS-CoV-2 virus
Traces of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can be detected in microscopically small fluid droplets exhaled during a very short time span. // 22.2.2022
Corona in general
Circulating miR-155 may predict chances of survival in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Scientists from Israel have recently estimated the levels of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with the aim of identifying prognostic biomarkers for disease severity. They have identified miR-155, an important regulatory molecule in the immune system, as a potential biomarker to predict COVID-19 severity and mortality. // 22.2.2022
Poor sleep increases severity of viral respiratory infections including COVID-19
A new study explores the risk of respiratory infection with poor sleep in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. // 22.2.2022
Study explores the decline in viral load and immune response in COVID-19 patients
Researchers described the changes in viral ribonucleic acid the decline in viral load, and the immune response of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, in a new preprint study. // 22.2.2022
Prevalence of chemosensory loss induced by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Italy
Researchers conducted a prospective cohort study to determine the prevalence of chemosensory dysfunction in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients in Italy. // 22.2.2022
Lung microbiome alterations and secondary-infections in lethal COVID-19
Researchers examined how an interplay of host and microbial factors weakened immunity leading to secondary infections in COVID-19-infected individuals. // 22.2.2022
Spectrum of autoantibodies linked to autoimmune diseases in patients with different COVID-19 clinical outcomes
A broad evaluation of autoimmune disease-associated autoantibodies that have been observed in COVID-19 patients was performed.// 22.2.2022
Study measures recovery rate of SARS-CoV-2-induced olfactory loss
Researchers estimated the trajectory of COVID-19-induced olfactory loss over six months duration and assessed predictive features related to the recovery of olfactory function. // 21.2.2022
Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 symptomatic reinfection in four healthcare professionals from the same hospital despite the presence of antibodies
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 have been reported, raising additional public health concerns. SARS-CoV… // 20.2.2022
Benchmarking models of SARS-CoV-2 transmission through aerosols and droplets
A new study generated a consolidated set of parameters involving the exhalation of particles. // 20.2.2022
The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on lipids
SARS-CoV-2 appears to alter host lipid biosynthesis by relying on certain human metabolic pathways to survive and multiply effectively. // 20.2.2022
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections by intranasal or testicular inoculation induces testicular damage preventable by vaccination in golden Syrian hamsters
The role of SARS-CoV-2 in the pathogenesis of testicular damage is uncertain. // 18.2.2022
Research provides a stronger connection between autoantibody formation and clotting in COVID-19
Scientists have discovered that "rogue" antibodies found circulating in the blood of COVID-19 patients have the potential to cause cells to lose their resistance to clotting. // 18.2.2022
Efficacy of Ivermectin on Disease Progression in Patients With COVID-19
This randomized clinical trial assesses the efficacy of ivermectin treatment in preventing progression to severe disease among high-risk patients with COVID-19 in Malaysia. // 18.2.2022
A single-cell atlas reveals shared and distinct immune responses and metabolism during SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1 infections
SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1 are RNA viruses that have killed millions of people worldwide. Understanding the similarities and differences between these two infections is critical for understanding disease progression and for developing effective vaccines and therapies, particularly for 38 million HIV-1+ individuals who are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 co-infection. // 11.1.2022
Risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection 18 months after primary infection: population-level observational study.
Current data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 reinfections are rare, but uncertainties remain on the duration of the natural immunity, its protection against Omicron variant, finally the impact of vaccination to reduce reinfection rates. // 19.2.2022
Autoantibodies linked to autoimmune diseases associate with COVID-19 outcomes
The SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with increased levels of autoantibodies targeting immunological proteins such as cytokines and chemokines. Reports further indicate that COVID-19 patients may develop a wide spectrum of autoimmune diseases due to reasons not fully understood. // 18.2.2022
SARS-CoV-2 identified by transmission electron microscopy in lymphoproliferative and ischaemic intestinal lesions of COVID-19 patients with acute abdominal pain: two case reports - BMC Gastroenterology
Background SARS-CoV-2 may produce intestinal symptoms that are generally mild, with a small percentage of patients developing more severe symptoms. The involvement of SARS-CoV-2 in the physiopathology of bowel damage is poorly known. // 26.8.2021
SARS-CoV-2 sensory loss
Nature Reviews Microbiology - A recent study provides evidence of non-cell-autonomous disruption of nuclear architecture as a potential cause of COVID-19-associated anosmia. // 17.2.2022
Study finds 'substantial decrease' in people's mental wellbeing since the start of the pandemic
People in the UK have experienced a "substantial decrease" in mental wellbeing since the start of the Covid pandemic - according to new research from the University of East Anglia and University of York. // 17.2.2022
How accurate are rapid antigen COVID tests?
A new study updates the state of knowledge about antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT) in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). // 17.2.2022
Identifying direct and indirect effects of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on mortality in the US
Researchers recently differentiated the direct and indirect impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on mortality in the United States. // 17.2.2022
Immune-boosting supplements do not lessen risk of death from COVID-19, review finds
A new review of COVID-19 hospitalization data by researchers at The University of Toledo has found that taking immune-boosting supplements such as vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc do not lessen your chance of dying from COVID-19. // 17.2.2022
COVID Rates Jump After Denmark Lifts All Restrictions
"Not looking good in Denmark. Deaths are now 67% of peak with a steep ascent," Eric Topol, MD, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, wrote in a Twitter post this week. // 17.2.2022
Disruption in lung cell repair may underlie ARDS in COVID-19 and other diseases
Investigators studying lung cells have discovered that the normal repair process that occurs after lung disease or injury appears to be incomplete but still ongoing in patients who died of COVID-19 and ... // 16.2.2022
Respiratory virus particles likely travel greater distance than previously thought
A modeling study raises questions about how far respiratory droplets, like those that transmit the virus that causes COVID-19, can travel before becoming harmless. // 16.2.2022
The Millions of People Stuck in Pandemic Limbo
What does society owe immunocompromised people? // 16.2.2022
37% of COVID Patients Lose Sense of Taste, Study Says
A new Monell Center analysis found that 37% of COVID-19 patients actually did lose their sense of taste and that "reports of taste loss are in fact genuine and distinguishable from smell loss." // 16.2.2022
COVID reinfections surge during Omicron onslaught
Nature - Immunity acquired through previous infection is less effective against Omicron than against other variants, but the risk of severe COVID-19 remains low. // 16.2.2022
Brain cortical changes are related to inflammatory biomarkers in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients with neurological symptoms
Increasing evidence shows that the brain is a target of SARS-CoV-2. However, the consequences of the virus on the cortical regions of hospitalized patients are currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess brain cortical gray matter volume (GMV), thickness (Th), and surface area (SA) characteristics in SARS-CoV-2 hospitalized patients with a wide range of neurological symptoms and their association with clinical indicators of inflammatory processes. // 15.2.2022