Covid19-Sources

#Lockdown war für #Kinder und #Jugendliche kein solcher Stressfaktor wie oft behauptet! ⬇️ „Als die Schweiz im Frühling 2020 in den Lockdown ging, erwarteten die Psychiatrien einen Ansturm. Doch das Gegenteil geschah: Die Fälle gingen sogar zurück.“ https://t.co/0r19RwSlpo

A high-throughput microscopy screen for drugs that modulate SARS-CoV-2 spike-mediated membrane fusion identifies an essential role for cholesterol in both virus entry and syncytia formation.

Early detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection is critical to reduce asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread of COVID-19, curb the spread of viral variants by travelers, and maximize efficacy of therapeutic treatments. We designed a study to evaluate the preferred test sensitivity and sample type (saliva and nasal swab) for detecting early infections of COVID-19. We performed a case-ascertained study to monitor household contacts of individuals recently diagnosed with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. From those individuals, we obtained twice-daily self-collected anterior-nares nasal swabs and saliva samples and quantified SARS-CoV-2 RNA viral loads in those samples using high-sensitivity RT-qPCR and RT-ddPCR assays. We found that SARS-CoV-2 RNA first appears in saliva and then in nasal-swab samples. A high-sensitivity (limit of detection of ~103 copies/mL) RNA test detected SARS-CoV-2 virus in saliva 1.5 to 4.5 days before the viral load in the paired nasal-swab samples exceeded the limit of detection of low-sensitivity tests. It was possible to observe a high (>107-108 copies/mL) viral load in saliva samples while the paired nasal swab was either negative or had low (~103 copies/mL) viral load. Our results indicate that both sampling site and test sensitivity must be considered to ensure early detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection: high-sensitivity tests that use saliva can detect SARS-CoV-2 infection days earlier than low-sensitivity tests that use nasal swabs. Furthermore, early in the infection, low-sensitivity tests that use nasal swabs may miss SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals with very high and potentially infectious viral loads in saliva.

SINGAPORE: Seven new cases, including household contacts and family members of previous cases, were on Tuesday (May 11) linked to a cluster of ...

SARS-CoV-2 has caused a devastating global pandemic. The recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants that are less sensitive to neutralization by convalescent sera or vaccine-induced neutralizing antibody responses has raised concerns. A second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections in India is leading to the expansion of SARS-CoV-2 variants. The B.1.617.1 variant has rapidly spread throughout India and to several countries throughout the world. In this study, using a live virus assay, we describe the neutralizing antibody response to the B.1.617.1 variant in serum from infected and vaccinated individuals. We found that the B.1.617.1 variant is 6.8-fold more resistant to neutralization by sera from COVID-19 convalescent and Moderna and Pfizer vaccinated individuals. Despite this, a majority of the sera from convalescent individuals and all sera from vaccinated individuals were still able to neutralize the B.1.617.1 variant. This suggests that protective immunity by the mRNA vaccines tested here are likely retained against the B.1.617.1 variant. As the B.1.617.1 variant continues to evolve, it will be important to monitor how additional mutations within the spike impact antibody resistance, viral transmission and vaccine efficacy. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

They Knew. They Ignored. The Reckoning, One Year In.

28. Februar 2020. Aus der Corona-Epidemie in China ist eine weltweite Pandemie geworden. Auch in Deutschland ist das Virus angekommen. In der 17. Folge unseres BIH Podcasts haben wir BIH Professor Christian Drosten erneut gefragt, wie die Lage um Coronavirus/COVID-19 ist. Er ist Direktor des Instituts für Virologie der Charité und forscht schon lange zum SARS- und Corona-Virus. Im Interview erzählt er, wie gut Deutschland auf die Pandemie vorbereitet ist und was er persönlich für Vorkehrungen trifft.

The final months of 2019 witnessed the emergence of a novel coronavirus in the human population. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has since spread across the globe and is posing a major burden on society. Measures taken to reduce its spread critically depend on timely and …

This @NEJM paper did long-term follow-up on 3958 #pregnant ppl who received a #COVID19 #vaccine. 👉🏻 No increased risk of pregnancy-specific adverse events (including #miscarriage). So why are ppl claiming it shows a 24x increased risk of miscarriage? 🧵10.1056/NEJMoa2104983— Viki Male 💙 (@VikiLovesFACS) May 12, 2021

An anti-vaccine conspiracy about the vaccinated are leading some anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers to contemplate wearing a mask and social distance.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus is highly contagious and causes lymphocytopenia, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We demonstrate here that heterotypic cell-in-cell structures with lymphocytes inside multinucleate syncytia are prevalent in the lung tissues of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. These unique cellular structures are a direct result of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as the expression of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein is sufficient to induce a rapid (~45.1 nm/s) membrane fusion to produce syncytium, which could readily internalize multiple lines of lymphocytes to form typical cell-in-cell structures, remarkably leading to the death of internalized cells. This membrane fusion is dictated by a bi-arginine motif within the polybasic S1/S2 cleavage site, which is frequently present in the surface glycoprotein of most highly contagious viruses. Moreover, candidate anti-viral drugs could efficiently inhibit spike glycoprotein processing, membrane fusion, and cell-in-cell formation. Together, we delineate a molecular and cellular rationale for SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and identify novel targets for COVID-19 therapy.

Now, a new study by researchers from Brazil has found that people who are unconcerned with adhering to measures to mitigate the COVID-19 spread tend to manifest higher levels of traits tied to antisocial personality disorder, which is also known as sociopathy.

This is important:B.1.617 has mutations that may *enhance* pathogenesisA mutation at P681R in combination with L452R and E484Q significantly increases syncitia formationThis is when the cells fuse together, and it's linked to fatal disease. pic.twitter.com/2VN34KDRXq— Anthony J Leonardi (@fitterhappierAJ) May 11, 2021

Sie fordern "Freiheit" und schimpfen auf die "Corona-Diktatur". Sie setzen die Bundesrepublik mit dem NS-Regime gleich. Hinter den Botschaften der "Querdenker" steckt ein Freiheitsverständnis, das nur darauf aus ist: Selbstbestimmung um jeden Preis.

AbstractCell autonomous antiviral defenses can inhibit the replication of viruses and reduce transmission and disease severity. To better understand the antiviral response to SARS-CoV-2, we used interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression screening to reveal that OAS1, through RNase L, potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2. We show that while some people can express a prenylated OAS1 variant, that is membrane-associated and blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection, other people express a cytosolic, nonprenylated OAS1 variant which does not detect SARS-CoV-2 (determined by the splice-acceptor SNP Rs10774671). Alleles encoding nonprenylated OAS1 predominate except in people of African descent.Importantly, in hospitalized patients, expression of prenylated OAS1 was associated with protection from severe COVID-19, suggesting this antiviral defense is a major component of a protective antiviral response. Remarkably, approximately 55 million years ago, retrotransposition ablated the OAS1 prenylation signal in horseshoe bats (the presumed source of SARS-CoV-2). Thus, SARS-CoV-2 never had to adapt to evade this defense. As prenylated OAS1 is widespread in animals, the billions of people that lack a prenylated OAS1 could make humans particularly vulnerable to the spillover of coronaviruses from horseshoe bats

Im Jahr 2020 sind deutlich mehr Menschen an und mit Corona gestorben, als in der Öffentlichkeit bekannt ist. Selbst Todesfälle vom Beginn der zweiten Welle im frühen November  gehen jetzt noch in die Statistik ein.

Cell autonomous antiviral defenses can inhibit the replication of viruses and reduce transmission and disease severity. To better understand the antiviral response to SARS-CoV-2, we used interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression screening to reveal that OAS1, through RNase L, potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2. We show that while some people can express a prenylated OAS1 variant, that is membrane-associated and blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection, other people express a cytosolic, nonprenylated OAS1 variant which does not detect SARS-CoV-2 (determined by the splice-acceptor SNP Rs10774671). Alleles enc...

Betacoronaviruses (betaCoVs) caused the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreaks, and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic1–4. Vaccines that elicit protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and betaCoVs circulating in animals have the potential to prevent future betaCoV pandemics. Here, we show that macaque immunization with a multimeric SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) nanoparticle adjuvanted with 3M-052/Alum elicited cross-neutralizing antibody (cross-nAb) responses against batCoVs, SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and SARS-CoV-2 variants B.1.1.7, P.1, and B.1.351. Nanoparticle vaccination resulted in a SARS-CoV-2 reciprocal geometric mean neutralization ID50 titer of 47,216, and protection against SARS-CoV-2 in macaque upper and lower respiratory tracts. Importantly, nucleoside-modified mRNA encoding a stabilized transmembrane spike or monomeric RBD also induced SARS-CoV-1 and batCoV cross-nAbs, albeit at lower titers. These results demonstrate current mRNA vaccines may provide some protection from future zoonotic betaCoV outbreaks, and provide a platform for further development of pan-betaCoV vaccines.

The drug ivermectin has divided the medical community in South Africa and elsewhere, with some arguing it can both prevent and treat covid-19. Bibi-Aisha Wadvalla explains how the case encapsulates the central argument: do doctors or scientists know best? As vaccination rollouts begin, the covid-19 pandemic continues. Doctors, particularly in low and middle income countries, are desperate to find effective treatments. Yet despite the high number of studies that have been undertaken, few have delivered clear cut results. In the mix is ivermectin, a cheap antiparasitic drug widely used for ne...

Betacoronaviruses (betaCoVs) caused the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreaks, and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic1–4. Vaccines that elicit protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and betaCoVs circulating in animals have the potential to prevent future betaCoV pandemics. Here, we show that macaque immunization with a multimeric SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) nanoparticle adjuvanted with 3M-052/Alum elicited cross-neutralizing antibody (cross-nAb) responses against batCoVs, SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and SARS-CoV-2 variants B.1.1.7, P.1,...

Vaccines that can spread autonomously through animal populations could help to prevent zoonoses before they spillover into humans. This Perspective discusses the epidemiological theory and the practical challenges associated with transmissible and transferable vaccines.

Die Intensivstation ist voll, die Arbeit so anstrengend wie nie zuvor in der Pandemie: Lungenarzt Cihan Çelik spricht im Interview über fehlende Betten, schwierige Abwägungen – und Patienten, die noch nie von einer Impfung gehört haben.

New research highlights the possible long term health impacts of COVID-19 on young, relatively healthy adults who were not hospitalized and who only had minor symptoms due to the virus.

Find answers to frequently asked questions about our COVID-19 projections model.

A modeling study using case and mortality data from the first 8 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States explores five potential future scenarios of social distancing mandates and mask use at the state level, with projections of the course of the epidemic through winter 2021.

Parents have been struggling to obtain help and support, watching their children with persistent symptoms following acute infection with COVID-19. Early on in the pandemic, parents and children felt they were disbelieved by their GPs. As ‘long COVID’ came to be recognised in adults1 and named as such by patients2 there came to be a growing acceptance that it can also occur in children as evidence emerged.3 Indeed, ONS data suggest that 12%–15% of children may have symptoms lasting 5 weeks after an acute infection with COVID-19.4 Lack of GP awareness has led to some parents whose children ha...